Professor Bharnes and Elementary Classroom Implementation

[Cynthia Stults]

Professor Bharnes had incredible pictures and insight into Japanese architecture, and I actually could see simple ways to incorporate this into my 4th grade classroom. One area I did not expect to be able to utilize was that of Professor Bharnes himself. I think often times, kids feel that they need to fit in and like things that all the other kids like and I thought that it was a wonderful example of following your own passions. He was a child raised in India, but discovered and developed this passion for Japanese architecture that eventually went on to shape his entire life. I'm fairly sure that not many of his friends developed similar interests, but that did not deter him from continuing to pursue his interests. I will definitely hold him up as an example to my students.

I LOVED seeing all of the variations of the Zen gardens. In my ignorance, I had assumed that all Zen gardens were the same, with the stones/sand raked into particular patterns. NOPE! Zen gardens were designed based on where the monastery was located and worked with the surrounding environment. We are working on students developing mindfulness in my school and I think it would be a fantastic lesson to show students all of the different types of Zen gardens and explain their origins, and then have them design their own Zen garden, either drawing inspiration from the Japanese examples, or of their own creation. I might even have students save these and bring them out before tests, to help them find their Zen and feel better prepared for the coming stress.