LESSON PLAN:

Mystical Chinese

BY:                 Peggy Lehman, Carmel, IN; 6/15/’97                    

Purpose:

In order to better acquaint students with various Chinese beliefs about the environment relative to human lives, a study of ancient (and present) Chinese Feng Shui practices will be made via the Internet. 

Grade Level: 6-12

Geography Standards addressed:

• #6) How culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions.
• #8) The characteristics nd spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface.
• #10) The characteristics, distribution and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics.
• #14) How human actions modify the physical environment.
• #15) How physical systems affect human systems.
• #16) The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources.

Materials Required:

• access to computers with Internet capability
• paper
• colored pencils
• rulers
• poster board
• tape/scissors/staplers

Objectives:

Upon completion of the following activities, students will be able to

1. relate environmental influences to human situations through Feng Shui,
2. describe various traditional Chinese medical practices,
3. explore the use of natural forces in Chinese medicine,
4. analyze the spatial organization of names and communities through Feng Shui, and
5. practice research skills by using technology.

Procedures:

• 1. Using a globe and a map, study the border of China with the students.
• 2. Talk about the size of the country in relation to their school building or their state or country.
• 3. Discuss many of the physical features of the country of China.
• 4. Show a video clip of no longer than 4 minutes on a topic of Chinese medicine such as acupuncture, herbology, qi gong, nutrition, and massage. Discuss the video with the students as a class. Talk about how some medical practices in the United States vary from Chinese medical practices, in some aspects.
• 5. Students have to summarize the video that they just viewed to their colleagues, extemporaneously.
• 6. Next, present a visual display of an architectural plan (house, community, office,...) that is arranged in accordance to the practice of Feng Shui. On a poster board, have the students re-design their own homes utilizing the Feng Shui practices. Work with an industrial education or art education instructor if possible.
• 7. Last, discuss the concepts of Feng Shui that are universal.

Evaluation: Group interaction and respect of each other and architectural plan

Resources: several web sites such as

• http://www.astro-fengshui.com/sample.htm
• http://adze.com/zine/fengshui.html
• http://www.astro-fengshui.com/sample.htm
• http://www.salemctr.com/bartlett/bart1.html
• http://www.ozemail.com.au/~bmtv/fenlive2.htm
• http://www.xdimension.com/fengshui/case.html
• http://www.europa.com/~itm/common.htm
• http://www.acupuncture.com/Herbology/Pharm.htm;
• http://www.acupuncture.com/index.htm