TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Background

II. Music

III. Culture

IV. Here and Now

V. Community Connections

This curriculum was written by Jeanne Paliatka and Olaf Nelson for Arts Midwest.

China

III: Culture

Part 1: The Fuwa - Beijing Olympics Mascots as a Reflection of Chinese Culture

Introduction:
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China offer a wealth of opportunities for the classroom. The Olympics can be a jumping off point for lessons in physical education, history, geography or world studies, math, computer skills, or physics. Another lens through which to examine the Olympics is culture, specifically the culture of the host country. The Beijing Olympic Committee chose its mascots for the games with Chinese culture in mind. The five mascots—called Fuwa, which means good luck dolls—highlight aspects of China 's diverse cultures and varied regions. Each mascot is associated with an element, a folk art tradition, a traditional blessing, an animal found in China, as well as an Olympic ring and an Olympic sport. Each mascot represents a child, and all five children together form a circle of friends representing the good wishes of the people of China and their hopes for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. This sentiment is evident even in their names, Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni, which when said together mean, “Welcome to Beijing.”

Overview:
In this lesson, students will examine the official mascots of the Beijing Olympics to learn about the cultures and values of China. Students will identify the traits and symbolism of one of the mascots. In doing so, students will be introduced to important elements of Chinese culture such as endangered species, values, and folk art traditions. To extend the lesson, students will either research one aspect of Chinese culture present in the mascot, or create their own mascot for an imaginary Olympics held in their state.

Objectives:
Students will be introduced to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games mascots.
Students will gain an understanding and appreciation for Chinese culture.
Students will research elements of Chinese culture.
Students will create a new mascot for an imaginary Olympic games in their state.

Grade Level:
Elementary through high school

Time Required:
1-3 class periods

Materials:
Access to Web sites that contain information about the Fuwa mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and cultural information about China (See Resources Section below)
Blank Mascot Chart/Worksheet
New Mascot Chart
Mascot Chart Key

Procedure:

This lesson can be introduced within the context of a unit on China. You may want to begin by asking some questions to gauge students' knowledge on the subject. A graphic organizer such as a KTW chart could be useful. Create three columns on the board or an overhead and label the first, “What do we know?” Label the second, “What do we think we know?” Label the third, “What do we want to learn?” Then tell students that the topic is Chinese culture. Fill in the chart as students generate answers for each question.
Once you have assessed what they know and what they want to learn, you can proceed with the following lesson. Ideally students will want to know more about Chinese culture and this lesson will help to give them some of the information they desire.
Divide students into groups and assign each group one of the five mascots or Fuwa from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Distribute a copy of the picture of the mascot to the group responsible for researching it. (See the Resources Section below) Ask each group to examine the picture and discuss the characteristics of the mascot. You may want to provide students with some focus questions, such as

What does the mascot look like?
Does it remind you of anything?
Does it seem male or female?
What personality traits come to mind when you look at the mascot?
What aspects of the mascot reflect these personality traits?
What does the head gear of the mascot look like?

Once students have discussed their answers to these questions, distribute the descriptions of the mascots to the appropriate groups. Also give each group the Fuwa Blank Chart. (See the Resources Section below) Using the description, have students fill in the blank chart. In doing so, students will be introduced to aspects of Chinese culture such as Chinese elements, folk art traditions, traditional blessings, and animals found in China, as well as Olympic sports. A Completed Fuwa Chart has been provided for your reference. (See the Resources Section below)
To extend the lesson, students could research one of the aspects of Chinese culture reflected in their mascot. The best options are Chinese folk art or animals found in China. Another non-Chinese option would be researching the type of Olympic sport the mascot represents. Students could write up their findings or present them to the class. Another option would be a cooperative learning “jigsaw” activity where students would reconfigure into groups comprised of students who analyzed different mascots and they could teach others about their mascot or the aspects of Chinese culture they researched.
Another way to extend the lesson involves students creating a new Fuwa or mascot. Ask them to imagine that the Olympics are going to be held in their state or in the Midwest. Have them create a mascot that reflect all the characteristics of the Chinese Fuwa but that reflects the important elements of their state's culture or of Midwestern culture. They could use the New Fuwa Chart to complete this task. (See the Resources Section below)
Students could draw pictures of their new mascots and present the picture and description to the class.

Extensions:
Depending on time and age level, students could:

Examine the symbolism of the emblem for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
Examine the symbolism of the mascots of Olympic games from different parts of the world
Present an overview to the class of the folk art or animal each group researched
Present the new mascot each group designed and explain its symbolism
Investigate other aspects of the Olympics: its ancient origins, the evolution of the Olympics, such as the addition and removal of certain sports, the inclusion of female athletes, the development of the Paralympics, etc.

Resources:
(Links will open in new windows.)

Beijing Olympics 2008 and Olympic Mascot Information. The Official Site of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

The Official Mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Children's page of the Official Site of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which includes games and video with animated Fuwa mascots.

The official Web site of the International Olympic Committee

The mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver

Images and descriptions of the mascots of the last seven Olympics

Olympic Teaching Resources

The official Web site of the International Olympic Committee contains many teaching resources on the Olympics.

Teacher Planet's Olympic listing of unit and lesson plans.

Paralympic Games Educational Resources

Chinese Folk Art Resources: Yangshao Art from Banpo Village

The Hearst Museum's excellent resource on Chinese Folk Art, Festivals and Symbolism in Everyday Life. This could be used for any of the folk art sections.

Sources of Inspiration for Beibei from the Beijing Olympic Committee.

Overview of Yangshao culture and artistic forms and patterns.

Gardner's Art Through the Ages entry on Yangshao pottery.

A brief overview of Chinese painting styles unearthed in the Banpo Neolithic village.

Overview of Banpo village and its artistic styles.

Chinese Folk Art Resources: Song Dynasty Porcelain Paintings

Sources of Inspiration for Jingjing from the Beijing Olympic Committee.

An overview of artistic forms during the Song Dynasty.

History of the use and development of porcelain in Chinese art.

Detailed overview of Chinese porcelain with lots of images.

Chinese Folk Art Resources: Dunhuang Murals

Sources of Inspiration for Huanhuan from the Beijing Olympic Committee.