Active Learning Strategies for Teaching about Religion

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Feng Shui

The Chinese Art of Placement

Religion: Chinese philosophy

Purpose: to reinforce and test familiarity with and application of the principles of Feng Shui

Cognitive Skills: application, analysis, synthesis

Learning Styles: active, reflective, sensing, visual, 

Intelligences: visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, naturalistic

Use: as homework

For: individuals

Estimated time: one hour or more, including time to study the principles as well as apply them (reflective thinkers might want to spread the time out as they think about the problem).

Materials needed: blank paper, pencil, ruler and other drafting tools, colored pencils, markers, paints, camera (optional); can also use computer graphics application instead of drafting and hand art work. 

Note: especially good exercise for artistically minded students and those interested in interior design.

The Activity:

• Review the recommended Websites on Feng Shui. You can even get some books on Feng Shui.

• Select a room in your house, or your entire house, and analyze the Feng Shui problem areas.

• Take some before pictures and/or draw a plan or diagram of the "before" state of your space.

• Apply the Feng Shui guidelines to fix the problems.

• Take some after pictures and/or draw the new plan or diagram of the "after" state of your space.

• Discuss (written or oral) the problems and how you solved them using the Feng Shui guidelines.

Students doing this for credit can be asked to submit their before and after pictures/plans/ diagrams and their written presentation of the problems and process of working with the Feng Shui "tool." Alternatively, they might prefer to "show and tell" the class about what they have done through an oral presentation.

Web resources:

• Learn about Feng Shui, the Chinese Art of Placement - a "mini course"

• MJG DESIGNS offers detailed suggestions for Feng Shui based interior design tips

• Dream Bedding provides a soothing, pastel colored text that gives basic info on Feng Shui and how to make and use a Bagua map

• A very colorful Bagua map with a list of basic guidelines for each area

• Some advanced directions for using the Bagua map if your house is not square or has more than one level

Alternative possibilities: Can be used as a project in an art or interior design class

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Page updated: May 12, 2004