chinese lanterns - technology


Level: 3
Years: 5-6
Strands: Knowledge and Understanding (KU), Technology Capacity (TC), Technology and Society (TS)

Acknowledgment

This technology unit has been written by Wendy Fox-Turnbull, Christchurch College of Education. Asia:NZ would like to thank Wendy for her contribution and allowing us to share her work with others.

About this Unit

In this unit students will explore how some technologies have as much a cultural significance as they do a practical one. Using the Chinese Lantern Festival, students will design and create a lantern that reflects the special nature of their local community and aspects of Chinese culture.

Achievement Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Investigate the type and use of lanterns in Chinese history, their cultural significance and their role in today's society
  • Watch a lantern maker make a lantern and explain the process
  • Compare and discuss a range of lanterns, some commercial varieties from New Zealand and Chinese communities and some hand made ones
  • Investigate structure and shape constructions with wire and paper to determine successful combinations
  • Identify local icons and/or symbols of the local community
  • Establish four criteria of a successful Chinese lantern
  • Sketch 2-3 ideas for a lantern, share ideas with another person
  • Select one and plain in details, justify decisions to teacher and evaluate design
  • Modify plan if necessary
  • Create lantern and evaluate using established criteria

Specific Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Recognising a Chinese lantern and recognise the cultural and symbolic importance of specific items for a cultural group
  • Identify the steps needed to produce a Chinese lantern and to list the materials required for making a Chinese lantern
  • Compare and contrast a traditional versus contemporary item and recognise the value of traditional items within our society
  • Identify that cylinders and triangles have considerable structural strength. The concept of triangulation is used to strengthen structure
  • Recognise local and Chinese icons and recognise how animals, geographic features and structures become icons
  • Co-construct suitable criteria to meet the given brief
  • Note initial design ideas taking prior learning and formulated criteria (6a)
  • Modify plans considering feedback given by others (6c)
  • Create a Chinese lantern safely and evaluate construction using the originally agreed criteria (6d)

Note: All units of work must cover achievement objectives 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d. Learning in all three strands must be evident in all work also.

Cross Curricular Links

Teaching and Learning

Resources Required

Recommended References

Contacts

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Print

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