The nature of art and art about nature.

Ideas about nature may be examined from a number of perspectives, including the nature of art and art about nature. The Japanese worldview is nature-based and concerned with the beauty of studied simplicity and harmony with nature. The Internet offers many websites for you and your students to explore to learn more about Japanese aesthetics, especially in relation to the rituals of the Japanese tea ceremony and the design of Japanese gardens.

For Teachers

www.aesthetics-online.org/ ideas/miller.html

Teaching Japanese Aesthetics: Whys and Hows for Non-specialists presents a short essay that provides an excellent introduction to Japanese aesthetics.

www.indiana.edu/~japan/digest16.html

Teaching Primary Children About Japan Through Art, written by a kindergarten teacher, is a thoughtful introduction to teaching about Japanese art.

www.smithsonianeducation.org /educators/lesson_plans/japan_ images_people/index.html

Japan: Images of a People, a site from Smithsonian Education, offers three lessons that introduce the art and culture of Japan.

www.clevelandart.org/educef/ asianodyssey/html/LessonPlans. html

Asian Odyssey from the Cleveland Museum of Art provides a wealth of lesson plans on Japanese Aesthetics in Art and Literature for grades one through twelve that include Flora, Fauna, and the Passing Seasons; Nature and Haiku Poetry; One with Nature: Japanese Literature as a Mirror of Japanese Art and Culture; Chado: The Way of Tea; and more.

www.openc.k12.or.us/start/ visual/perform/v-task5a.html

This extensive curriculum unit on the Japanese tea ceremony from the Oregon Public Instruction Network includes the lessons Historical and Cultural Importance, Working with Clay, and Aesthetics and Art Criticism. Each is complete with instructional objectives, performance objectives, and student self-reflections and can be adapted for all levels.

www.lacma.org/art/perm_col/ japanese/japan.htm

This online tour of Japanese Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art includes Japanese ceramics, lacquer, painting, sculpture, and prints.

www.teahyakka.com

This comprehensive site from TeaYakka magazine explains topics of importance about the Japanese Tea Ceremony.

For Students

Directions: Visit the websites detailed below and answer the questions or complete the activities on a separate piece of paper.

www.cusd.chico.k12.ca.us/ libraries/elementary/japan/

If you are an elementary student, read and follow the directions at this site to learn about the daily life of Japanese children and to create an illustrated book.

web-jpn.org/kidsweb/master/ chado/index.html

The Japanese view of the world is based on the simple beauty and harmony of nature. Chado, the Japanese tea ceremony, completely expresses this view. Explore this site to discover the traditions of Chado, then answer the following questions. What is Chado? From where did tea first come? What objects are always present at a tea ceremony? How could you design tea bowls to represent each season of the year?

www.tributetea.com/teas/green/ matcha2.jpg

The tea used for Japanese tea ceremonies is bright green, like the tea shown on this site, and served without sugar. How do you think it tastes? Name some other natural objects that share this color.

library.thinkquest.org/274581

Choose one of the five sections at this site on the art of Japan--Origami, Architecture, Gardens, Paintings, or Sculptures--and explore its picture gallery, puzzles, and games.

www.international.ucla.edu/she nzhen/2002ncta/lucas/CeramicsPgs/japceramics.html

Carefully study the Japanese ceramics shown here and choose the one you most prefer. What about it appeals to you? How are the four ceremonial tea bowls similar? How are they different? How are they different from a cup or bowl you might use?

www.getty.edu/visit/garden. html

View the photographs and read about the garden at the Getty Museum. Do you see any characteristics the images share with Japanese aesthetics? If so, what are they? What do you think a Japanese gardener would think of this garden?