We’re Off to India
We’re Off to India!
A Curriculum Unit for 3rd and 4th Grade Students
By Virginia vonReichbauer
Established Goals
To introduce young children to the geography, landmarks, literature, languages, celebrations, schools, arts and daily life of India
New Jersey Curriculum Content Standards:
|Civics: International Education: Global Challenges, Cultures, and Connections |
|2. Identify traditions and celebrations of various cultures |
|3. Participate in activities such as dance, song, and games that represent various cultures. |
|Geography: The World in Spatial Terms |
|1. Explain the spatial concepts of location, distance and direction |
|1.c. The location of continents and oceans |
|2. Explain that the globe is a model of the earth and maps are representations of local and distant places. |
|3. Demonstrate basic globe and map skills. |
|Geography: Places and Regions |
|2. Describe the physical and human characteristics of places. |
|Civics: International Education: Global Challenges, Cultures, and Connections |
|1. Explain that the world is divided into many nations consisting of territory and people, with their own government, languages, customs, and laws. |
|8. Identify aspects of culture and heritage presented in literature, art, music, sport, or the media. |
|9. Examine common and diverse traits of other cultures and compare to their own culture. |
Students will know:
India’s geographical location
Some school routines in India
One major Indian holiday and how it is celebrated
The location and importance of the Taj Mahal
At least one story based on Indian themes
At least one artistic expressions of Indian culture
Common expressions in Hindi and Punjabi
Common Indian crafts and artistic products
That a passport and visa are necessary for travel to India
Students will be able to:
Identify India on a map and name bordering countries and bodies of water
Describe how an honored guest is greeted in India
Identify cultural artifacts of daily life in India and compare and contrast them with items in the U.S.
Compare and contrast school routines in India and the U.S.
State what they have learned about India and keep a journal of their reflections
Write their own names in Hindi
Do some Yoga exercises
Use common expressions of greetings and courtesy and count to ten in Hindi and Punjabi
Discuss Indian family life
Illustrate and/or tell a story in scroll form
Identify the Taj Mahal and relate at least five interesting facts about the monument
Plan a celebration of Divali based on culturally appropriate traditions and crafts
Identify a variety of Indian craft objects, compare them to similar U.S. products, and tell their use
Play and follow the rules of a board game of Indian origin
Identify an artistic performance expression of Indian culture and participate in at least one: song, dance, scroll painting or puppetry
Understandings
Students will understand that:
Culture is a unique expression of a people’s history and experience;
Cultures which appear quite different may have many similarities;
Culture is transmitted through the arts and literature of a country, as well as through its institutions and daily life.
Essential Questions
What is life like in India?
How is life in India similar to or different from life in the United States?
Performance Tasks
Students will:
• Keep a journal of their personal reflections throughout the unit
• Make a class map of India and identify political and geographical areas
• Compare and contrast various elements of Indian and U.S. cultures
• Write a short original story or poem describing an Indian scroll painting
• Identify artifacts of daily life in India
• Write their own names in Hindi
• Use a few common Hindi expressions in appropriate contexts
• Create typical Divali crafts
• Describe several Divali traditions
• Prepare and present a morning assembly based on an Indian school model
• Discuss similarities and differences between schools in the U.S. and India
Other Evidence
Participation in classroom discussions and activities, including mapping, singing, and Divali celebrations
Learning Activities
Pre-Learning Activity – The Blind Men and the Elephant
It is said that getting to know India is like a blind man trying to know an elephant: each part gives you a very different idea of the elephant. There are two books which beautifully relate this ancient fable: John Godfrey Saxe’s The Blind Men and the Elephant, and Ed Young’s Seven Blind Mice (see Resources.) Read one of these very short stories to your children and ask them what they think it means. Have they ever had the experience of discovering that something they were exploring was much more complex than they expected? Tell them that getting to know India over the course of this study will be a bit like that: we will get to know parts of the Indian culture, but they will learn much more if they continue to explore India in the future.
This unit is a result of my own five-week experience exploring India as a participant in the Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad in India 2010. I hope that it will serve as a springboard for students and teachers alike for future explorations of India. The complexities of the target culture can be summed up as follows: “Just when you think that you have discovered something true about India, you will find that the opposite is also true.”
Throughout the unit, you might play Indian music and read a variety of stories, as time allows (see Resources.) Your local school and community libraries will undoubtedly carry some of the many tales from India that will be great fun for your students and will not require you to purchase additional materials. The Jataka and Panchatra Tales, for example, number in the hundreds. Any can serve as vehicles for exploring Indian culture.
The activities in this curriculum are set up so that you can pick and choose those which suit your own timeframe.
Day 1: Where is India?
Engage your students initially in their study of India by creating an Indian atmosphere in the room. This might be as simple as projecting/posting an image of the Taj Mahal (Power Point slide #2), asking students to sit cross-legged on simple cotton Indian bedspreads that have been spread on the floor, and playing Indian music. Have your students share what they already know about India.
Ask students why and what they might want to learn about India. They may be surprised to learn that India has about 1.1 billion people (based on current estimates; a census is being conducted in 2010), which makes it the second most populous country in the world (China is more populous, with about 1.3 billion inhabitants; U.S. is in third place, with 300 million people.) Do students know the population of the U.S.? Have them look it up online and figure out the comparison between the two countries. Interesting facts: India makes up only 2.4% of the world’s land mass but supports over 15% of the world’s population. What can students infer from this information?
Suggest that the class make a virtual field trip to India to learn more about it. Have the students find India on a world map or globe. I have a number of inexpensive world map jigsaw puzzles (The Seven Continents of the World Floor Puzzle ISBN 978-1-74178-981-2) that the children can complete in small groups. The first group to complete the puzzle and find India is the “winner.” Other groups can also be winners by naming the continent, capital city, bordering countries and bodies of water.
