Jiaokou Primary School in Shanxi offered an after-school paper-cutting course built around folding and cutting a circular floral motif. The case connects hands-on craft, cultural heritage and arts education.
Learning traditional paper-cutting after school: folding and cutting circular floral designs
Jiaokou Primary School, Xianren Township, Yu County, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province
Keywords:After-class services; Intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting
1. Teaching background
Paper-cutting art, as a precious treasure of national intangible cultural heritage, has gone through more than three thousand years of development. It embodies the profound historical memories, unique aesthetic concepts, and intense cultural emotions of the Chinese nation. However, with the acceleration of modernization, traditional skills such as paper-cutting are facing the risk of being lost. Implementing paper-cutting courses during after-school services allows young people to get close to and learn this art form, thereby becoming inheritors of traditional culture and safeguarding the national spirit.
In order to actively respond to the “Double Reduction” policy and fully implement the national requirements for strengthening aesthetic education in schools in the new era, Jiaokou Primary School in Xianren Township, Yu County, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, has taken advantage of local cultural resources and utilized after-school services as a platform to explore innovative ways of traditional cultural education. Since the introduction of after-school extended services in 2022, the school has established a “Jianyunge” club, aiming to introduce paper-cutting art into the school environment. At the same time, in the context of the rapid development of digital education through the “National Primary and Secondary School Smart Education Platform”, the school has seized the opportunity for the integration of modern educational technology and traditional culture. It attempts to incorporate the rich resources available on the platform into the teaching activities of the paper-cutting club, with the goal of creating innovative, practical, and culturally meaningful courses. This enables young people to learn the skills of paper-cutting through hands-on activities, thereby becoming inheritors and promoters of China’s excellent traditional culture, and helping to preserve the national spirit and culture.
II. Case Name
“Folding and Cutting of Basic Flower Patterns”
Teaching content: The artistic secrets in traditional floral patterns
“Folding and Cutting of Basic Flower Patterns” is a after-school club activity designed for fourth-grade students. This course relies on the extensive teaching resources available on intelligent educational platforms; it has been carefully selected, integrated, and innovatively designed by the teaching team at Jiaokou Primary School.
The course uses the paper-cutting flower as the core teaching theme. It follows a logical sequence of “understanding the paper-cutting flower, observing its structure, learning how to cut and fold, creating creative designs, and practicing actual creation”. By guiding students to deeply understand the symmetrical and balanced structure of the paper-cutting flowers, and enabling them to master all the steps involved in folding, drawing, and cutting, students can create unique paper-cutting works that reflect their personal preferences and creativity. During the learning process, students not only acquire basic techniques of paper-cutting, but also gain an appreciation for the unique charm of this art form. This helps to stimulate their creative abilities and imagination, fostering a deep love for paper-cutting art, and thus contributing to the preservation and promotion of this valuable folk art form.
Teaching strategies: Educational wisdom through multi-dimensional integration
(1) Art education: A fertile ground for nurturing the soul
Art education is an essential component in the development of students’ overall qualities. It serves as a “window” that helps students gain new perspectives on the world, and also acts as a “bridge” that promotes the healthy development of their emotions and the full formation of their individuality. As a treasure of folk art, paper-cutting art has a strong appeal due to its intuitive visual forms, interesting nature, and high practicality. It can quickly stimulate students’ interest and enthusiasm for learning, allowing them to experience the beauty of art through hands-on activities, thereby enhancing both their aesthetic skills and their humanistic values.
(II) Smart education platforms: A new engine for enhancing teaching
The primary and secondary school intelligent education platform provides a vast amount of high-quality educational resources. These resources include teaching videos, lesson plans, pictures, and audio materials. The content is diverse and vivid, enabling it to meet the various learning needs of students with different learning styles and knowledge levels. In addition, the platform offers practical functions such as interactive communication, assignment submission, and online evaluation. This facilitates teaching and management for teachers, while also providing a good platform for students to learn independently and receive timely feedback on their progress. In the teaching of paper-cutting courses, teachers can use the platform’s resources to vividly present the historical origins and key techniques of paper-cutting art. Students, on the other hand, can review the learning content at any time through the platform and communicate with teachers and classmates online, thus achieving a seamless connection between in-class and out-of-class learning.
