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Enchanted Stories: Chinese Shadow Theater in Shaanxi
Treasures from the Shaanxi Provincial Art Gallery
A Web-Companion to China Institute's Spring 2008 Gallery Exhibition

Introduction
Chinese Shadow Theater
Chinese Theater, Opera, and Related Arts
Chinese Shadow Theater--Stories and Characters
Shadow Theater Outside of China
Puppetry and Puppets
Curricula
Other Resources
Books, Etc.

Shadow Puppets: Designing, Building, and Performing (Bill Woodburn)

"Unlike other types of puppets, the shadow puppet itself is never seen in performance, only the effect it creates. The performing shadow puppet is not just a single object of wood or cardboard, but a collection of things working together. However clever or beautiful the puppet shape, it's the puppet's combination with light and a screen that makes its magical effect" (Bill Woodburn).

Playing With Shadows (Arts Edge, The Kennedy Center)

"Discover the secrets behind the art of shadow puppetry in this multimedia exploration, designed for grades 5-8, which explores this age-old art form through animations, videos, interactive activities, and more."

Puppets: Here, There, and Everywhere! A Unit of Study for Grades K-3 (The Children's Museum of Indianapolis)

This unit for grades K-3 contains an introduction, three lessons, online games and activities, and more.

Shadow Puppetry in South India (Sandra Kowalczyk)

For grades 5-8: "Instructions and suggestions are provided for creating shadow puppets and putting on a performance. The unit includes a bibliography of additional readings for teachers and for students and links to websites on puppetry, the Ramayana and tales from Panchatantra."

Adventures in Chinese Culture: The Monkey King's Guide (East Asia Program at Cornell University)

"The legends of the Monkey King are a blend of folklore, allegory, religion, history and satire. . . These tall tales are a perfect springboard for teaching children about Chinese culture. In this online curriculum you will find a gateway to various academic topics including geography, art, music, language arts, history, religion, cultural studies and natural sciences. . .The curriculum offers lesson plans directed at grade 3 and grade 6."

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