Project a map of India onto a large piece of butcher paper or an inexpensive shower curtain liner (available in dollar stores.) I prefer the plastic liner, as it can be worked on by many students without tearing and is quite eye-catching when colored with markers. Have students create an outline map of India, designate its capital city (Delhi), bordering countries and bodies of water. If time allows, ask students to outline and label Indian states, the Ganga (Ganges) River, and the Himalayas. I especially like the map of India with its states and cities which can be found at . This map can be viewed in multiple languages. Good maps are also available on and
In addition, I have included a map in the Power Point (slide #3).
Have students find their hometown on your world map and estimate how far they will have to travel or how long it will take to get to India (see also Day 2). Then look at a map of time zones to determine how many zones will be crossed during their voyage at . (India is 9 ½ hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Since all of India functions on the same time zone despite its size, the half hour is a compromise.) Use Google Maps or Google Earth to scroll from the students’ own town to Delhi. This will give them an idea of how far they will be traveling!
Day 2: Passports, Visas and Suitcases
Explain that students will need to apply for a passport and visa in order to leave the country and enter India (worksheet attached.) Share your passport with them, if you have one. You can take digital photos of each child to paste on the passport, or the children can draw pictures of themselves. Passport and Visa pages are included in this document. Attach additional blank pages for the students to use as a journal to record their learning at appropriate points in the unit. You’ll be able to stamp each child’s passport upon the completion of each day’s work or journal entry.
Ask some students to use a travel site such as to find air routings to India. Other students can check the weather for Delhi and Agra on . Discuss the climate in India (this is a good time to talk about the Monsoon and dry seasons) so as to determine types of clothing that would be appropriate for their destination.
Students will now make and “pack” a suitcase. Fold in half a large sheet of construction paper, decorate it like a suitcase, add luggage tags (paper ones from the airport are great), and a paper copy of the Indian flag. You can color or print one from (search for India.) Draw appropriate clothing inside. What else will they need or want to take along (toothbrush, camera, etc.)? Use this paper suitcase as a folder for worksheets, souvenirs and projects.
Review map skills from lesson one by having students complete a worksheet/quiz of India (.) They can also record the time difference between their own hometown and India, as well as the expected weather. This will be the first worksheet in the suitcase. In their journals, students might list several questions they have about India and what they are looking forward to seeing and doing on their trip.
Day 3: Take off!
Arrange the seats in the room to look like an airplane (2-3-2 or some other variation) with aisles between chairs. The flight to Delhi is a long one, so this is a good time for an in-flight movie about India. There are two excellent DVD’s available through Asia for Kids (): Countries Around the World--India and Families of the World—India. Students may enjoy sampling a simple Indian snack, such as Masala flavored potato chips or a treat from a local Indian restaurant. If you have students of Indian origin, their parents may be helpful in providing food.
At the conclusion of the video, students should write their impressions in their passports before disembarking from the plane. Have the students go through “Immigration” and use a rubber stamp to stamp their arrival in India.
Day 4: Welcome to Delhi; Learning Hindi
Students will receive a royal reception once they reach their hotel. We were told more than once that “The guest is a god,” in India, and we were greeted with ceremony in every hotel, home and school. There are several pictures in the Power Point which show how we were welcomed (slides #4 – 9). Ask a few older students to help you greet the students as they enter the room:
• One student can hold a tray with flowers, a candle (a battery-operated tea light will do) and the vermilion powder to be dotted on each student’s forehead between the eyes. If you do not have this powder, you might use just a dab of lipstick or a red washable marker.
• A second student can put a flower garland around each student’s neck (marigolds are a frequently-used flower, but you may use whatever silk or paper flower garlands are available from the party store.)
• A third student can offer fruit juices to the younger children. Lime juice is a good choice. We often found that the juices offered in hotels were brightly colored, so add green food coloring if you wish.
Now it is time to learn a little Hindi. I have attached a short Hindi lesson which was recorded by our tour guide. There is a little Punjabi on the video, also. The guide allows time after most expressions for the students to repeat them. Do not expect mastery of these terms at this point; simply practice as indicated below, and review them during subsequent lessons.
The most important terms your children should learn are:
• Namaste – Hello/Good-bye (often said while putting palms together below the chin and making a very slight bow with the head)
• Meera naam (Alex, Linda, etc.) hai. – My name is (Alex, Linda, etc.)
• Aapkaa naam kyaa hai? – What is your name?
• Haan - Yes
• Na/Naheen - No
• Acchaa – Good, OK, Right, I see, Yes, No, Maybe (an all-purpose word that the kids love)
• Dhanyavad/Shukria – Thank you.
• Kripaya – Please
Numbers:
• 1 – Ek
• 2 – Do
• 3 – Teen
• 4 – Char
• 5 – Panch
• 6 – Chhé
• 7 – Saat
• 8 – Aath
• 9 – Nau
• 10 – Dus
If students were greeted at the door with “Namaste,” they will know this word right away. If you use the other terms when answering their questions, they will soon be using them, too. Try to use each expression as often as possible throughout the curriculum. For the first lesson, students can practice saying hello, their own name and ask another’s name. They should then practice by greeting several other students in the class and finding out their names. I usually ask for them to greet at least 5 others and get their names on a file card. The card can be put in their suitcases, and they can go through the same procedure at the next lessons until they have greeted every student in the class.
There are many activities you can do to help learn numbers. Teach the numbers three at a time and have children repeat them rhythmically. Sing them along to the tune of “Frère Jacques.” Have students stand in a circle around the room and march while repeating the numbers. This is even more fun if you speed up and slow down as a train leaving and entering the station. Soon they will be counting in Hindi without any trouble.