(3) Student needs: An approach that promotes learning through interest
Primary school students are in a crucial period filled with curiosity and a desire to explore the world. They enjoy trying new things, and are eager to engage in hands-on activities and creative endeavors. The teaching material “Folding and Cutting Basic Flower Patterns” is both challenging, which stimulates students’ curiosity, and aligns with their interests and hobbies. It helps satisfy their desire for beauty and creativity. By learning how to create these flower patterns using paper-cutting techniques, students can develop their practical skills and thinking abilities, while also gaining a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture, thereby enhancing their sense of cultural identity and pride.
V. Teaching objectives: A three-dimensional guidance for growth
Knowledge and skills: Enable students to fully understand the basic steps and key techniques involved in creating paper cutouts of floral patterns. This includes methods of paper folding, ideas for designing patterns, and essential techniques for cutting. Students will be able to create basic floral paper cutout works independently.
Process and Methods: By observing and analyzing classic floral designs, students’ keen observation skills are developed. During practical operations, students’ hands-on abilities and the coordination between eyes and hands are enhanced. Students are encouraged to experiment with various design and cutting techniques, thereby stimulating their innovative thinking abilities. Gradually, they develop learning methods that involve independent exploration and cooperative communication.
Emotional attitudes and values: Guide students to deeply appreciate the unique charm of paper-cutting art, inspire their love for excellent traditional Chinese culture, and enhance their awareness of cultural heritage. Through the patient and meticulous process of paper-cutting, cultivate the spirit of craftsmanship and develop good qualities such as concentration and perseverance. By appreciating and evaluating the works, improve aesthetic taste and foster a positive artistic attitude.
6. Key points and difficulties in teaching
Key point: Understand the basic steps and techniques for folding paper into floral shapes.
Challenge: It is necessary to create beautiful and creative paper cutouts, and to appreciate the artistic beauty of paper cutting.
7. Teaching preparations
(1) Teaching aids
Multimedia courseware (including information about the history of paper-cutting, images of works, and creation videos), sets of tools for paper-cutting (scissors, carving tools, and pads), paper cutouts of various colors and materials, physical examples of excellent paper-cutting works, and magnetic stickers (used for display on the blackboard).
(2) Learning tools
Each student is provided with safety scissors, colored paper, pencils, erasers, rulers, and other basic teaching materials, so that students can carry out practical activities smoothly.
8. Teaching process: The artistic journey of immersive experience
(1) Context introduction: Enter the poetic world of floral patterns
1. Visual impact, sparking interest
The teachers use the Doubao AI technology to create virtual images of lotus flowers with various shapes and colorful appearances, and to play carefully edited videos featuring these lotus flowers.
2. Cultural interpretation to evoke resonance
During the video playback, the teacher provides vivid explanations: “Students, the shape of the ‘tuanhua’ is mostly circular. In Chinese culture, the circle symbolizes unity and completeness. It represents a harmonious and happy life among family members and friends. Throughout history, the ‘tuanhua’ has been seen as a symbol of happiness and well-being. On festive occasions such as the lively Spring Festival, sweet weddings, or joyful birthdays, people cut out beautiful ‘tuanhua’ decorations and hang them on windows and doors, adding a joyful and auspicious atmosphere to their lives.” Through these inspiring words, the cultural significance of the ‘tuanhua’ is deeply ingrained in the students’ minds, stimulating their interest and desire to create art related to the ‘tuanhua’. This helps to quickly bring the students into a classroom environment filled with traditional cultural elements.
