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Simple Shoji Screen

Japanese Shoji screens are both decorative and functional. Students will explore their history and uses and create a mini replica of one.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper
  • White Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Shoji screens are traditional Japanese architectural features that are both practical and decorative. Have students investigate the origin and uses of these screens. In what century did they originate? What are the screens made of? What are they attached to? What are some of the purposes of the screens? How are they decorated? Have students look at images of these screens.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to create a replica of a shoji screen. They can draw Japanese-inspired designs on thin paper, which will resemble the translucent washi paper the real screens are made on. They can then create the lattice it's mounted on by cutting rectangular panels out of dark construction paper.

  • Step 3

    Display the shoji screens near a window to allow the light to come through the thin or translucent paper.

Standards

SS: Culture: Create, learn, share, and adapt to culture. 

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Read, reconstruct, and interpret the past. Imagine the future. Place oneself in various times and spaces and reflect on change. 

Adaptations

Another Japanese product that is both functional and artistic is the Japanese fan. Have students investigate this handicraft. When did they originate? What are the different types? How are they made?

Have students explore the work of artists who created silk screen art. Examples include "Moonscape" by Roy Lichtenstein, "Marilyn Diptych" by Andy Warhol, and "Leap" by Bridget Riley.