Essential Questions:
· What culturally distinctive elements do typical Chinese gardens employ?
· What are the differences between Chinese gardens and gardens from Western cultures in terms of garden layout, perspective, garden elements, plant arrangement, etc.?
· What is the significance of the Chinese cultural perspective “harmony between nature and human beings” 天人合一?
· How does天人合一 influence traditional Chinese garden design and landscaping?
· What culturally distinctive elements do typical Chinese gardens employ?
· What are the differences between Chinese gardens and gardens from Western cultures in terms of garden layout, perspective, garden elements, plant arrangement, etc.?
· What is the significance of the Chinese cultural perspective “harmony between nature and human beings” 天人合一?
· How does天人合一 influence traditional Chinese garden design and landscaping?
Learning Objectives in Relation to the National Standards for Foreign Language Education: (ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, 1999)
· Students acquire a base of vocabulary on Chinese gardens and develop interpersonal communication skills through discussions of the culturally distinctive elements of Chinese gardens. (1.1 Interpersonal Communication)
· Students develop interpretive skills through reading articles and watching video clips about Chinese gardens. (1.2 Interpretive Communication)
· Students present Chinese garden models they design or artwork they draw, and write two Chinese essays. (See Student Learning Outcomes for details) (1.3 Presentational Communication)
· Students gain knowledge of traditional Chinese garden design and landscaping, practical daily life functions, naming conventions, and symbolism of Chinese gardens through Internet research on both English and Chinese language websites. (2.1 Practices of Culture, 3.2 Acquiring Information)
· Students gain knowledge of cultural products of Chinese gardens and their relationship with the Chinese cultural perspective of “harmony between nature and human beings” 天人合一 through online research as well. (2.2 Products of Culture)
· Students make connections with other subjects, such as art, English, geography, history, and/or religion by designing a garden model or drawing a garden that encompasses the most important aspects of Chinese gardens. (3.1 Making Connections)
· Students compare the linguistic difference between the traditional Chinese character for garden 園 and the English word “garden”. (4.1 Language Comparison)
· Students discuss the major characteristics of Chinese gardens and compare and contrast them with those of gardens from other cultures in terms of garden layout, perspective, garden elements, plant arrangement, etc. (4.2 Cultural Comparison)
· Students may apply what they learn from this project to their own garden design in the future. (5.2 Lifelong Learning)
· Students acquire a base of vocabulary on Chinese gardens and develop interpersonal communication skills through discussions of the culturally distinctive elements of Chinese gardens. (1.1 Interpersonal Communication)
· Students develop interpretive skills through reading articles and watching video clips about Chinese gardens. (1.2 Interpretive Communication)
· Students present Chinese garden models they design or artwork they draw, and write two Chinese essays. (See Student Learning Outcomes for details) (1.3 Presentational Communication)
· Students gain knowledge of traditional Chinese garden design and landscaping, practical daily life functions, naming conventions, and symbolism of Chinese gardens through Internet research on both English and Chinese language websites. (2.1 Practices of Culture, 3.2 Acquiring Information)
· Students gain knowledge of cultural products of Chinese gardens and their relationship with the Chinese cultural perspective of “harmony between nature and human beings” 天人合一 through online research as well. (2.2 Products of Culture)
· Students make connections with other subjects, such as art, English, geography, history, and/or religion by designing a garden model or drawing a garden that encompasses the most important aspects of Chinese gardens. (3.1 Making Connections)
· Students compare the linguistic difference between the traditional Chinese character for garden 園 and the English word “garden”. (4.1 Language Comparison)
· Students discuss the major characteristics of Chinese gardens and compare and contrast them with those of gardens from other cultures in terms of garden layout, perspective, garden elements, plant arrangement, etc. (4.2 Cultural Comparison)
· Students may apply what they learn from this project to their own garden design in the future. (5.2 Lifelong Learning)