Do You See What I See Worksheet B

Worksheet 1B Do You See What I See? Project Instructions

Directions: 1) Your assigned Buddhist art form is mandalas. 2) Visit the websites from the resource list below to find examples and descriptions of Buddhist sculpture. Start with the websites that give general information on symbolism in Buddhist art, then find examples of the art form. 3) Based on your observations and reading, answer the questions on Worksheet 2A. 4) Prepare a PowerPoint presentation containing the following components: 3 or more images of the examples of the art form 2 –3 text slides containing facts about the art form and the symbolism used. Use your research sheet as a guide for which facts you would select. 5) Present your slide show to the class. 6) Small group discussion: observations about Buddhist art and use of symbolism.

Worksheet 2B Do You See What I See? Research Sheet

Part 1: Answer the following questions: 1. What is a mandala? What are the different ways that mandalas are used? 2. What is the The Kalachakra Mandala and what does its creation symbolize? What does its destruction symbolize? 3. What are the Eight Auspicious Symbols? 4. How are colors used symbolically in mandalas? 5. What other examples of symbolism might be found in mandalas?

Part 2: Translating the Images Once you have a basic guide of the symbols, you will need to find three or more images of the Buddhist Mandalas. For each image, answer the following questions: 1) Where (and when) did this mandala originate? 2) What materials are used in the construction of the mandala? 3) Using the symbols you found in Part 1, what story does this mandala tell the viewer? Part 3: Power Point Since you will show the class what you have found about symbolism in Buddhist art, you will need to create a slide show of images and explanations. Your presentation should have at least 3 images of mandalas as well as slides to explain the symbolism of each. Consider using Autoshape arrows and textboxes to insert commentary about the different features of the Buddhist statues.

Worksheet 3B Do You See What I See? Buddhist Sculpture Hotlist

Use the following websites as the basis of your research.

Symbolism in Buddhist Art  About.com This website provides a glossary of Buddhist art related terms and brief explanations of the symbolisms Buddha Net This website provides background on several different aspects of Buddhist art, including mudras (hand gestures) the wheel of dharma, and the lotus flower.  Exploring the Mandala This website from Cornell University focuses on the creation of mandalas using computer graphics.  Mandala This website offers information about color symbolism and other symbolic images in mandalas.  Symbols in Buddhist Art This graduate student created website provides visuals to highlight the eight auspicious symbols, the lotus flower, and hand gestures. A quick ready to use reference.  Sackler Gallery This website focuses on the special ceremony of Buddhist monks to create and destroy a sand mandala in Washington D.C. Provides excellent visuals and some basic facts about the sand mandala.  Washington Post This Washington Post features includes multimedia files of interviews and pictures from the Sackler Gallery ceremony.

Buddhist Mandalas Mandala Sand Painting This site features photos of different sand mandalas. Buddha Net This website features more images of mandalas.  Early Tibetan Mandalas This site features images of Mandala Paintings from Tibetan culture.