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Lesson Plans

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Sealed With a Chop

Personalize Your Seal

In the Sinosphere, personalized stamps or seals can be applied on objects to establish personal identification. Students will learn about this process and create their own seal.

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
  • Recycled Materials

Steps

  • Step 1

    "Sinosphere" refers to multiple countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia that were historically influenced by Chinese culture. Putting a stamp or seal on documents and works of art is a common practice in the Sinosphere to establish authorship. The earliest known examples of these seals date to the Shang dynasty (c.1600-1046 BCE) in China, and the practice eventually spread across Asia. Have students explore the use of these seals. What are they typically made of? Who might have used a stamp made of jade? What is the typical color of the dye? Why are they also called "chops"?

  • Step 2

    Have students look at images of various stamps and seals and also look up some Chinese characters. Then have them create a personalized seal. The can mold the stamp's body out of Model Magic. They can also mold and add an ornamental figure to the body. Next they can create the seal by either etching it into the head of the stamp or molding it out of a separate piece of Model Magic that will be affixed to the head. In either case, remind them to etch or mold the characters backwards so they will print correctly when inked and stamped.

  • Step 3

    When the Model Magic is dry have students use it to make their mark. They can cut some strips of white paper and pour a bit of red paint into a recycled lid or tray. Have them dip the head of the stamp in the paint and press it onto the paper to print their seal.

  • Step 4

    Have students present their stamps and seals and describe the characters and images they used and why they chose them.

Standards

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

SS: Individual Development and Identity: Describe factors important to the development of personal identity and the context of identity within families, peer or affinity groups, schools, communities, and nationalities. 

Adaptations

Have students explore the use of sealing wax to seal letters. Why was and is it used? In addition to its function in ensuring that a letter was not tampered with, how was it used in laboratories?

Chinese stamps usually feature red ink. Have students learn why red is an important color in Chinese culture. Why will you see so much of it in festivals and major events? What are some of the items that are traditionally red? What are some of the things the color symbolizes?