PURSUIT OF CHANGE: PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL VALUES
LESSON 2:
THE TEA CEREMONY

AIM:
Why is the Tea Ceremony an important part of tradition in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese societies?

SWBAT:
List the steps of a Japanese Tea Ceremony. Understand the principles of discipline, harmony, and respect within a society. Identify with another culture and explain why the Tea Ceremony appears in many cultural and traditional rituals such as weddings.

DO NOW:
Why are these terms important/essential to the "State of Mind" of Zen?
(Previous night: students are assigned a reading on the tea ceremony)

Wa - Harmony  One with Nature and People        Kei - Respect              Gratitude/Hospitality
Sei - Purity       Cleanliness & Orderliness            Jaku - Tranquility      Stillness, Silence

MATERIALS:
Pictures : Tea Ceremony , Japanese Tea Garden 1 , Japanese Tea Garden 2
Handouts : Handout1 , Handout2 , Handout3 , Handout4 , Handout5 , Handout6 , Handout7

MOTIVATION:
On an overhead projector, slide projector, or by photograph, show students pictures of Chinese, Korean, or Japanese gardens and tea ceremonies. Have students imagine that they have been invited to a wedding and will be participating in a Tea Ceremony. What are some of the things they will need to do in order to prepare themselves? What are some of the benefits they will acquire? READ "The Tea Master and the Bandit" and ask the questions that follow.

PROCEDURE:
Prepare for a Tea Ceremony, wear kimonos, arrange utensils, pass out napkins to students. (I prepare the tea at home and carry it to school in a very large insulated jug. I usually prepare about 5 gallons of tea [enough for 5 classes]. I use regular tea and I sweeten it. If you are adventurous, you could serve green tea, unsweetened).

1. One student reads the procedure, while another demonstrates (see procedure sheet).
2. Distribute the tea to all students (use volunteers to pass out cups with tea; use trays to carry cups).
3. Students should wait for a second demonstration (Togetherness).
4. All together they will follow the "Way of the Tea."
5. When finished, they should remain silent and reflect on thoughts.
6. Collect the empty cups and napkins (have a garbage bag on hand).

SUMMARY:
Why would a Tea Ceremony be a part of a wedding ceremony?
How popular are these type of traditional practices in society today?

FOLLOW UP:
A previous assignment could be to have students write HAIKU poems with matching pictures that detail their HAIKU. After the Tea Ceremony, the students could read their poems. Ask questions about the choice of items in their poems.
Origami demonstration: distribute sample directions for Origami creations (use student volunteers). When finished, have the students write a poem on their origami creation. Have them exchange it with another student and READ it out loud.

HOMEWORK:
Write a paragraph about how the principle of the Tea Ceremony can be applied to your life. What can we learn from the Japanese "Way of Tea" and how does our society learn the principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility? EXPLAIN.