". . . the arts have been an inseparable part of the human journey; indeed, we depend on the arts to carry us toward the fullness of our humanity. We value them for themselves, and because we do, we believe knowing and practicing them is fundamental to the healthy development of our children's minds and spirits."
- National Standards of Arts Education
I n t r o d u c t i o n
"Every culture develops some kind of art as surely as it develops language. Some primitive cultures have no real mythology or religion, but all have some art - dance, song, design (sometimes only on tools or on the human body)... Art is, indeed, the spearhead of human development, social, and individual." - Susan K. Langer
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Based on Graham Salisbury's history novel, Under the Blood Red Sun, students will focus on the symbolism of family names, artifacts of cultures that were regarded as sacred in the past, and expressing marriage customs.
F I N E A R T S A C T I V I T I E S
Activity 1: "Protecting Thy Family Name" "Nakaji no namae o mamore!" Symbolism is a large component in all Japanese Arts. They are used to represent the alphabet and Japanese language. In this activity, students will find out the history of their family names or what it represents. Using the Japanese Language Symbols and Japanese Nature Symbols handouts, students will choose two (2) language symbols and (1) nature symbol that best represents or describes their family name to create an artwork using paint (i.e., watercolors, oil paint, acrylics). |
![Picture](/uploads/9/8/7/0/9870631/9362631.png)
Activity 2: "Revered Relics"
Katana: A Samurai Sword of the Nakaji Ancestors
The Katana was a very honored item in the household of the Nakaji. It was passed down from generations and now given to Tomi to look after. Students will research an artifact from a culture (their own or a culture of their choice) that was regarded as sacred to their people. Using recyclable materials, students will create a "revered relic". On a separate sheet of paper, they will indicate where the relic originated from (country/island), its purpose, and why they chose that item.
Katana: A Samurai Sword of the Nakaji Ancestors
The Katana was a very honored item in the household of the Nakaji. It was passed down from generations and now given to Tomi to look after. Students will research an artifact from a culture (their own or a culture of their choice) that was regarded as sacred to their people. Using recyclable materials, students will create a "revered relic". On a separate sheet of paper, they will indicate where the relic originated from (country/island), its purpose, and why they chose that item.
Activity 3: "Weddings in the World" Video Project
Ways they say "I do" Mama hoped to start a new life by moving to Hawaii through the "Picture Brides" system. Although different cultures have various marriage customs, many of these traditions symbolize the same thing: the couple starting a new life together. In groups of 4-5, students will research a culture's marriage customs (of their choice) and reenact a traditional wedding day. Groups will create a short movie to upload on the class's youtube channel. (They will be given this assignment at the beginning of the Unit; there will be more than enough time to plan and meet for this video project.) |