Beijing 2008 – What will the world see?
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Curriculum connections:
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Focus concepts:
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Effective pedagogy:
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Learning intentions
Students will:
- view videos/images of the Olympic Games and analyse cultural symbolism used in these
- process their findings by presenting their ideas.
Activity 1 – Olympic Games symbols
If possible, view the making of a chop (viewable in Internet Explorer only) for the Beijing Olympics OR view the images of the Olympic Games.
See the logo for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The logo is a Chinese seal and was developed from the second character of the word Beijing.
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The official emblem of Beijing 2008 entitled "Chinese Seal-Dancing Beijing" cleverly combines the Chinese seal and the art of calligraphy with sporting features, transforming the elements into a human figure running forward and embracing triumph. The figure resembles the Chinese character "Jing", which stands for the name of the host city and represents a particularly significant Chinese style. The artwork embodies four messages:
- Chinese culture,
- the colour of China
- Beijing welcomes friends from all over the world
- to challenge the extreme and achieve the perfect and promote the Olympic motto of "Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger).(from Beijing 2008 website)
Optional extras
Examine Olympic Games symbols/pictograms from earlier Olympic Games (search under Olympic symbols). Compare and contrast these to the symbols for Beijing 2008. Design a chop to represent an image for New Zealand. (See lesson 4 – Linking language and art on how to make a chop.)
Analyse visual text, for example the video of the bid process (viewable on Internet Explorer only) to hold the Olympic Games, OR the opening ceremony, OR access images on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games site. Before watching the video clip, have the students predict what they will see (consider colours, images, and symbols). Encourage students to record as they view (for example, words and images). Watch more than once.
- What images are represented? Why?
Analyse the visual/written language, for example, the imagery and symbols (such as the dragon).
- What does the logo communicate? To you? To Chinese people?
- How does the logo link to Chinese culture and language, and previous Olympic Games imagery?
Consider use of line, positive and negative space, shape, typography, and colour.
- How do these images link to what we already know about China and Chinese culture?
Key questions
- What is Beijing presenting to the world – what do they show that they value through the images and items selected?
- What does the text tell us? (write this down)
- What do they value from their past and present?
Complete the fishbone diagram below by describing, on the ‘riblets’, the impact and effect.
Activity 2 – Diary, newspaper report, poem, or postcards
Choose from the following options to further develop understandings:
Diary: Write a diary of one of the athletes, or a viewer of the opening ceremony, or a viewer of the bid video – note feelings, links to Chinese culture, wonderings, etc.
Newspaper report: Write a news report for Reuters as a summary of the opening ceremony – choose an identity or a perspective from which to do this. For example, it could be a New Zealander visiting the Olympic Games, a Chinese official reporter, a blogger, and so on. Use the templates in Appendix 1 to explore or analyse current issues further.
Chun lian or Dui liang – Spring Festival poems: Examine the Chinese tradition of writing couplets – these are done for Spring Festival/New Year. Read about these couplets on the China the Beautiful website. Like a haiku, the chun lian uses very few words and each one is chosen carefully. See the example of a chun lian, set out as if it is around a 'door frame', and read its English translation. Students could develop a number of versions of these. Consider presenting them in the traditional style – such as around the doorway.
Postcard: Write TWO postcards – one from a visitor to Beijing to see the Olympic Games and one from a local person from China. Imagine viewing the SAME day from two different sets of eyes: What would be different? What would be the same? Present findings and summaries to the art class to use for their development of visual arts linked to China.
