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LESSON 1: THE FORMLESSNESS OF WATER
The Thought
Bruce Lee expressed his philosophies in an easily understood poetic prose that still resonates with millions of people across
generations. Contemporary forms of communication can embody these philosophies of Bruce Lee both in structure and as
vehicles of expression.
Description
Students will explore how their own heroes help motivate them to change the environments in which they live. They will take
turns reading passages from the Tao Te Ching. Students will challenge themselves and identify how these ancient ideas
are still relevant today, and more importantly, how Bruce Lee adapted them to reflect his own ideas of the world and social
change. Using ‘offline’ techniques, students will engage in a social media exercise, with their own classmates acting as
‘online’ followers.
Objectives
1. Understand how teachings from the past influence current-day events.
2. Connect personal outlook on the world to the teachings of their heroes and icons.
3. Understand the connection between Bruce Lee’s philosophy to the pursuit of his career and
the development of his personal art form: martial arts.
4. Recognize that philosophical beliefs affect the way people interact in society and overcome obstacles.
Time Frame
Two class periods (total). The first activity combines small group discussion and a short writing assignment.
The second activity involves an extremely short daily assignment and group reflection over seven days.
(Two-hour Bruce Lee Immersion Tour at Wing Luke Museum will further supplement this lesson.)
Materials
• Chalkboard, white board or bare wall
• Post-it notes: yellow for daily ‘posts’, blue for classmate comments
• Pens and paper
Readings
“The Formlessness of Water”
“(Selected) Notions of Water in the Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tzu
Vocabulary
Doctrine
Eddy
Formlessness
Hero
Jeet Kune Do
Orthodoxy
Tao te Ching
Yin Yang
Teacher Prep
Review the supplemental reading packet and become familiar with the materials for the lesson. Decide if these readings fit
with your own lesson plans.
LESSON 1:
THE FORMLESSNESS OF WATER