Pictures, alphabet, numbers, phrases and more can be found at
Ask your children to teach a bit of Hindi to someone at home; it’s the best way to learn!
Journaling: Have your students record a few of these new words in their passports. They should also write about how they were greeted upon their arrival today.
Teachers’ Note: The official language of India is Hindi, there are twenty-two constitutionally recognized state languages, and English is often the language of instruction in the schools. In addition, there are about two thousand tribal and village languages. Whereas English may be widely spoken in hotels and at tourist sites in major cities, this is not always the case. A few words in Hindi can go a long way towards helping you interface with others. For a list of Indian languages, go to
Day 5 – Going to School in India
There are many different types of schools in India, both public and private. The resources available and the instruction given range from bare rooms with only a blackboard to British-style boarding schools. Schools are categorized as to the language of instruction, such as English Medium, Marathi Medium or Hindi Medium, with English-Medium being the most sought-after mode of instruction.
Your students will be interested to learn that school is usually held six days a week, and that the longest break is April and May, when the weather is hottest. However, students in the hill towns may have different vacations, as the snow makes travel difficult in winter.
Have your students remove their shoes upon entering the room. Shoes are often lined up outside the door of every classroom.
Show your students the attached power point of schools in India (slides #10 – 31). If they saw the in-flight video Families of the World – India, they will already have an idea of what to expect. Another wonderful resource is A School Like Mine; A Unique Celebration of Schools Around the World (seeRresources.) This book has many pictures of three Indian students going to school.
After looking at the visuals, have your students work in small groups to discuss and record on newsprint what they have seen. Is it similar to or different from their own school? They might notice, for example, that students often wear uniforms, that there are many students in each class, that the students might sit on the floor at very low desks, that they study many of the same subjects as their American counterparts, etc. Each group can post its sheet of newsprint and report out.
This would be a great time for the students to see the spelling of their own names in Hindi. Hindi uses the Devanagari alphabet, so unless you have knowledge of this language, you will need to rely on community helpers who might be willing to make nametags for the children. Young students in India sometimes use flat beads to practice making Hindi letters (slides #26 – 27). If a volunteer can write each student’s name on a large piece of construction paper, your children can then glue on beads or dried beans or even glitter to make his/her own name as a picture.
Now we’ll make our own school notebook/calendar! I have attached photos/pdf files of several pages from the notebook/calendar that every child is required to carry daily at the Abhinava Vidyalaya English Medium Primary School in Pune. You can print these out to use during this lesson. Before distributing the calendars, have your students find Pune (formerly Poona) on a map and add it to the outline map of India that they made on the first day (it is located southeast of Mumbai/Bombay.) Now, have your students staple together their own school calendar with a construction paper cover. They can complete the personal information page; does any of the requested information surprise them? Read some of the rules and regulations and ask students to use their journals to reflect upon what they have learned about school in Pune. Students should also try to write their Hindi names in their passport journals.
Day 6 - Going to School in India – Morning Assembly
The schools we observed usually started each day with a mandatory School Assembly. Often, they included prayers, a pledge, poems or readings, group songs, responsive songs and even current events. Students sometimes do a large part of the speaking, and everyone seems to have memorized the pledge and songs. Examples of some of these are found in the Abhinava Vidyalaya student calendar. Notice that everything is in two languages. Do we do anything similar in our schools?
What are the advantages of having such an assembly? If your own school were going to have a daily morning assembly, what pledges, poems and songs would your students feel were appropriate and why? Would they include a prayer or not? How would they find out about current events to include? Have students plan an assembly similar to the one in Pune. Divide students into groups according to their interests to plan segments of the assembly. Have books of poetry, songbooks (including patriotic songs, and newspapers ready for this activity. Once students have agreed on what to do, have them present their assembly.
Day 7 – Going to School in India – My School Schedule and Yoga
Students will need their Pune calendars today. Have them look at “My Time Table” and ask them to fill in their own schedule in the blanks. As their own lunch may not fall after 4th period, have them make adjustments to fit their class periods into the Pune schedule. Do your students have any blanks on the timetable? In most cases, they will find that they do not have as many periods or as many days of class as the Indian students. What classes fill in those blanks for Indian students? Most importantly, Indian students often study three different languages: Hindi, English and their state language. This takes a lot of time, as most languages are studied 3 – 6 times per week.
Indian students may not have the same opportunities as your students to study computers, art and music, although these subjects are available in some schools.
Yoga is incorporated into the school day in many schools as a means to help students concentrate and prepare for the day (slide #29). Today would be a good day to have students take a lesson in yoga. If you or another teacher in your school does not know yoga, there are many DVD’s for beginners available at your local store or library. Be sure that students are wearing stretchy or loose clothing. It will also be helpful for them to use a mat or a towel on the floor. Yoga uses Hindi terminology, so they may pick up a few extra vocabulary words today.
Day 8 – A Family Visit in Chennai
During our trip, we were invited to visit a home in Chennai. Have your students add Chennai (formerly Madras) to their map of India. It is located in the far southeast, on the Bay of Bengal.
In India, grandparents often live with their children and grandchildren. In this home, thirty-two extended family members lived together in a five-story building, sort of like an apartment building with no locked doors inside. There were two grandmothers and four adult children with their own families. So grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived together. Each family had its own bedrooms, and everyone shared the kitchen and family room. Since the family room was not large enough to hold so big a family all at once, they often gathered on their rooftop patio. Up the steps we went to the patio, where there was plenty of room for everyone. The evening air was cool and breezy; it was the best place to be (not many homes have air conditioning.) We could even go up one more story to a rooftop which looked over the entire sparkling city of Chennai. (see Power Point slides #32-33 of this home).
