Overview
Have students watch The 5 W’s of Art: Ganesha
Following the video, students will:
- Write a descriptive sentence about the artwork
- Think critically about 3 questions and write their answers
- Write a brief story about a cultural encounter
Objectives
- Think critically about why objects were used in the past
- Write a descriptive sentence about the Ganesha
- Write sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation
- Write a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end
Materials
- Video: The 5 W’s of Art: Ganesha (located at the bottom of this page)
- Paper
- Pen or pencil
Key Terms
- Ganesha
- Khmer empire
- Hinduism
- Sculpture
- Southeast Asia
- Trade
- Deva-raja
- Chakravartin
Demonstration/Motivation
The teacher will:
- Play Ganesha video
- Help students formulate descriptive sentences
Evaluation
Have students share what they wrote, either to the class or in small groups.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
THIS ARTWORK IN 1 SENTENCE
When we put all the facts together, we can create one sentence that describes an artwork.
Here is my sentence:
“This work of art is a sculpture depicting the elephant headed god Ganesha.”
What is your 1 sentence about this artwork?
QUESTIONS
How would you describe this artwork? Use descriptive terms.
Because Ganesha has the head of an elephant, but the body of a boy, he is considered a hybrid. There are several examples of mythical hybrid creatures across the world. Can you name one?
Images of Ganesha are usually placed at the entrances to temples, stores, and even at the top of stationary. Can you think of any other common objects or symbols that you see when entering a building or a ritual you do before starting an activity?
WRITE A STORY
The Khmer empire incorporated many ideas that were brought over from India. Ganesha is a Hindu god from India that became very important to the people of Southeast Asia. Trade with cultures different from your own often results in the exchanging of ideas, philosophies, and art.
Have your students write a story about a time they encountered a different culture, and how it made a positive impression on them.
Have extra time?
Print the coloring sheet and encourage students to decorate the sculpture of Ganesha and create scenery around it.
