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CHINESE RADICALS

Using hieroglyphs and Chinese ink painting to learn Chinese radicals

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INTRODUCTION

Chinese characters are hieroglyphs which look like pictures. In this class, students can learn the origin of Chinese characters and a few common radicals in order to read more characters. They will use Chinese ink painting to describe their understanding.

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Audience:

Chinese Immersion Program

Grades 3-6 or Grades 9-12

Four Days

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STANDARDS

World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, 5Cs: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities.
Communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational Communication.
Cultures: Interact with cultural competence and understanding about cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products.
Connections: Connect with other disciplines.
Comparisons: Cultural Comparisons.

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ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Where do Chinese characters come from?
Are there any tricks to understand Chinese?
What are the differences between Chinese ink painting and watercolor painting?

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students can relate the history of hieroglyphs and the origin of Chinese characters.
Students can read some Chinese common radicals.
Students can make a Chinese ink painting.

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MATERIALS

Chinese ink painting paper

brushes

ink

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PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Provide some examples from multiple languages, such as Arabic, Egyptian, Greek, English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and encourage students to pick out the hieroglyph languages.

Ask students why these languages are called hieroglyphs. (Pictorial writing)

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LESSONS

BY DAY

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DAY 1

I will provide examples from different languages , such as Arabic, Egyptian, Greek, English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and let students recognize hieroglyphs by using their prior knowledge.

I will provide some hieroglyphs pictures and let students guess the meaning of the pictures.

Students will define hieroglyphs as groups (2-4 students), by using graphic organizer.

Let students draw their hieroglyphs and present them in front of the class.

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The history of hieroglyphs

•The word hieroglyph literally means "sacred carvings". (from the Greek word)

•It just so happens that the most well-known form of hieroglyph writing belongs to the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Anatolian, Mayan, Aztec and even Chinese writings also appeared in picture or “hieroglyph” form.

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Guess the meaning of these Chinese characters

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Guess the meaning

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So, what is hieroglyphs?

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Can you create your own hieroglyphs?

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DAY 2

I will provide students with some common radicals, Chinese characters, and their hieroglyph versions. Students will guess the meaning of each radicals and be offered different pictures of the radicals with their English meanings.
I will provide students with four different radicals. Students will discuss their meanings as a group (2-4 students).
Lecture time: Chinese characters are composed of radicals, which are put together in different orders and different combinations.
Students will see different Chinese characters but still be using the same radicals we mentioned above. Students can discuss the meaning of each character and their English meaning.

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Instruction

Please show your own hieroglyphs to your deskmates and let him/her/them to guess its meaning.

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mouth

hand

goat

fire

mountain

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•Type A: a stroke type of radical：丶一丨

•Type B: classic radicals (which are not simple characters)：亻宀辶氵彳犭灬刂

•Type C: simple characters: 女nǚ口kǒu心xīn日rì月yuè山shān禾hé父fù雨yǔ车chē革gé虫chóng

Three types of radicals:

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冫 (ice)

classic radicals

冰，冷

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木 mù (wood)

simple characters

木，林

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雨 yǔ (rain)

simple characters

雨，雪

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DAY 3

Introduce Chinese ink painting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF3EbR8y8go
Share some famous Chinese ink paintings.
Compare the Chinese ink painting and watercolor painting. Students will read these authentic materials. https://new.qq.com/omn/20191218/20191218A0RR7R00.html (advanced)/ https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/painting.htm. (novice & intermediate) Let students find the differences and what they have in common.

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DAY 3, continued

Students will recognize Chinese ink painting and watercolor painting.
I will introduce three famous Chinese ink painters, Beihong Xu, Daqian Zhang and Baishi Qi and their paintings.
Modern painting gallery:

Ink paintings portray Chinese athletes in 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Modern painters

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Chinese Ink Painting

Ink wash painting or the ink wash technique is a type of brush painting that uses black ink – as used in calligraphy – in different concentrations. Emerging in the Tang dynasty in China (618–907) it really flourished later in the Song dynasty (960–1279).

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Chinese ink painting VS watercolor painting

Compare the Chinese ink painting and watercolor painting.

Students will read these authentic materials. https://new.qq.com/omn/20191218/20191218A0RR7R00.html (advanced)

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/painting.htm. (novice & intermediate) Let students find the differences and what they have in common.

Please fill up this Google Doc.

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徐悲鸿

675,268 $

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Modern painting gallery

Ink paintings portray Chinese athletes in 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Modern painters

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DAY 4

I will use Chinese ink paintings to show the understanding of each Chinese character.
Students present their paintings in front of the class. (There are some examples below from 日月山川)

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Watch the video. Can you figure out the meaning for the Chinese characters?

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Choose one Chinese character and use Chinese ink painting to show your understanding.

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雨

羊

日

林

火

山

鸟

冰

口

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REFLECTION ACTIVITIES

Upload students’ projects online. Students will leave a comment anonymously in this online galley and elaborate on the meanings of the Chinese characters.

Post-Assessment:

Students will draw three unfamiliar characters by using Chinese ink painting at home.

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RESOURCES:

EXTENSIONS:

Students can use common radicals to learn more Chinese characters.
Students can elaborate the origin of Chinese characters in history clas

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THANKS

Please keep this slide for the attribution

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