Task 1: Investigating calligraphy (1.5 hours)

Show your students examples of Chinese calligraphy. Teacher to source visual images from books, websites, or actual scrolls. Ask them to identify what they are looking at; and where it comes from.

If they are unsure, brainstorm possible origins with them. Look at examples of calligraphy such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Egyptian cuneiform symbols.

Discuss these with your class, and, if they are still unsure, explain that it comes from Chinese culture, and it is called calligraphy, which means beautiful writing.

You could ask the students:

• What does it remind you of?
• Can you think of any other special types of writing that you have read about or seen pictures of?
• How do you think it is created?
• Who makes and uses it?
• Can you tell what sorts of tools and materials have been used?
• What is a scroll?
• Why do people hang scrolls of calligraphy on their walls?
• If it is writing, do you know what it says?
• Can you see separate "letters"? Can you see "sentences"?

Show them the chart (link to imagetask.pdf) that demonstrates how the modern Chinese symbol for a horse, cow, bird and duck evolved from little drawings of these animals. Tell them the final image is a pictogram, or symbol. That is, a picture of an idea.

Give each student an A4 page with a copy of one of the examples of the development of pictogram across the top.

 
 Ask them to copy each of the characters in the spaces immediately below.

                  

The students consider what has happened to the drawings as they turned into symbols. They talk about the differences between the first and last images in each row, and the changes that have occurred.

The students could write three sentences describing the differences between the first and last images.

Option: Students could prepare a resource page on calligraphy for homework, sourcing images and information on the internet and in books, to share with the class. They might have parents or relatives who could share knowledge and contribute examples.