Activity for the Buddha’s Life

For this activity, students will be illustrating a colorful thangka of the Buddha’s life after hearing one or more versions of his life read-aloud and/or viewing video clips of his life.

Materials:

One or more versions of the Buddha’s life story: click for on-line version
Suggested picture book version:  “Buddha” by Demi

Supplemental YouTube video clips:
Life of the Buddha: Siddartha's Birth 3:59
The Life of Buddha 7:47
Cartoon: Birth & Three Sufferings 9:25
Cartoon back at Palace w/ father and Davidata 10:14
Copies of “The Life of Buddha” storyboard
11 x 17 paper or poster board
pencils & colored pencils
Images of Buddhist thangkas.  Link to images of Buddhist thangkas to display with LCD projector
Suggested: posters of Buddhist thangkas to display in classroom. Click links for places to buy.
                Mahasidda Thangka Posters
                Hinky Import silk brocade thangkas

Process:

1. Begin by introducing students to images of Buddhist thangkas.  Explain that thangkas hold religious significance in the Buddhist religion.  They have been traditionally painted by trained Buddhist monks to tell stories about the Buddhist religion.  Thangkas were not made for decorative use, but rather for religious purposes.  They are often found hanging in Buddhist monasteries.

Buddhist Thangka Images

Click here for more background about Thangkas and their place within the Buddhist religion.

2.

Pass out copies of “The Life of Buddha” storyboard.  Explain to students that you will be reading aloud the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the man who began the Buddhist religion.  Tell them that the story you read will explain the various stages of the Buddha’s life beginning with his birth and eventually leading to the enlightened state of the Buddha.  Before reading have students follow the arrows beginning with the Buddha’s life story.  Explain that as you read-aloud, they will be drawing quick pencil sketches of each stage of the Buddha’s life on the appropriate section of the storyboard.

3.

After reading, revisit the images of thangkas that were discussed prior to the read-aloud.  Explain to students that they will be creating their own Buddhist-style thangkas telling the story of the Buddha’s life using the storyboard that they sketched as a guide to remind them of his life stages.  In my classroom, I will expect that students draw their thangkas in pencil first and then color their images in using colored pencil.  I will stress quality work.