Our family served us dinner (slide 32). There was a potato dish, a chicken dish and special Indian bread. At home, most Indians eat with their fingers by using the bread to pick up the food. Only the right hand should be used to do this, even if you are left-handed. The food was delicious! What would you serve for dinner if you had 18 guests plus a family of 32 to feed? If possible, have the children sample some Indian food, using their bread to pick up the food. Remember to wash hands before and after eating!
The family spent a long time preparing for our visit. Remember, in India, “The guest is a god.” One of the things the family did was to create Rangoli designs at the front door, on the stairways and on the windowsills (slide #32). Rangoli are beautiful geometric designs that can be made with rice powder, colored sand, paint or chalk (slides 34 – 35 and video clip). They are a sign of welcome. In many homes, the mother makes a new Rangoli design at the front door every single day. We saw Rangoli designs many places that we went. In one of the schools we visited, students were using chalk on concrete to practice making intricate designs. In the Delhi airport, Rangoli designs based on famous landmarks were painted on the walls. (Perhaps your students would like to make a Rangoli-style design depicting famous monuments of your city or region.)
Students can make Rangoli; an excellent source is ActivityVillage.co.uk/rangoli They can keep their designs by using glue to hold the sand, but in India, the old design would be swept away each day, and a new one created. Allow the Rangoli to dry, and then post them so that all the children can have fun looking at each other’s creations. If you don’t want the mess of sand and glue, have your children color the designs instead.
Day 9 – A Family Visit in Chennai – Part 2 – Clothing and Contemporary Literature
The grandmothers and mothers in our host family all wore saris, which are long lengths of beautiful fabrics that are wrapped around in a special way. Many of the younger women wore kortas, which look like tunics, with legging-type pants. Sometimes you may see Indian women who live in the United States wearing their saris. It is a traditional form of dress and very comfortable to wear.
Some of the men and boys in this family were dressed in pants and shirts, very much like men and boys dress here. However, you will also see Indian men wearing long kortas (tunics) or dhoti or lungi, which are tied around the waist and tucked between the legs. (slides #33, 36 – 38)
Kashmira Seth is a well-known contemporary author who has written some wonderful books for children. Read My Dadima Wears a Sari and Monsoon Afternoon with your students (see References). Discuss the books. What kinds of activities do the children in the book do with their grandparents? Do they like to play dress-up with their grandparents’ things? What do they do when they have special time with their grandparents? Briefly discuss the importance of the Monsoon in India.
Now it is time to try putting on a sari. All you need is a few yards of cloth for each. Instructions for putting on a sari are at the end of My Dadima Wears a Sari.
After dinner, one of the mothers entertained us with singing and playing on an accordion-like instrument called a harmonium (slides #19, 22, 33). We sang songs in exchange. At first, we had to think about what songs most of us knew. We also tried to remember common patriotic tunes or folk tunes. If you were going to sing to your Indian guests, what songs would be good to sing? Gather in groups to brain-storm your ideas, put together all the song ideas you’ve imagined, then choose a few of your favorites to practice singing together. If you don’t know all the words, you can find them online ().
Day 10 – Market Day
There are malls in India, similar to those where you shop in the U.S. Even the merchandise can be the same, such as Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels (the mall in the Power Point is in Kolkata/Calcutta, found in the far east of India in West Bengal, near Bangladesh; find and mark it on your map.) But there are many more outdoor and indoor markets where people shop to buy food, clothing and other goods (slides #39 – 47).
The outdoor markets and small shops are open almost every day of the year. They are very busy places where you might buy everything from traditional crafts and clothing to toothpaste and electronics. You can often buy snacks and freshly prepared foods at the many, many food stands on the streets. Unfortunately, you will need to stick to the packaged items, such as potato chips, as Americans are not accustomed to some parts of the street food which might make us, but not Indians, sick. Nonetheless, it is great fun to look at the wonderful variety of street foods!
I purchased many items in India which I set up in my classroom as a mini-market (slides #48 - 57). Students could touch and discuss the items. I then challenged the children to determine the use of each item. The attached Market Day worksheets invite students to compare and contrast the given items with similar ones they might find in the U.S. Students’ completed booklets should be put in their suitcases.
Day 11 - Market Day #2 - Bargaining
Let’s talk about money! I’ve included pictures of some Indian rupees (slide #58) and others may be seen at A picture of Gandhi is on every piece of paper money in India. Ask if anyone has heard of him and why he is famous around the world. (Gandhi is called “The Father of the Nation” and helped attain Indian independence from Great Britain in 1947 through non-violent means. Two charming books about Gandhi are included in the Resources, in case you would like to share more about this leader with your students.) On the reverse, there is a list of 15 words (slide #59). Do they students know what these are? They are the names of 15 of the 22 officially recognized languages of India. Count them with your students. (The obverse is written in two other languages, Hindi and English, making a total of 17 languages on the bank note.) How many official languages do we have in the U.S.? Only one, English.
See a picture on the Power Point and go to for more detailed information.
Bargaining is often used to determine the price of an item at the markets. Just for fun, your children could bring in small used items from home for the next lesson, or you could provide them with some trinkets, and practice their bargaining skills (using pretend money, of course.) The seller starts with a price which he/she knows is high. The buyer then offers about 25-30% of the asking price (this is a good math lesson.) The seller will counter, bringing down his price about 10 – 20%. Eventually, they may arrive at a fair price, perhaps about 50% of the asking price. The seller can never sell for less than what the item costs him to buy or produce. If the buyer thinks the deal is not good enough, he/she can walk away, which may encourage the seller to arrive at a better price.