(II) I will observe: the structural code of the decrypted flower patterns
1. Through comparative analysis, commonalities and differences can be identified.
The teacher shows the students various pictures of lotus flowers, including traditional and classic lotus flowers as well as modern and innovative designs. The students are encouraged to observe carefully, think about the differences, and discuss in groups: “Please take a close look at these lotus flowers. What are the similarities and differences between them?” During the students’ observation, the teacher uses the drawing tools in the multimedia lesson software to mark the symmetrical structure of the lotus flowers on the screen, helping the students to understand intuitively the key feature of the “symmetrical beauty” of lotus flowers. Then, the students are asked to share their observations, and the differences in the shape of the lotus flowers (such as circular, oval, or petal-shaped) and their patterns (such as serrated, crescent, or willow-leaf patterns) are summarized.
2. Conduct in-depth research to understand the structure of the cluster flowers
The teacher asked, “Students, we have learned about some characteristics of the circular flower. Have you thought about what parts make up the circular flower? What are the mysteries behind its structure?” By posing these questions, the teacher stimulated the students’ curiosity. Then, images of detailed parts of the circular flower were shown, guiding the students to analyze the structure of the circular flower from aspects such as the central pattern, edge decorations, and connecting patterns. This helped the students develop a clear understanding of the relationship between the overall structure and the individual parts of the circular flower.
3. Dynamic learning to master the steps of folding and cutting
Activity 1: Organize students to watch videos on the intelligent education platform that show the entire process of cutting paper flowers by professional paper-cutting artists.
In the video, the artist explained each step in detail while performing the activity. Details were provided regarding the way paper is folded, the amount of force used, the techniques used for drawing patterns, as well as the order and methods of cutting. After watching the video, the teacher guided the students to discuss in groups the basic steps and techniques involved in creating paper cutouts, encouraging them to share their own understandings freely.
Subsequently, the teachers used questions to the DouBao AI to obtain more detailed and professional instructions on how to cut the chuntuan flowers, and then provided systematic explanations in combination with the students’ discussions.
Finally, summarize and clearly write down the key steps on the blackboard, such as “one fold, two lines, three cuts, four unfoldings”.
(3) Creative and ingenious pattern combinations: The interaction and fusion of creative inspirations
1. Getting to know patterns initially, accumulating creative materials
Guide the students to observe the paper-cut floral pictures, and ask them to mention which patterns were used.
Activity 2: Understanding basic patterns (Using the AI search function, quick images and names of the basic patterns in paper-cutting are presented).
The teacher uses examples to explain the concepts, helping students understand the characteristics and application scenarios of common patterns.
2. Creative ideas, exploring possible combinations
The teacher asked a question: “If you were tasked with designing a group flower, how could you combine these patterns to make the group flower unique?” The students were encouraged to engage in group discussions and exchanges, and to use their imagination and propose creative ideas.
3. Practical attempts to stimulate creative potential
Students are invited to take the stage. Using interactive tools such as the “Paint” function of the smart education platform, they can create creative designs by combining various patterns on the virtual outline of the floral shapes. Students can freely choose different patterns, adjust their sizes, colors, and positions, and observe the results of their combinations in real time. Other students provide comments and suggestions from behind the stage, while teachers provide guidance as needed. Students are encouraged to break away from conventional methods and try innovative combinations. This helps to stimulate their creativity and imagination, thus laying a solid foundation for their future actual creations.
(4) Artistic practice: The creative flowers blooming at the fingertips
1. Present the practical content and precautions.
Guide the students to carry out the operation of cutting paper floral patterns according to the steps, and encourage them to try different colors and shapes. During the process, the teacher should provide continuous guidance, promptly correct the students’ mistakes, and offer appropriate encouragement and suggestions. The teacher can also use the photography function of the intelligent education platform to capture the students’ creative processes and interesting moments at the right time, thereby accumulating material for subsequent evaluation and summary.
Activity 3: Artistic Practice (Note: Be careful when using scissors and carving tools.)
2. Present and evaluate, to appreciate the beauty of art together
After the creation is completed, organize the students to present their works. The students hang their flower designs in the display area of the classroom, and then step onto the podium to explain their ideas during the design process.
After the introduction, a mutual evaluation activity was conducted: “Which group flower do you like best, and why?” Students were encouraged to evaluate the design creativity, cutting techniques, and color coordination of the group flowers, and to share their feelings about them.
