Chinese Dragons

Teacher Page


A WebQuest for 6th Grade (Ancient China)

Designed by
Rachel Oakes

racheljean@pacificu.edu

 

Introduction | Learners | Standards | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Student Page

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Introduction

This lesson is designed to be included in a unit on Ancient China. The purpose of this webquest is to encourage students to have an interest in Ancient China and search these web pages to individually investigate Chinese dragons.

The students will be researching, learning and then applying their knowledge on an aspect of Chinese culture.Through this the students will be able to use technology along with getting the opportunity to explore Chinese dragons individually.


Learners

This lesson is designed to be a part of a unit on Ancient China, it is meant for social studies but incorporates art and language arts aspects. This lesson could be used in lower level classes; however the students might need more assistance in this investigation.

The students should have a good foundation of research skills, which will help them to pick out the important and useful information from the websites. The students should also have some foundational knowledge of other Ancient civilizations, especially Ancient China. This webquest is meant for purpose of students understanding the different beliefs of the Chinese culture.

Curriculum Standards

Arts Standards Addressed

  • Distinguish the influence o events and conditions on works of art
  • Identify and relate works of art from different societies, time periods and cultures, emphasizing their common and unique characteristics
Language Arts Standards Addressed
  • Use simple, compound and complex sentences
  • use a variety of descriptive words to paint a visual image in th mind of the reader
  • Edit and proofread one's own writing, using the writing conventions

Social Studies Standards Addressed

  • Gather, interpret, use and document information from multiple sources, distinguishing facts from opinions and recognizing points of view

Through this lesson the students will be able to see how their image of a dragon changes throughout the investigation. They will also be able to apply the cultural information and apply it to a fictional story of their own creation.


Process

The task explained above will be accomplished individually and will take about 3 days to accomplish if the lessons are 45 minutes long. You will explore the webquest for information on Chinese dragons and discover how dragons are involved in the everyday lives of the Chinese people and then you will compare the Chinese dragons to the image of dragons from western cultures that they have in your mind. 

Day 1:

To get started you will need a few pieces of paper and a pencil. One piece of paper will be made into a chart similar to the one below. This chart should be filled out with the information found from each website visited.

Website Characteristics of dragons Interesting facts found about dragons Things you want to learn more about




With the other pieces of paper, you will do a quick sketch of a dragon at the beginning of the investigation and after each website visited. This will help you judge how you started out imagining dragons and then how your idea of dragon has changed through your investigation of Chinese dragons.

For the investigation of the Chinese dragon please follow these links and make note:

  • What did you learn about Chinese dragons from these sites?
    • Fill out the chart
  • Draw a quick sketch of a dragon before you investigate and after each search

Chinese Dragon Culture

Chinese Dragon Video Clip

Information on Dragons

Dragons in Chinese Art

 Chinese Dragon Legend

Day 2:

Then you will choose from three different art projects to create a dragon representation.

Dragon Mask

Materials needed:

  • Paper plates
  • Paints
  • Paint brushes
  • Water cups
  • Paper towels
  • Newspaper
  • Construction paper
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Scissors
  • Yarn or string
  • Popsicle sticks

Procedure:

You will each get a paper plate and have your drawings of your dragons on hand. Then you will then create a dragon mask using the plate as the face and construction paper, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks and string so you can wear the mask. This activity works best when you use your creativity.

Dancing Dragon Puppet

Materials needed:

  • Construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Markers or paint
  • Glitter
  • Popsicles sticks
  •  Glue
Procedure:


You will need two sheets of construction paper, one for drawing the dragon head and tail on and one for the dragon body. Then you will draw the dragon head and tail, then color or paint the head and the tail and add glitter if desired.

Then cut the head and tail out. The second piece of construction paper will be used for the body. Then you will fold the paper in half, hot dog style or along the long edge. Then cut along the fold, then glue both the long pieces together. Then you will fold the paper to create an accordion look, this allows the dragon to move and look like its dancing.

Then the long accordion like body will be glued to both the head and the body. The popsicles will be glued on to become the legs. You can add eyes, feathers, or construction paper to create any look you would like that is similar to what you have seen in your investigation.

I

Dragon Painting or drawing

Materials needed:

    • Large white paper
    • Pencil
    • Paints, markers or colored pencils
Procedure:

You will need a piece of white paper and a pencil. You will then draw a dragon based on what they have learned through the webquest investigation. Then you will be able to decide what materials they would like to use on this project.


Day 3:

Now that you have done your investigation of dragons in Chinese culture; you have filled out the information chart and you have created your representation of a Chinese dragon, now it is time for you to write a short story about your dragon and including some information that you have learned through your search.

You should use your art project and your information charts to begin writing your story. These stories should include these Chinese beliefs:
  • Two ways that dragons help the Chinese people
  • An interesting piece of information about dragons
Also the stories should include:

 


Resources Needed

www.chinavoc.com/dargon/default.asp
  • Chinese dragon culture information
http://chcp.org/mpeg/
  • Chinese dragon video clip, a Chinese New Year parade
www.crystalinks.com/chinadragons.html
  • Information on Chinese dragons
www.chinapage.com/dragon.htm
  • Dragons in Chinese art
www.moonfesitival.org/legends/dragon.htm
  • Chinese dragon legend


For this lesson the students work individually and independently, one teacher is enough to assist the students when they need it or have questions.


Evaluation

The students performance, which includes the information chart, the art project and the story, will be evaluated according to this rubric.
1 3 5 Score
Content Each aspect does not meet the requirements outlined and does not represent what was learned Each aspect partially meets the requirements outlined and partially represents what was learned Each aspect meets all the requirements outlined and is a good representation of what was learned
Creativity The art project does not show much effort or creativity in representing a Chinese dragon The art project shows slight effort and creativity in representing a Chinese dragon The art project shows a lot of effort and creativity in representing a Chinese dragon
Neatness Each aspect does not show effort or neatness Some aspects show effort and neatness All aspects show effort and neatness
Conventions (spelling, grammar, vocabulary use, etc.) The short story has more than 5 conventional errors The short story has less than 5 conventional errors The short story has less than 2 conventional errors


Conclusion

Through this investigation of Chinese dragon the students will have a better understanding of the Chinese culture, specifically about dragons in the Chinese culture. The students will have explored a number of websites and were able to pull valuable information and used the information in both an art representation and a short story.


Credits & References

Dragon Image:
www.draconika.com/ chinese.php

Dancing Dragon Puppet: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/chinesenewyear/lion/
Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page