Day 12 – Diwali – Let’s Get Ready to Celebrate!
Diwali is one of the most-widely celebrated holidays in India and is observed by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world. Such celebrations are based on a variety of narratives, all of which refer to “the joy connected with the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.” (Heiligman, p. 31.) The date for Diwali varies each year, so if you would like to celebrate these traditions on the correct date, refer to
Prepare your students by reading the National Geographic book, Holidays Around the World: Diwali (see Resources.) If you can’t find this book, there are many others available which are appropriate for this age group. As you read the book, ask pairs of students to make a list of ways Diwali is celebrated and then share notes with the larger group (lights, dancing, fireworks, cleaning homes, paper lanterns, sweets, Rangoli, flowers, bathing, new clothes, oil lamps, card games, visiting friends and family.)
Another book I love is DK’s Diwali Ultimate Sticker Book (see Resources.) Students can place the re-usable stickers on the pages as you tell the story.
Your students will enjoy the many traditions associated with a Diwali celebration, some of which you can execute in class. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Noisemakers – you won’t be able to set off firecrackers, but you can have students use drums, whistles and assorted noisemakers to approximate the type of sound made by firecrackers. You can have a student control lights so that the room lights come on with each boom of the drum. (Then again, you may want to skip this part!)
2. Flower garlands – Make them from paper: or Marigolds are the most frequently used flowers, but other favorites are white or red.
3. Diwali lamps – Diyas are small clay containers which are filled with an oil and wick, then lit. The students will love making their own lamps. I recommend those made from a simple salt dough: Use the tin holders from tea lights to make the lamps, but use the battery-operated tea lights in the classroom. Be sure to check the size of the tins before baking the lamps. These are quite festive if decorated with beads and sparkles!
4. Rangoli – Use the designs made earlier in this unit, or have students try some new designs.
5. Sweets – There are endless sweet treats for Diwali! If you have an Indian grocery store or restaurant in your town, you can purchase a variety to sample. Children love to cook, and they can easily make “Peda” from the Heiligman book (see Resources, p. 27.) There are only 4 ingredients, and you need microwave the mixture for a couple of minutes. Peda can be made in advance and stored in a tin or frozen.
6. Toran (slide #52)– These door hangings are hung to welcome guests and the Goddess of Fortune, Lackshmi. A pattern and directions can be found at
Day 13 - Diwali Celebration
After all the preparations, students are ready to celebrate Diwali!
• If any students own dressy Indian clothes, or if you are able to purchase of borrow some, now would be a fun time to wear them (slides #50-51).
• Have several students make Rangoli designs using chalk on large sheets of black construction paper; these should be at the entrance of your room.
• Every child should receive a paper flower garland to wear upon entering.
• Begin the celebration with the “fireworks,” and when they are done, light all the Diwali lamps that the children have made. If you have been able to string Christmas-style mini-lights around the room, that will add to the festivity of the occasion.
• Play some Indian music.
• Have the children complete the easy Diwali Anagram found at diwali/activities/anagram/easy_bw.htm This can be put in their suitcases.
• Make Diwali greeting cards. Printable cards may be found at ActivityVillage.co.uk/diwali%20cards.htm
• Play a card game. A kids’ version of Teen Pathi can be found in the Heiligman book, p. 28 (see resources.) The “bets” can be raisins, chocolate candy, toothpicks, buttons or other similar objects.
• Eat the Peda which you made earlier!
• Watch a traditional Bharatanatyam dance executed by an eleven-year-old girl at All movements are prescribed and have special meaning; the full dance tells a story. If you can obtain the ankle bells which the dancers wear (slide #54), your students will love trying them out and dancing along. You could also string some jingle bells on yarn or ribbon and tie them around children’s ankles.
Students can journal about their favorite part of the Diwali celebration.
Day 14 – Indian Games (slides #60 – 61)
Did you know that chess originated in India? Snakes and Ladders is also an Indian game. Your students may be less familiar with Ludo and Pachisi. Your students will like playing the same games that Indian children enjoy.
Preparation: Have students bring chess sets or Snakes and Ladders from home. If you have time to devote to teaching chess, let your children learn this game. Research has shown many benefits of learning chess, such as building confidence, strategizing, learning discipline and increasing concentration. Some elementary schools even have chess clubs or a year devoted to learning chess in the classroom. A printable chess set and directions for kids can be found at (see Resources.)
This same site has a printable Pachisi board game and pieces.
Ludo boards may be downloaded and printed from This is a very easy game, but it can go on forever unless you change the rules. I find it best to declare the winner to be the first person to get ONE token “home.”
Game boards and rules can be stored in the students’ suitcases. In their passports, they can write about which games they preferred and why they liked them.
Day 15 - The Taj Mahal (slide #62)
No trip to India is complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, India’s most famous monument, often called the eighth Wonder of the World.
Project an image of the Taj Mahal (choose your favorite from Google Images or any book on India) and ask if any of your students have seen pictures of this building. Can they guess when it was built, or what its purpose was? These questions and more are answered in a brief (under 3-minute) video at this site:
After watching the video, ask the students to re-evaluate their answers to the questions that you asked earlier. Can they think of any U.S. monuments which honor deceased persons? (The Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are all in Washington, DC. Are there others in your state?)