Teachers use the evaluation tools on the intelligent education platform to comprehensively summarize and assess students’ works, taking into account both students’ self-evaluations and peer evaluations. Through poetic evaluation language, students’ understanding of artistic works is enhanced, and their confidence in creative work and aesthetic abilities are further developed.
(5) Intangible heritage transmission: The continuation of cultural traditions
1. Trigger thoughts, focus on the current state of inheritance
The teacher asked the students to think: “Classmates, paper-cutting is a precious intangible cultural heritage of our country; it embodies the wisdom and emotions of our ancestors. However, in today’s life, paper-cutting is becoming less and less common. Think about it – what should we do to ensure that this ancient art can be passed on more effectively?” After the question was raised, the students were encouraged to discuss freely. They were allowed to express their opinions and suggest ideas, such as organizing paper-cutting exhibitions, creating paper-cutting-related products, or using the internet to promote this art form.
2. Guided by masters, understanding the mission of inheritance
We invited Ms. Xie Bianliang, a inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting from Xianren Township in Yuxian County, to the school. She told the students her story related to paper-cutting. Ms. Xie shared her experiences of learning paper-cutting since childhood, the challenges and difficulties she faced during the process of passing on this art form, as well as the joy and sense of achievement she gained from it. Subsequently, Ms. Xie demonstrated her excellent paper-cutting skills. While performing the craft, she explained the ideas and techniques involved in creating paper-cuts, allowing the students to experience firsthand the dedication and skill of an intangible cultural heritage inheritor.
The teacher concluded: “Students, today we had the honor of listening to Teacher Xie’s story and watching her wonderful paper-cutting performances. The activity of intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting being introduced into the school after class not only allowed us to appreciate the richness and depth of traditional culture, but also planted the seeds of inheritance in our hearts. Through close contact with people like Teacher Xie, who are carriers of this heritage, we truly felt their passion for and commitment to preserving intangible cultural heritage. As students of the new era, we bear the responsibility of carrying on the legacy of China’s excellent traditional culture. It is our duty to take over this torch and enable intangible cultural heritage to regain its vitality and energy in the new era. By studying these skills diligently and actively spreading the culture of intangible cultural heritage, we can help more people understand and love it. These precious cultural treasures can continue to evolve and thrive through inheritance and innovation.”
(6) Joint education between schools and families: A warm connection for coordinated education
After class, teachers send photos of the students’ excellent art works, videos of their creative processes, and evaluations of their classroom performance to the parent-teacher group through the “Primary and Secondary School Smart Education Platform”. Parents can stay informed about their children’s learning progress at school, appreciate their artistic achievements, and engage in interactive discussions with teachers. At the same time, parents are encouraged to participate in paper-cutting activities with their children at home, providing their children with more opportunities for practice. This helps to deepen children’s love for paper-cutting art, and enables coordinated education between home and school, thereby promoting the overall development of students.
9. Reflection and Summary: Moving forward through reflection
(1) Highlights and achievements of teaching
1. Smart empowerment, efficient teaching
This lesson makes full use of the rich teaching resources available on the intelligent education platform. For example, vivid teaching videos of paper-cutting patterns, as well as beautiful images of works created using paper-cutting techniques, are used to present the abstract knowledge and techniques of paper-cutting in a clear and intuitive manner. Teachers save time on tedious explanations; students can watch the videos repeatedly, thereby learning and practicing the steps and techniques of paper-cutting by themselves. This effectively improves the efficiency of teaching and the learning outcomes.
2. Interactive innovation to stimulate interest
During the teaching process, the interactive tools of the intelligent platform are used effectively. For example, the drawing tool allows students to experiment with the combination of patterns, and the online discussion function facilitates communication among students. These interactive methods greatly increase students’ participation and enthusiasm for learning. They help students develop their creativity and aesthetic abilities through practical operations and collaborative exploration, thus achieving a truly student-centered teaching approach.
