Marvea Johnson

Serenity
7-9th grade- 5 (50 minute class) day lesson

GoalsThis lesson aims to help students explore a way to disconnect from todays on the go
and constantly connected atmosphere. Students will be introduced to the uses of
Mandalas and how they are created using sand painting. Using the lessons sand painting
technique and drawing inspiration from the artists, Joe Mangrum and Elvira Wersche,
students will design and create a Mandala that represents their own feelings of serenity
outside on the school sidewalk.
Objectives:
-Students will
discuss
how they disconnect from their busy lives and
compare
their
techniques in a pair-share.
Complex Communication, Critical Thinking
-Students will use the internet
research
Mandala images to
locate
patterns and designs
that inspire them. (VA:Re8.1.7a)
- Each student will
make use
of their selected inspirations to
model
their own Mandala
design.
Creativity
(VA:Cr1.2.7a AND VA:cr1.1.8a AND VA:Cr3.1.8a)
-Students will
utilize
sand painting to
recreate
their designed Mandala on their own
sidewalk square.
Creativity
-Students will
reflect
on their Mandala making experience by
composing
a short entry
that will be turned in with their original design.
Complex Communication, Productivity and
Accountability
(VA:Pr6.1.8a AND VA:Re.7.1.8a AND VA:Cn11.1.7a)
Prerequisites:
Students must be able to sketch an original idea and be able to recreate their designs
Materials:
Paper
Pencils/Pens/Colored Pencils
Sidewalk Chalk
Sandtastik Play Sand (Assorted Colors)
Safety Hazards:
If it is windy, the sand may blow around into your eyes, try to stay with the wind so it
blows away from you, not toward you.
Vocabulary Words:
Serenity
Mandala
Concentric
Introspection
Chak-pur
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Language arts- Students will write their reflection on the Mandala making experience.

Artist/ Resources :
Joe Mangrum

Joe Mangrum is an artist from New York that makes large-scaled colored sand paintings.
He makes Mandala shaped forms and uses found objects along with sand. He is still
making artworks in the streets of New York today! On his website he has a very nice
quote about his philosophies about the world around us.
Its my philosophy that we are all unknowingly and psychologically programed by this system, a
dominating force the efficiently partitions the globe into quantifiable sections of space and time,
divided by minutes and seconds. It is ultimately out of sync with the natural world, seasonal
cycles, and lunar tides. The result is a society divided from nature and compartmentalized into
definable groups, disconnected physically, and spiritually from the whole. I work to reclaim these
divisions by creating sand paintings, in organic shapes, interconnecting the fragments and acting
as a catalyst for a synthesis, again. For me this is a vital process of affirming life.

He believes that Mandalas can inspire others to disconnect from the busy world around
us.
Elvira Wersche

Elvira Wersche is an artist from the Netherlands who uses sand painting to make modern
day Mandalas She gathers sand from all around the world, and people often send her
sand from far away places as well. In some of her installations she lets people dance on
her work before cleaning it up.
Lesson Procedure
Day 1
Introduction- (25 min)
(I will have the powerpoint open on the first slide and a small amount of sand for
demonstration as the class takes their seats.)
Hello Class! Today we will be starting a new lesson. With a show of hands, how many of you
have a social media account? How many of you have free time during your week where you
have no plans? Turn your friend next to you and talk briefly about the things that fill up your
schedule; for example, watching television, refreshing your newsfeed, browsing the internet,
homework, etc..
Students will be directed to the powerpoint
Serenity, What does it mean to be serene? Does anyone what to share what being serene
means? -right, being in a calm collected state. With all of the craziness in our lives and the
busy lifestyles we carry,
How can a person become serene?
Get into small groups with the
people around you and share your ideas. Anyone want to share one of theirs?
If you have not heard of a Mandala before, it most commonly a concentric shape made of
different patterns to be used for meditation and introspection. The Mandala is seen in many
religions that include but are not limited to Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and many
Native American cultures.
What items in our world do you think resemble the Mandala? Discuss in your small groups
again. How many of your groups mentioned these? Dreamcatchers, Labyrinths, or even the
Borobudur building?
Many Mandalas are made from sand painting. It is a
non permanent artform
. This
Mandala making technique is used by many religious persons such as Tibetan Monks, or
Native American religious leaders. One method of distributing sand is called Chak-pur, which
uses a small tapered tube to create a controlled stream of sand to create their desired
design. Another technique that we will be using is by taking the sand into our palms and
distributing it through the small space we leave between our index finger and thumb.
(demonstrate distribution technique)
The technique we will be using is shared with the artists we will look at today, Joe Mangrum
and Elvira Wersche. Joe is a New York based artist who makes Mandala shaped sand
paintings and believes that we are out of sync with the world around us. He feels that his

