Surabaya Taiwanese School in Indonesia — "Dyeing" My Hometown

Batik is an important art and cultural tradition in Indonesia, with each region possessing its own distinctive batik patterns, such as traditional royal totems, floral and bird motifs, and the use of vibrant colors. Today, in addition to traditional patterns, we can also see modern designs on batik clothing, including regional mascots, landmarks, and scenes of daily life. Based on this concept, we envisioned a way for students to combine social studies with art. Social studies would no longer be merely textbook knowledge but could be transformed into a source of artistic creation. This would allow students to experience the beauty of traditional batik during the production process and express their hometown's unique characteristics through art.
This course is designed for 30 students from two fourth-grade classes. Last semester, social studies teachers integrated local culture into their social studies lessons, organizing group activities such as creating and sharing posters showcasing local specialties. Dynamic activities were also planned, including hands-on activities with traditional foods and costumes, using an immersive approach to help students connect with their hometown culture. At the end of last semester, students participated in a field trip to the Sam Po Long batik workshop, gaining a basic understanding of batik making.
This semester, the focus is on hands-on activities in the arts, using batik to depict students' visions of their hometowns. First, teachers had students recall the unique features of their hometowns presented in each group's report last semester. Then, representative patterns for Surabaya were chosen. In art class, students drew their own hometown designs, applying wax to cotton fabric. Finally, the teaching team dyed and removed the wax from the students' work, creating unique batik scarves with their hometown designs.