Your students may be interested to learn that it took 22,000 skilled workers twenty years to build this monument, and there were an additional 55,000 workmen who labored on the site! Skilled workmen who passed on their craft to succeeding generations within their families did the marble inlays of precious stones seen in the photos. These same families still do marble inlay work today, and you can buy their works of art as coasters, tables, bowls, etc. I’ve included a photo in the Power Point (slide #63) and as a market day item (slide #63). On Fridays, the Taj Mahal is closed so that any necessary repairs can be made. The same families whose ancestors first built the Taj Mahal are continuing to keep it in excellent condition today. Some background information is at activityvillage.co.uk/the_taj_mahal.htm
Take a virtual tour of the Taj at
Post Cards from Agra: Have your students pretend that they have just visited the Taj Mahal with their families and are writing a post card to a friend back home, telling him/her about the experience. Using a large index card, paste or draw a picture of the monument on one side and have the students write their letters on the reverse. You can print pictures from the internet or have the students color their own using the coloring pages linked to ( ) Students can address the cards as would be required if truly writing from abroad. They could design a “stamp” using some symbol or element of India that they have learned about in this unit. These post cards can go into their suitcases.
Crayola has a cardboard box and tube Taj Mahal at their site:
For the not-faint-at-heart who have lots of parental help, here is a paper Taj Mahal to make: For those with the monetary resources and lots of time and patience, Wrebbit makes a 3-D puzzle of the Taj Mahal. Although it is out of print, it can still be purchased online:
Day 16 – Patua Scroll Paintings
The Patuas of West Bengal are artisans who create narrative scrolls and perform songs to accompany their unrolling. This art, which dates from the thirteenth century, centers around both secular and sacred themes, including legends involving gods and goddesses, issues of politics, independence and more. I have included a picture of my own Patua scrolls and their makers in the Power Point (#64-66). You can also hear part of the song which accompanies the fish scroll, sung in Bengali, in the attached video clip. It is a story called “The Fish Marriage.” Without telling your students the subject of the scrolls, have them make up their own stories to accompany the pictures. If your children like to sing, have them use a familiar tune and fill it with lyrics to describe the scrolls. These stories or songs can go into their suitcases.
If your children would like to make their own picture scrolls, you can find directions online at
Two You Tube links with videos of the scroll painters are noted in the References.
Day 17 – Stories and Reflections
Have you students share their Patua-style scrolls and stories. Record them, if possible. Today is a good day for students to reflect in their journals on their experiences during their “trip” to India and to share some Indian food as a final celebration.
Other Fun Activities
Ganesha: Ganesha, one of the most beloved of the many Hindu gods, is known as “The Remover of Obstacles.” He is depicted as a young boy with the head of an elephant; his transport is a little mouse. I have included some Ganesha pictures in the Power Point (slides #49, 52, 53, 57). You will see Ganesha all over India: in people’s homes, as decals on a taxi driver’s window, as statues both large and small, in every city and village. According to The Little Book of Hindu Deities, Ganesha was granted a very special gift to make up for the fact that he had an elephant’s head. His gift was that no one would begin important endeavors or pujas (religious rituals) without seeking Ganesha’s blessing first. (Resources, Patel p. 12). A cartoon DVD of the Birth of Ganesha is referenced in Resources. Although Indian children are very familiar with this story, which has long been part of Indian tradition, I will caution you that the boy Ganesha’s head was cut off and later replaced with the head of an elephant. This seems to be clearly depicted in the versions of the tale which I have seen. Nonetheless, if you prepare your children for this part of the story, you may be able to show the DVD. If not, you can leave the “whys” until they are older and concentrate on Ganesha Symbolism, which is fun for kids (see
Power Point slide #67 supplies you with the information you can use to tell your children about the meaning of each part of Ganesha, as well as his transport, the mouse. Print out the Ganesha coloring page from diwali/pics_to_color/pc3.gif (resources.) At the bottom, children can take notes on the meanings that you find most interesting.
Puppetry: The ancient tradition of puppet shadow shows is still active in India. Your students will love putting on such shows. Practical information may be found in the Ganeri and Wright book (see Resources) p. 19 – 21. Students could put on a show focused around the tale of Ram, Ravan and Sita, which is the story celebrated during Diwali. The outline figures in the DK Diwali Ultimate Sticker Book (see Resources) could be enlarged and traced to make as shadow puppets. The Power Point shows some puppets I purchased in India, as well as some being prepared for a show (slides #68 – 70).
Block printing: India has always been known for its wonderful textiles, and your students will enjoy trying to make their own block prints. See the Power Point slide #56 of block print fabrics made by the women at SEWA (the Self Employed Women’s Association), which enables poor women to become self-supporting. Slide #57 is a wooden block used to make prints of Ganesha. If you are an art teacher or you don’t mind getting a bit messy, follow the directions on this site:
However, if you are looking for something more basic, you can use the cut potato technique to have your children apply designs to fabric or paper:
For the ultimate in easy, collect some rubber stamps and ink pads. Then let your students make their own wrapping paper designs on butcher paper.
Gandhi:
Please refer to the following books listed in References: Demi’s beautifully illustrated book on the life of Mohandas Gandhi will captivate your students and is short enough to read and discuss in one class period. My Gandhi Scrapbook shows Gandhi on Rupees and stamps, in statuary and cartoons. The Story of Dandi March has coloring pages which can be used as a springboard for your students to narrate the life of this most famous of Indians. A notetaking page with lines and a picture of young Gandhi can be printed from
The Jataka Tales: These stories of moral conduct and good behavior are tales of the animal reincarnations of Buddha. Do your students know of any stories in which animals are the main characters and a lesson is learned? Aesop’s Fables are moral tales, as are Disney movies such as Bambi and The Lion King and even Bernstein Bear books. What is the purpose of these stories?
Show your students a Jataka tale about greed at
and another about repaying friendship at
Your local library should have many Jataka Tales. Have students read stories in book form or on-line and write a short summary for their suitcases. Be sure to include the moral of the story!
