Pair Share
Students discuss in pairs the following questions posed by the leader:
- What is a memorial?
- What are types of memorials?
- Why do people build memorials?
The teacher shows examples such as the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Memorial, Pablo Picasso's Guernica, a cathedral, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, or even a plaque that the school may have. Discuss why society builds monuments.
Design a Monument
Divide class into four groups and distribute paper and colored markers. Each group is to design a monument for World Unification Day to celebrate the good people of the world. First ask groups to select a specific point of view which they represent:
- Doctors
- Homemakers
- Scientists
- Artists
- Educators
- Athletes
- Young People
- Farmers
- Corporate Business
Guide students by questioning them about the essence of goodness, determined by the point of view they represent. Allow ten minutes to create the blueprint for the monument they will build. Each team depicts a version of their monument in tableau and shows it to the rest of the class.
Next, ask groups to devise proposals to convince the panel of judges that their monument best reflects the essence of goodness. Each group presents their proposal and blueprint to the rest of the class, who represent the panel of judges. Once all proposals are heard, the class collectively decides which monument to build.
Discussion
Teacher poses the following questions:
- Which monument was most faithful to the original point of view? Why?
- How do you feel if a monument of goodness did not reflect your own concept of goodness?
- What would be the monument of goodness in Szechuan?
Tableau
Conclude by dividing the whole group in half. Each half creates the selected monument. Share monuments so that participants can evaluate their work.