The Vietnam War: Learning to Care, Caring to Learn
 
 
Art 
Music
Physical Education

 
 
 
 


Art
 

1) Water puppetry is a favorite art form in Vietnam.  The water puppets are used to tell stories and are intricately hand painted.  Puppets are moved by wires, strings, and bamboo sticks that are hidden beneath the water.  Students can make puppets and put on plays.  Water may not be available, but the front of a puppet stage can be decorated to give the appearance of water.  Also, decorated transparent puppets can be moved over the top of a transparency colored like a body of water.

2) Imagine that a new contest has been introduced to design a new Vietnam Memorial.  Based on what the students have learned, have them create a drawing of model of a new Vietnam Memorial.

3) Civilians served in great numbers in Vietnam, and some were even killed.  Design a memorial to honor their service.

4) Make a story cloth about your life.  Stitching is not practical, so the students can use markers on cloth or large art paper to tell the story of their lives.

5) Lacquer ware and ceramics are popular throughout Vietnam.  Wood and / or ceramics are painted and then covered with a glossy liquid.  Floral patterns normally adorn vases, bowls, and planters.  Students can make and decorate pots, vases, etc. and decorate them in a Vietnamese motif.
 
 
 
 



 
 

Music
 

1) Special instruments are used for traditional music. A dan doc huyen is a one-string zither, a dan tranh is a 16-string zither, and a dan trung is a bamboo xylophone.   Wooden drums, gongs, cymbals, and wind instruments, such as the bamboo flute and Chinese oboe are also popular.  Introduce the students to these instruments and let them hear the music that can be made with them.
 

2) Have the students make a dan bau.  A dan bau is made from a dried gourd, a curved stick, and a long copper wire.
 

3) Vietnamese children enjoy quan ho.  During spring festivals, boys sing a verse of a song that they make up on the spot.  Girls reply with a different melody and words.  The singing goes back and forth and the children relax and laugh.  Introduce an example and then let your students try this and have some fun with it.
 

4) Many Vietnamese songs are poems put to music.  Have the students write a poem about our veterans.  Students can then sing their poetry with music that they create on their own.  For those who are not musically talented, allow them to do a dramatic reading of their poem with background music they select as appropriate to the mood they are trying to achieve.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 

Sports / Games
 

1) A popular form of exercise is thai cuc quyen (thai kuk kyen) which is a form of slow gymnastics that is practiced, oftentimes in groups in parks and street corners.  Lead  the students through an experience of this unusual exercise.

2) Soccer is the most popular sport and children can be seen playing it with an empty can at school and on the streets.  Swimming, handball, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, and golf are also popular.  Martial arts are also practiced as a form of exercise and self-defense.   Try playing soccer with something other than a soccer ball.

3) Vietnamese children play simple games such as skipping rope, playing hide and seek, or playing marbles, sometimes with stones if marbles are not available.  One enjoyable game that students can play is Bite the Carp’s Tail.  Directions are:

Bite the Carp’s Tail
 

Players:  6 or more

Area: Any large open area

Directions:
  : Choose a leader for the game.  The other players should line up behind that
    person. They should put their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.
  : The first person is the carp’s head.  The last person in line is the carp’s tail.
  : Everyone in line should run when the leader says go.  The line must not break.
    Each person must hold onto the person in front.  The head leads the line.  The head
    tries to catch the tail.  The tail tries to run away from the head.  If the head tags the
    tail, the head earns a point.
  : If the line breaks, the carp dies.  Then the head moves to the back of the line.  The
    head becomes the tail.  The next person in line becomes the new head.
  : The player with the most points wins.