4th Grade Asian Koi Fish

The 4th grade students studied Asian Art. We look at many different varieties of Asian art and focused on Koi Fish. Koi Fish are native to Asia and mean “carp” in Japanese. In China they believe that Koi Fish bring good luck and symbolize strength. Koi fish can range anywhere from 1-3 feet in length and live up to an average of 30 years. The students learned that there was one Koi fish that was recorded to live 223 years! Koi Fish are omnivores, which mean they eat meat and plants. The colors of Koi fish are usually warm colors, which include red, orange, and yellow, along with black and white. Most Asian artwork is stamped with a chop. A chop is a piece of jade, wood, or soap stone that the artist carves their name into and then dips it in red ink to stamp their artwork. Each student was able to create their own chop using Chinese characters. Finally they were able to create texture on their piece of art using chalk.