Creative writing task: Ask your students to think of a moral lesson, then write a story in the style of a Jataka tale which expresses this lesson. Students can do this as a group task, brainstorming the lesson to be taught, the animals to be used as the characters and the plot to develop. Ask artistic students to create pictures, a photo story or a diorama to accompany the class tale.
[pic] PASSPORT APPLICATION [pic]
Name: _______________________________________________
School: ______________________________________________
Grade and Homeroom Number: ___________________________
Date of Birth: _________________________________________
Hair Color: ___________________________________________
Eye Color: ____________________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________________
[pic] VISA APPLICATION [pic]
Destination Country: ____________________________________
Arrival City: __________________________________________
Reason for travel: ___ Business ___Tourism ___ Conference
Dates of Travel: _______________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________________
PHOTOGRAPH: Attach here
[pic] Passport [pic]
Name: ______________________________
Date of Birth: ________________________
Hair Color: ___________________________
Eye Color: ___________________________
Date of Issue: ________________________
Signature: ________________________________________
[pic]
Visa
Name: _________________________________________
Date of Issue:____________________________________
Date of Expiry:___________________________________
Purpose: _______________________________________
[pic] Market Day in India [pic]
Think about the market items in your classroom (or in the Power Point.) Choose at least three that you find especially interesting. What is each one used for? Is it similar to or different from something you can find in the U.S.? Record your findings here:
Item # ________
What is it? _________________________________
What is its use? _____________________________
Draw a picture of something similar we have in the U.S.:
How is it similar to this American item?_____________________
______________________________________________________
___________________________________________
How is it different from this American item? _________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
[pic]
Item # ________
What is it? ___________________________________________
What is its use? _______________________________________
Draw a picture of something similar we have in the U.S.:
How is it similar to this American item?_____________________
______________________________________________________
___________________________________________
How is it different from this American item? _________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
[pic]
[pic]
[pic]
[pic]
[pic]
[pic]
RESOURCES and WORKS CITED
"Activities for Kids on Diwali." TheHolidaySpot: Holidays and Festivals Celebrations, Greeting Cards, Activities, Crafts, Recipes Wallpapers, and More. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Crosswords, word scrambles, and more
Akhlesh's Homepage of PreSchool Hindi. Web. 12 Sept. 2010. . Hindi lessons and practice pages
Asia for Kids | Asian Language and Cultural Resources. Web. 04 Sept. 2010. . Excellent source for materials about India, including multi-lingual books and DVD's
"Bengali Scroll Paintings Lesson Plan - Crayola OFFICIAL Site." Official Crayola Site - Free Coloring Pages, Crafts, Lesson Plans, Games and More. Web. 27 Aug. 2010. . Very basic instructions for making a Patua-type scroll painting
"Block Printing with Styrofoam: Fun Kid's Craft - Styrofoam Printmaking." Kids Crafts. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Messy but fun
"Colouring Flag India." Coloring Pages, Kids Crafts and Printable Activities For Kids. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . Flag of India to color; there is also a printable flag page at this site
Demi. Gandhi. New York: Margaret McElderry, 2001. Print. Ages 7 - 10; a good introduction to Mahatma Gandhi.
"Diwali « Our Little Nature Nest." Our Little Nature Nest. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Craft recipes to make Diwali lamps out of salt dough and to color sand for Rangoli designs; has link to YouTube roti cooking demonstration
"Diwali 2010 at TheHolidaySpot." TheHolidaySpot: Holidays and Festivals Celebrations, Greeting Cards, Activities, Crafts, Recipes Wallpapers, and More. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Information ranging from stories and traditions to crafts and cooking
"Diwali Crafts for Kids: Ideas for Arts & Crafts Activities to Celebrate Diwali with Decorations & Projects for Hindu Children, Preschoolers, and Teens." Kids Crafts, Activities, Coloring Pages & Printables, Creative Arts & Crafts Ideas for Children, Preschoolers, Kindergarteners. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Diwali door hangings, elephant paper bunting, Ganesha craft, Mendhi hand designs, Indian sari paper dolls, Rangoli patterns, peacock designs and much, much more are linked to this site
"Diwali Dates for 2008, 2009, 2010 till 2022." TheHolidaySpot: Holidays and Festivals Celebrations, Greeting Cards, Activities, Crafts, Recipes Wallpapers, and More. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. .
"Diwali Pictures to Color." TheHolidaySpot: Holidays and Festivals Celebrations, Greeting Cards, Activities, Crafts, Recipes Wallpapers, and More. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Includes good coloring page for Ganesha; oil lamps
"Diwali Recipes from TheHolidaySpot." TheHolidaySpot: Holidays and Festivals Celebrations, Greeting Cards, Activities, Crafts, Recipes Wallpapers, and More. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. .
D'Monte, Darryl. Storm over Silent Valley. Ahmedabad: Centre for Environment Education, 1991. Print. A plea for conservation in this part of Kerala.
"Explore the Taj Mahal - Assets and Sitemap." Explore the Taj Mahal Virtual Tour - "5_STARS!" -SundayTimes_London. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Virtual tour of the Taj Majal and resources for educators including many linked sites
"Fun Free Party Games - Best Free Game Boards - For Backgammon and Ludo." Fun Free Party Games - All the Best Fun Party Games. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Free printable ludo game board.
Galdone, Paul. The Monkey and the Crocodile: a Jataka Tale from India. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. Print. A classic Buddhist/Jataka tale; easy reader
Ganeri, Anita, Rachel Wright, and John Shackell. India. New York: F. Watts, 1994. Print. Country Topics for Craft Projects series; Things to Make, Activities, Facts; a good overview with fun crafts.
