Activity
Samurai: Design Your Own Symbol
The imagery on a samurai’s armor expresses that samurai’s identity and source of inspiration or empowerment. Is there an image you connect with most?
Objective: To understand, through the analysis of artifacts and maps, how Buddhism changed as it spread across Asia and came to reflect the countries that embraced it.
Author: Willow Horne, UCBHSSP.
Seated Buddhas
Artifacts from the Asian Art Museum
Buddhist Artifacts from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (IMAGE.ONLY)
Buddhist Artifacts.PPT
Maps
Maps of Silk Road trade routes
Map of Buddhism’s Spread throughout Asia
Supplies
Task 1: Gallery Walk of Buddhist Artifacts to gather first impressions
Link to Sources: Buddhist Artifacts (IMAGE.ONLY)
Task 2: Analyze Maps to Create General Timeline of Buddhism’s Spread
Part A. Maps of Silk Road Trade Routes (to be projected on screen)
http://www.silkroutes.net/orient/mapssilkroutestrade.htm
Whole Class together: Have volunteers read out loud the captions for each of the maps provided to gain a general understanding of the Silk Road’s purpose and reach. Note when the Silk Road was established. Have new volunteers name the various countries it connected.
Part B. Map of Buddhism’s Spread (should print out and give each group a copy)
http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln260/Images260/Buddhism-spread.jpg
Task 3: Comparing/Contrasting Artifacts
Sources: Buddhist Artifacts.PPT (IMAGE & NOTES)
Or, the class could play “Detective”—
Compare this image of a Buddha from Thailand to the images you’ve already studied from other countries. Find Thailand on one of the maps we’ve already looked at today. Given its location as well as this depiction of the Buddha, where do you think Thailand fits into the Timeline of Countries that you created earlier in the lesson? (Note for Teacher: Buddhism spread to Thailand in the 3rd century B.C.E.)
(if extra time, or can be for homework)
Reflect: As Buddhism spread across Asia, what stayed consistent in different countries’ approach to the Buddha, and what changed to reflect a country’s unique culture?
Write an explanatory paragraph in response to the prompt. Include at least three specific pieces of evidence from the artifacts you examined to support your answer.