Creating a Narrative

Creating a Narrative

Theme
Students will study Chinese painting as a narrative journey and create their own narratives.

Performance objective
Students will examine and analyze a Chinese landscape painting as a narrative journey. Then students will create their own narrative journey.

Materials
• Image: Temple on a Mountain Ledge
• Looking exercise
• Pencils
• Paper or notebook

Assesment
• Student’s verbal responses
• Student’s written responses
• Student’s own narrative document

Procedure
1. Teacher will show the slide to the class.

2. Using the Looking Exercise and the background information, the teacher will discuss the image with the class. If at the end of the discussion, students have not notice the shifting viewpoints, teacher should point this out.

3. Writing exercise: Teacher asks each student to look at the scene and silently choose a place where he/she would like to be. Instruct the students to describe that place on a piece of paper, or in a note book. Ask for volunteers to read their description to the class. The students will then try to figure out what place in the picture is being described.

4. Chinese paintings are often described as journeys. Teacher should explain this to the class and discuss how a traveler could travel through this picture. For example, by climbing a hill or crossing a field.

5. Writing exercise: Students are asked to describe a journey they have taken. Teacher may ask students to illustrate the journey.

6. Students share their journeys with the rest of the class.