I. Art Making:
The art-making strands indicate what students should be able to accomplish at the end of benchmark years: second, fifth, eight, and twelfth grades. These charts provide “snapshots” of the learning process—the skills, knowledge, and appreciation that should be mastered in selected areas and how these are honed as students mature.

II. Making Connections:
This strand provides social, cultural, and historical contexts in which students may understand art, while indicating some links to other disciplines in the curriculum. Students are expected to apply knowledge and skills learned in the art class to assist them in interpreting the world around them.

III. Community and Cultural Resources:
New York City is rich in community and cultural resources. Students should be actively engaged with the institutions, schools, studios, community-based organizations, libraries, exhibitions, and artists that contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of the city.

• What is the cultural significance of recurring images on Chinese porcelain that was traded and prized throughout the world from the 15th century and beyond?

• This hands-on activity is designed to be an inexpensive way for students to learn and appreciate the cultural significance of select symbols as they appear on Chinese porcelains.

You can find more examples of Chinese symbols at www.primaltrek.com/impliedmeaning.html

For a fuller history of Chinese porcelain, visit China Institute’s online resource collection “China’s ‘China’: Porcelain’s Contribution to World History and Culture” at www.China360online.org

After students reviews either in class or outside of class China Institute’s online resource collection “China’s ‘China’: Porcelain’s Contribution to World History and Culture” (available at www.China360online.org) which gives an account of the importance of understanding porcelain from a geographic, historical, material cultural, and societal perspectives, the teacher can explain that students will be drawing their own blue-and-white (or also incorporate red) designs onto a plate and/or bowl to get an appreciation of what is significant about various motifs on Chinese porcelains.Students can review various motifs online at the National Palace Museum site “New Era of Ornamentation: 1350-1521” (http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh95/ming/exhibition_en/en.html) or at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online thematic essay “East and West: Chinese Export Porcelain” (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ewpor/hd_ewpor.htm) in order to get an idea of the look of various porcelain decorative motifs. Alternatively, teachers could print out examples for students to refer to as they draw their own copy of chosen motifs.

Teachers then should distribute white Chinet paper plates and bowls that will be used to create a decorative design. Students should also get one blue washable Crayola Broad Line marker for drawing their designs. The class can opt to first draw a stencil version of motifs (i.e. a bat) or chose to draw free hand. Students should also have access to bamboo calligraphy brushes and a cup of water in order to gently wash the blue ink into the plate/bowl to create a more textured approach. Students should be encouraged to think not just about the dominant motif (or motifs) in their design, but to pay attention to drawing symmetrical border designs as well. Students should also think about how to balance the use of color while still retaining the field of white in the back-ground to achieve an effective blue-and-white design piece.

• Various sizes of paper Chinet classic white dinner plates and bowls
• Non-toxic Broad Line blue Crayola markers (red can also be used)
• Bamboo calligraphy brushes
• Water
• Construction paper (if stencils will be designed and used)
• Scissors (if stencils will be designed and used)