Week 11: Preparing for Teacher’s Choice

Title     “Night Revels of Han Xizai”

Artist    Hongzhong Gu

Source for the image  the Palace Museum, Beijing

Respond to the following questions as you anticipate “VTSing” this image with your students:

1.Why did you select this work of art?

As I mentioned before, the students really love Chinese culture and really like Chinese traditional painting, so I think they will be interested in this painting. In addition, this painting is one of the most famous paintings in China, it represents some parts of Chinese culture so it is worth to read and have a discussion of it.

2.Why do you believe it is appropriate for your students, considering their age, stage, interests, and abilities?

I believe this image is appropriate for my students because it is realistic, they can easily identify what the people are doing, they can even tell a story about it. Students in their age (age7-8) always like stories and can express something in the real life. Moreover, according to my students’ former performance, they have ability to observe some details and analyze them. This painting has many details, I think they will have fun and come up with some interesting narratives from them.

3.Why is it a good choice for the content/curriculum you are currently teaching? 

Actually, I am teaching them Chinese traditional painting, so this famous Chinese traditional painting will certainly do some help to their painting study.  They can know some Asian culture through observation. (Since they have half Asian blood, it is important for them.) And it will also support other curriculum in their elementary school such as writing and language.

4.In what way(s) do you believe it will challenge your students?

It will challenge my students by the context. The story happens in ancient China, so the life there is very different from now. And the original story is complicated, there’re many figures in the whole painting.

5.What features/aspects of the work of art and its narrative do you believe students will notice?  What might intrigue them?

I think they will notice people in the picture are going to eat something since it is very obvious. They will also find someone is playing music, because they are good at observe details. I think the only trick is all the people are listening to the one playing instrument. It maybe hard for them because listening is an action that is not so obvious.