Good Luck!

Third graders learned about Chinese New Year and made these good luck banners.  The banners are traditionally hung in the home, or on the door, as part of the celebration.  I know we're a little late, but spring is exploding all around us, and I just couldn't help myself.  This is students' first attempt using the Chinese brush.  They wrote their characters and assembled their banner all in one class.  I wish I had more to show, but they couldn't wait to hang them in their own homes.  The glue had barely dried when they packed them up and took them home. 

Goals:
Understand the meaning and traditions surrounding Chinese New Year Celebration.
Recognize calligraphy as an art form.
Be able to create a piece of calligraphy using traditional brush and ink.

Vocabulary:
Calligraphy: literally, beautiful writing.
Chinese New Year:  most important Chinese celebration also known as Spring Festival.
Pi: brush.
Mo: ink.

There a lots of good resources on the net.  This is the source I used for the banners whose characters mean "good fortune". http://www.asia-art.net/chinese_brush.html

We're moving on to Chinese brush painting and will post the pictures soon.