Japanese Batik Windsocks

Unit Learning Focus

Celebrations in Other Countries- Japan 

On the 5th of May in Japan, Children's Day is celebrated. This festival used to be Boy's Day, but is now a holiday to celebrate all children being happy, and to say thank you to their mothers. 

Japanese windsocks with design elements inspired by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Exploration of effective ways to the use shapes, patterns and lines to communicate imagined ideas and places.

Unit Assessment Standards Level 2

Creating and making

At Level 1 & Level 2, students create and present performing and visual arts works that show emerging arts knowledge and an ability to plan arts works that communicate ideas, concepts, observations feelings and/or experiences.

They demonstrate an emerging ability to select, arrange and make choices about expressive ways of using arts elements, principles and/or conventions.

They use skills, techniques, processes, media, materials, equipment and technologies in a range of arts forms. They identify, describe and discuss characteristics of their own and others’ arts works. 

Teaching & Learning Activities

Explain to students, that this art project brings in a lot of art elements as well as cultural influences. 

Japanese Batik Windsocks

Week 1: Batik using Batik Cold Wax

Making

Observing shapes, lines and patterns in the environment as well as other cultures such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Week 2

Responding

Students practise drawing shapes, lines and patterns in their Visual Artist Diaries. Student use this to choose their design.

Using Batik Cold Wax, students draw their design patterns using a brush, on a strip of calico. Let dry.

Week 3: Colour 

Making

Discussion of colour theory. What are warm colours? What are cool colours?

Each class group had a choice of two colours of their choice in the above colour groupings.

Students painted their strip of fabric using two colours of diluted food dye (Food dye was used as the windsocks are to be displayed indoors.)

Once dry, an adult irons out the cold wax using newspaper and a hot iron.

Week 4

Discussion Of Children’s Day in Japan.

The use of Fish Carp kites to celebrate children.

Responding: Display students’ completed batik fabric as a whole group.

Making

Putting it altogether (this stage was completed by the art teacher)

Using a sewing machine, stitch calico strips onto the party satin fabric. Use strips of poly organza fabric to bring out colours. Once all strips are sewn, turn it inside out and sew a seam on the inside as well at the top and bottom. 

Thread wire through the top to create the form of a cylinder. Hand stitch for extra strength. Embellish and decorate. Use ribbon to hang.

Responding

Revise the process with children, and discuss Children’s Day in Japan as well as celebrating children all over the world including Australia. 

Observe and discuss other culture influences.

Resources and Materials

Batik Cold Wax
Food dye or Sun Dyes
Calico cut in strips
Brushes
Party satin fabric
Poly organza fabric
Other found fabrics
Iron
Sewing machine
Zart Art Contemporary Indigenous Australian Pack 

Assessment Tools

Teacher Observations

Student record drawings in their Visual Artist Diaries

Student statements

I can see patterns and line in the environment.

I can repeat a pattern using lines and shapes.

I can create shapes, lines and patterns using cold wax on fabric.

I can use warm colours on my batik fabric.

I can use cool colours on my batik fabric.

I see can different cultures represented in my piece of batik fabric.