3. Collaboration between schools and families to promote mutual growth
After class, students’ works are displayed in the class group on the intelligent platform, thereby establishing a bridge for communication between home and school. Parents can promptly understand their children’s academic progress and achievements, and provide encouragement and support. Teachers, on the other hand, can obtain feedback from parents, which helps them improve their teaching methods further. This collaborative approach between home and school creates a strong educational synergy, enabling students to progress steadily in the field of paper-cutting art and the inheritance of traditional culture.
(2) Problems and improvement measures
1. Insufficient stimulation of imagination and creativity
Some students are still constrained by traditional thinking during the creative process. Their works lack unique ideas, and they fail to fully showcase their personal style and imagination. In future teaching, teachers should focus more on creating open and inspiring learning environments. They should introduce more innovative examples and creative activities, such as organizing theme-based creative competitions or arranging visits to modern paper-cutting art exhibitions. This will broaden students’ horizons and stimulate their innovative thinking. At the same time, students should be given more time and space for independent creation. They should be encouraged to try different styles and techniques, breaking away from conventions and expressing their individuality.
2. Lack of humanistic and emotional qualities in the works
The floral designs created by students lack sufficient cultural significance and emotional expression; they fail to effectively integrate personal emotions with cultural meanings into their works. In future teaching, our teachers will focus more on explaining the cultural background related to these designs, so that students can better understand the cultural significance and emotional value that paper-cut art embodies. Before creating the designs, students are encouraged to share their life stories and emotional experiences. This helps them turn these real feelings into inspiration for their paper-cut creations. For example, a “My Family Story” theme can be used to express the love for family members and the desire for reunion through the patterns and compositions of the paper-cuts; or, in connection with traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, cultural stories related to those festivals can be shared, enabling students to convey the atmosphere and emotions of those festivals in their works.
3. The methods of evaluation are not diverse enough
Currently, the methods used for evaluating students are relatively limited, with mainly teacher evaluations. This makes it difficult to fully reflect students’ learning outcomes. To address this issue, a more diverse evaluation system will be implemented in the future: in addition to teacher evaluations, self-evaluations and peer evaluations will also be included. For self-evaluations, evaluation forms that cover aspects such as knowledge acquisition, skill improvement, creative performance, and learning attitude will be designed, allowing students to reflect on and assess their own learning processes and work according to certain criteria. During peer evaluations, group discussions and exchanges will be organized, enabling students to evaluate their peers’ work from both professional and emotional perspectives, learn from others’ strengths, and identify their own weaknesses. Additionally, parental evaluations will be incorporated; parents will be invited to participate in the evaluation of students’ work. This will create a comprehensive and objective evaluation system involving teachers, students, and parents, thereby providing a more complete picture of students’ learning achievements and progress.
4. The allocation of teaching time needs to be optimized.
During this teaching process, some parts of the lesson took too long due to excessive explanation or demonstration time, resulting in insufficient time for students to engage in free creation and deep thinking. In future lessons, the time allocated to each part will be reallocated. For example, during the context introduction and observation/analysis stages, more concise language and more efficient presentation methods will be used to reduce unnecessary explanation time. In the pattern design and combination stages, more inspiring materials will be prepared in advance, enabling students to quickly enter a creative state and reducing time spent on ineffective discussions. It is important to ensure that students have enough time for practical creation, allowing them to fully utilize their imagination, transform ideas into actual works, and have sufficient time to make adjustments and improvements during the creation process. This will truly enable learning through hands-on experience and creativity through learning.
Through in-depth reflection and analysis of this teaching case, we will continue to improve the curriculum design and teaching implementation of the “Basic Papercuting Techniques” course. In future teaching of intangible cultural heritage papercutting, we will further integrate intelligent education platforms with traditional art courses, enrich teaching content and methods, and refine teaching strategies and evaluation systems. In this way, students will be able to master excellent papercutting skills, as well as fully appreciate the charm of Chinese traditional culture. They will become young people of the new era who possess cultural heritage, innovation spirit, and a sense of responsibility for inheritance. Thus, intangible cultural heritage can flourish more brilliantly on campus, and traditional culture can maintain its enduring vitality through inheritance and innovation.
Original link: https://aiedchair.bnu.edu.cn/news-citlab-2247627301-3-en/