Mandalas can help people snap out of our busy lives and disconnect and become more
serene. Here are some of his works. Now, Elvira is an artist from the Netherlands who makes
modern day mandalas. She gathers sand from all over the world and people send her sand as
well to support her artmaking. She helps us disconnect by bringing the world to our feet.
When she is done, before she cleans it up, she lets people dance on her work to provide a
form of meditation.
So class, we are going make our own Mandalas. You will each design your own Mandala that
represents your serenity and use the sand painting technique to create it outside later this
week. Today, I want you to take the rest of class time to search Mandala images and gain
some inspiration for your own Mandala. Pay attention to color and designs that you are
drawn to!
Work time (25 min)

(I will circulate the room and ask students about their choices)
Day 2
Introduction (5 min)
Hello again! Can anyone tell me about who we talked about last class? Since we talked last
class, have any of you noticed any more things in your world that keep you from being
serene? Well today I want you to reflect on those feelings as you design your Mandala. Try to
disconnect from your busy lives and meditate on the Mandala forming in front of you. Take
pencils and paper and take the rest of the class period to completely design your Mandala.
Work time (40 min)
(I will circulate the room and answer questions and give feedback on the students
Mandalas when necessary)
Clean up (5 min)
Time to put away our pencils and designs. Next class we will chalk out our designs outside!
Day 3
Introduction (5 min)
Today we will be going outside to replicate our designs onto the cement outside! Grab your
designs and lets go!
Work Time (40 min)
Make sure to leave enough space between your Mandala and your neighbors, so you dont
end up stepping on their Mandala!
Clean up (10 min)
Time to put the chalk back in the containers and go back inside to put away our designs. See
you next class!
Day 4
Introduction (5 min)
I will re demo quickly how to distribute sand and they will get to work.
Remember that we
use the space between our index finger and thumb to control the distribution of the sand.
Time to create our Mandalas! Let's go outside!
Work Time (40 min)
Students will fill in their Mandala by using the sand painting technique.
Let your Mandala
help you disconnect!
Clean up (10 min)
Take a look at your Mandalas.
(I will have taken pictures)
How do your Mandalas Make you
feel? Look at the Mandals around you, do you feel serene? I want you to take this feeling and
remember it as you are going about your day and tomorrow before class. Try to go without
technology, like your phone, tablet, or Ipod. Every Time you pick it up, think about your

Mandala and maybe even draw another! I also have some Mandalas already printed if you
want a handout to color instead of drawing new ones. Next class we will be reflecting on our
experience, and going without your technology and disconnecting on your own time will be a
great asset to your reflection!
Day 5
Introduction (5 min)
I will have a powerpoint that cycles through the images of the Mandalas up as they reflect.
Today we are going to be writing our reflections. At the end of class you will need to turn in
your original design and your reflections. When you are writing these, you should include
what keeps you busy in your world, and how you find serenity. Also, why and how you chose
your colors, and how making a Mandala made you feel. Did you feel serene? Why or why not?
Did you go disconnected between classes? Were you successful? Do you think Mandalas work
in helping with meditation? On the board are images of your Mandalas to help you get back
in that mindset.
Work Time (40 min)
I will circulate the room and help students expand on their reflections.
Closing/Turn in (10 min)
Does anyone want to share how these Mandalas made them feel? How did it feel to be
disconnected? Will you continue to make Mandalas in the future? Okay, I enjoyed these
meditations with you, now please turn in your papers and designs.
Assessment/Evaluation
Students will be graded on their design, execution of design, and reflection paper. The
Mandala should look the same as the original design. The students should have explained
why they chose the colors they did in their reflection and how making the Mandala
impacted them. They should have in their reflection the things that keep them busy, and
how they find serenity in their world.