Lesson Two: Seals — Art and Personal Symbol
Students will create a symbol that shows personal value, to be used as a signature on valuable academic assignments and art projects. As a result of this activity, students will understand what personal characteristics show personal virtue. Students will create a Chinese seal to be used as a signature on school projects and assignments.

Lesson Three: Calligraphy
Students will compare and contrast written language symbols of various cultures. They will learn to write simple words in Chinese calligraphy, and learn the value cultures place on written language and means of communication. Students will become familiar with the tools for Chinese writing, learn the basic strokes in Chinese writing, and be able to write a few simple Chinese words that may have personal meaning to them. Art students will complete their handscroll by composing and writing a poem and impressing their personal seal onto the paper, and gluing pieces of bamboo to their handscroll for ease of rolling.

Lesson Four: Painting
Students will choose a flower, tree, or plant from China, Korea, or Japan that they feel best symbolizes their personal character.

Lesson Five: Garden and Poetry
Students will research and create designs for a garden. They will include one characteristic (plant, tree, symbol, structure, water feature) from the Korean, Japanese, and Chinese garden styles. They will use symbolic sculpture, bridges, structures, etc. that have personal meaning. They will compare and contrast the three East Asian styles of gardens. Art students will use Chinese calligraphy to write a title on a Japanese haiku poem, written on their Japanese scroll.

Lesson Six: Social Studies Summary Essay
Students will write an extended response essay to express their understanding of how the virtues, values, and personal qualities prized in East Asian societies can be found in nature and in art.


Standards
Curriculum Standards and Benchmarks
Excerpted from Michigan Curriculum Framework: Content Standards and Benchmarks: Arts Education

Visual Arts
Standard 4 Arts in Context
All students will understand, analyze, and describe the arts in their historical, social, and cultural contexts.
Elementary Benchmark 3
Demonstrate how history, culture, and the visual arts can influence each other in making and studying works of art.

Social Studies
Strand I Historical perspective
Standard I.2 Comprehending the past
All students will understand narratives about major eras of American and world history by identifying the people involved, describing the setting, and sequencing the events.
Elementary Benchmark 4
Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue.

Strand II Geographic Perspective
Standard II.1 Diversity of people, places and cultures
All students will describe, compare, and explain the locations and characteristics of races, cultures, and settlements.
Elementary Benchmark 1
Explain basic ecosystem concepts and processes.

Standard II 4 Regions, Patterns, and Processes
All students will describe and compare characteristics of ecosystems, states, regions, countries, major world regions, and patterns and explain the processes that create them.
Elementary Benchmark 2
Describe places, cultures, and communities in the United States and compare them with those in other regions and countries.

For more information about the Michigan Curriculum Framework and the K-12 Curriculum and Standards, visit the Michigan Department of Education Web site at http://Michigan.gov/mde

The direct link to the curriculum standards is http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-5235_5682---,00.html.