Mandala

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Mandala
By Mrs. Challenger English 2
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What is a Mandala?

• The term mandala is from the classical Indian
  language of Sanskrit and is loosely translated to
  mean "circle or complete. However, it is far
  more than a simple shape!
• A mandala is...an integrated structure
  organized around a unifying center.

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Oculus of the Pantheon, Rome 31 BC
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Buddhist Borobudur Temple, Indonesia 800AD
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Catholic Church Rose Window, Sweden
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Personal Mandala

• A personal mandala
• is a tool used for self observation, growth, or
  goal making.
• combines elements of an individuals life, making
  a unique story based on the past, present and
  future.
• is made based on information regarding personal
  beliefs, relationship to nature, family, animals,
  and so on.
• is often created spontaneously and always unique
  to the individual - therefore no two are ever the
  same.

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Your Personal Mandala

• To celebrate a new school year, you are going
  to design your own personal mandala. Your
  personal mandala will represent you as a diverse
  and unique individual who is needed to create our
  class dynamic, and will be displayed among the
  other students mandala designs to symbolize you
  as an important part of our class, thus
  illustrating the concept of part of a whole.

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How to design your personal mandala

• Using a graphic organizer,
• Reflect on yourself as a person-your past,
  present, and future, your goals, hopes, and
  dreams, things that are important or sacred to
  you, or anything that makes you who you are--a
  unique, diverse, and important individual.
• Who are you?
• Who or what is important to you?
• What are some of your goals in life?
• Who or what has had the most influence on you?
• What do you hope to achieve in your lifetime?
• What makes you unique?
• Do you have any special talents?

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• Consider who you are, where you want to go, what
  your future might look like.
• Consider one symbol that might represent who you
  are, what you stand for.
• With that symbol, you are going to create a
  Mandala.
• Your Mandala should be in the shape of a circle
  because it is the most simple and universal shape
  in our universe.
• There is also a center to every circle, and a
  center to every Mandala to draw you into the
  center of yourself.

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• Using your list, narrow your list to five symbols
  that represent you. The symbol that has the
  greatest significance to you should be your
  center.
• Questions you may want to consider
• What symbols, when grouped together, define the
  most essential elements of your life?
• What symbol offers special/unique insights about
  your life?
• What symbols represent who I am, what I stand
  for, and the future I am striving for?
• How are these symbols connected?

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How to design your personal mandala

• From your personal reflection of yourself,
  brainstorm 3-4 of your most unique qualities.
• Think about how you might illustrate your
  personal qualities that have shaped you on your
  personal mandala.

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How to design your personal mandala

• Draw (or cut-out) some images that represent or
  symbolize your personal qualities.
• Choose simple images that are the right sizenot
  too big/not too small--and are easy to draw or
  cut and paste
• You may choose to divide your mandala into 3 or 4
  separate segments to show each unique personal
  quality, or into repeated segments where all of
  your personal qualities are shown several times.
• Think about how your mandala will look when
  completed
• Use scratch paper to make a blueprint of your
  mandala before you commit your symbols to the
  final template

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How to design your personal mandala

• Add color to your personal mandala with markers
  or colored pencils.
• Be sure to check your symbols for clarity and
  meaningdiscuss with a partner.
• Make any necessary changes before you finalize
  your mandala.
• Write your first last name and class block on
  the BACK of your mandala with a pencil.
• Keep your mandala in your notebook until I ask
  you to turn it in to me.