Curriculum Sketch II: Mandala

T H E E X P E R I E N C E O F T I M E:
Transcience and the Spirit

E N D U R I N G   I D E A

Perspective

Q U E S T I O N S

• What is the difference between religion and spirituality?
• Talking about: What is a thought? 

• How do we experience time?
• How do we know that time has passed?
• How does our perspective of time influence how we experience things?
• How do you feel when you are waiting?
• How does change influence your understanding of time? (physical, natural, etc.)

R A T I O N A L E

Perspective influences interpretation.

When we recognize our perspective we can better understand our interpretation.
It is important that students understand what spirituality is and the role it has in culture and health. Spirituality is rarely addressed anywhere else in school

L E A R N I N G   G O A L S

• Students will recognize how their culture influences their perspective of time.
• Students will recognize how their physical state affects their mental and emotional state (through meditation).

• VA:Cr1.2.Ia: Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present day life using a contemporary practice of art
• VA:Cr1.2.IIa: Choose from a range of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices to plan works of art
• VA:Cr2.1.IIIa: Experiment, plan, and make multiple works of art and design that explore a personally meaningful theme, idea, or concept.

K N O W L E D G E

• Time based art - time as an element of the art
• Video, audio, slides, performance, etc.
• EXAMPLES
• *** Sometimes Making Something Leads to Nothing by Francis Alys

• CROSS CULTURE: Tibetan Sand Mandala, Navajo Sand Painting 

• Interdisciplinary:  
• Social: Time Perspective
• Psychological ideas/concepts: The Secret Powers of Time

A C T I V I T I E S 

• Rituals: Identify a daily ritual of yours and create a work of performance art or video art that includes that ritual.
• Daily meditation: Each day a student will lead the class in a meditation. 
• Using collage methods create a mandala to explore spirituality.

B I G   P R O J E C T
Create a mandala that uses time as a factor. (Might it naturally decompose? Do you have to deliberately destroy it?). Document the creation and destruction.