Designing Buddha Character Collages
Background: This activity introduces students to the basic tenets of Buddhism. Later in the year, when we study China, we will talk about two other Chinese philosophies: Daoism and Confucianism.
Procedures:
1. Put students into groups of four. Tell them that they will be creating a character collage to learn about the religion of Buddhism which is practiced all over the world, but especially in Asia.
2. Explain that their character collage will include key teachings, symbols and illustrations, all about Buddhism.
3. Show the students an example of a character collage by projecting the collage of Dr. Martin Luther King. (see power point for visual) Spend some time analyzing the model; have them examine all the elements. Point out key words and phrases, graphic elements, and the paraphrases it contains. Justice for all—always, for example is a paraphrase of the quote “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Emphasize how the layout—the “foundation” of justice on which he stands, the centrality of the symbol of nonviolence, and the prominent dream of integration—helps the viewer understand King’s beliefs. Make sure they understand this is a model for what they will do with the Buddha.
4. Once you have introduced the students to the concept of character collages, give each group of four the background handout, the face of Buddha and the step by step instructions for creating the collage. Explain that each person in the group will take on ONE of four roles: Researcher, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, and Paraphraser. You can either assign the students’ their roles or allow them to choose within their groups.
5. Review the roles of each group member and go over the step by step instructions carefully. Each group will need a large sheet of white butcher paper on which to trace the life-sized outline of Buddha (see power point for visual) and on which to make the rest of the collage.
6. After students understand what to do and have all their materials, allow the groups time to work on their character collages, but let them know their time is limited. Put a counter up on the smart board or set a timer. Keeping the pressure on keeps the kids from wasting time. Make sure they check in with you between each step!
7. At the end, post each group’s character collage and have them view everyone else’s work. Review the main ideas about Buddhism and have them take notes in their social studies notebooks. If you’re at a loss as to what to have them write down, think about the spoke diagram they just used to record information about the three monotheistic religions. You could adapt that.