Resources

The Buddha—that is, the “Enlightened One”—lived nearly 2500 years ago in northern India. His followers have always seen his life as a shining example to all, but what “really happened” is now impossible to know for certain. Even the earliest stories of his life include miraculous events that may seem hard to take literally. Later versions are even more elaborate, and they differ from one another in many details.

Design a calligraphic plate using Arabic script and images inspired by a meaningful word.

Fold your own origami teapot.

Students will summarize and illustrate the main events of a folktale from Japan in the format of kamishibai slides and retell their stories using their kamishibai slides.

The most famous region for the manufacture and trade of golden jewelry lay in Sumatra’s northernmost province of Aceh, where these finely worked bracelets were produced. Make your own bracelets inspired by Indonesian jewelry.

Asian Art Museum Storyteller, Miriam Mills, tells the story of Rangda, the Balinese witch.

Students brainstorm the qualities of good and evil and draw conclusions about the Balinese concept of “dynamic” or balanced opposites. Then, students will relate the idea of “dynamic opposites” in the Ramayana (Story of Rama) to present-day situations by identifying a current problem, creating a visual identify for their own pair of opposing characters, and scripting a dialogue.

Objective: Students will explore the dichotomy between craft and fine art while investigating Ruth Asawa’s sculpture work and identity.

Objective: Students will critically examine Ruth Asawa’s sculpture work and create their own works of art in her style using principles of geometry and 3-D shapes

Objective: Students will be exposed to East Asian art traditions through the lens of a contemporary Chinese American artist, Bernice Bing.