"Guide for Educators." Smithsonian | Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. . An explanation of Puja, Hindu worship. The Guide for Educators provides simple explanations and good pictures. Concentrates on Shiva, Vishnu and Devi, but also includes a page on Ganesha
Heiligman, Deborah, and Vasudha Narayanan. Celebrate Diwali. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2006. Print. An easy reader with wonderful Geographic-quality photos. Includes facts, a glossary, websites, and a terrific recipe for Peda sweets which can be made with only 2 1/2 minutes of cooking in a microwave (very classroom friendly)
Heydlauff, Lisa, and Nitin Upadyhe. Going to School in India. Watertown. MA: Charlesbridge, 2005. Print. Shows the wide diversity of schools in India and focuses on the real children who attend them, including many photographs.
"India - ." ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . Maps, quizzes, facts and more about India
"India Political Map, Political Map of India." India Map, Map of India. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . This is a terrific interactive map which shows all the states and major cities. You can click on the various languages to show the whole map in eleven languages other than English.
"Indian Customs & Traditions." Indiatravelite-Indian Travel Explorer-Information and On-Line Travel ServiceProvider for India Travel. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Explanation of customs of greeting, bindi and more
Indian Languages, Languages Of India, Major Languages Spoken In India, Different Languages Of India. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . List of official languages in India and where they are spoken
"Indian Rupee." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . Good pictures of all Rupee denominations, along with an explanation of the symbols
"Jataka Tales Index." Internet Sacred Text Archive Home. Web. 27 Aug. 2010. . Many, many Jataka tales from which to choose your favorites. Black and white illustrations.
Khandpur, Swarn, and Prabhakar Wairkar. A Vision of India (Gujarat). Mumbai, India: Navneet Publications (India), 1998. Print. One of a series focusing on the northwestern state of Gujarat. This book is in Question and Answer style, covering topics from animals and architecture to history and textiles.
Kindersley, Barnabas. Children Just like Me. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1995. 56-59. Print. Two children are profiled with many pictures: one is from New Delhi, the other from a village in Tamil Nadu.
"Majestic Taj Mahal Lesson Plan - Crayola OFFICIAL Site." Official Crayola Site - Free Coloring Pages, Crafts, Lesson Plans, Games and More. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Instructions to make a cardboard box and tube model of the Taj Mahal and lesson plan ideas
Mehra, Komal. Festivals of India. New Delhi: Learners Private, Limited, 2001. Print. 22 different festivals are described in letters from a grandmother to her grandchildren
Music Voyager — Tune In To The World | A Travel Series Focused on World Music. Web. 25 June 2010. . A Public TV program site with links to a variety of today's music artists in India
"Outline Maps." Coloring Pages, Kids Crafts and Printable Activities For Kids. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . Maps of Asia with borders, without borders, and annotated
Pandya, Mamata. Where's Away? Ahmedebad, India 2009: Centre for Environment Education. Print. A children's story about two ladybugs which encourages anti-littering and recycling. Includes some exercises.
Patel, Sanjay. The Little Book of Hindu Deities: from the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow. New York: Plume, 2006. Print. Cartoon pictures and short explanations of dozens of Hindu gods and goddesses; Ganesha p. 12 - 15.
"Potato Prints and More Fun Kids' Crafts, Projects, Activities, and Family-friendly Meal Ideas on ." Delicious Food Recipes - Arts and Crafts Ideas - Entertaining Tips - Gardening - Pets - Martha Stewart. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . An easy way to do block printing with kids.
"Rangoli Craft for Kids." Coloring Pages, Kids Crafts and Printable Activities For Kids. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . All about Rangoli, including coloring pages
Rao, Sandhya, and Ranjan De. The Story of Dandi March. Chennai: Tulika, 1997. Print. Ages 7 - 12; the story of Gandhi's march, told in simple text and coloring pages.
Rao, Sandhya. My Gandhi Scrapbook. Chennai, India: Tulika, 2009. Print. Pictures of Gandhi, from postage stamps to his handwriting and hats, along with simple text.
Richford,, By Nannette. "How to Make Paper Flower Garlands | ." EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Another source for tissue paper flower crafts.
Saklani, Juhi. Diwali. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2004. Print. Bright sticker book with photos of young children acting out the story of Diwali.
Sheth, Kashmira, and Yoshiko Jaeggi. Monsoon Afternoon. Atlanta: Peachtree, 2008. Print. A grandfather and grandson celebrate the monsoon together in this charming book illustrated with watercolors.
Sheth, Kashmira, and Yoshiko Jaeggi. My Dadima Wears a Sari. Atlanta: Peachtree, 2007. Print. Beautifully illustrated picture book that tells of an Indian grandmother and her granddaughter in the U.S. Includes photos and instructions for wrapping a sari.
Smith, Penny, and Zahavit Shalev. "Pages 58-61." A School like Mine: a Unique Celebration of Schools around the World. London: DK, 2007. 58-61. Print. Great pictures of 3 different children in three types of schools in India
"Smithsonian Education - India." Smithsonian Education - Welcome. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. . A great source; Section "Where Remarkable Differences Are Ordinary (1986), though old with some inaccurate information (i.e. population statistics), has a puppetry tale to be performed, as well as recipes for Spice Tea and Cookies
"Smithsonian Folkways - Tools For Teaching - Map." Smithsonian Folkways - The Nonprofit Record Label of the Smithsonian Institution. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. . Indian music and the sitar, a series of lessons for children; includes activities for all, as well as parts of the sitar and music for young musicians to play
Subject, By. Songs for Teaching: Educational Children's Music Downloads/CDs. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . Source for American folk songs (Day 9 resource)
"Symbolism of Ganesh - Festivals." Parenting Advice, Information, Parenting Skills for Today's Parents - . Web. 28 Aug. 2010. . A detailed explanation of Ganesha symbolism written in kid-friendly terms
"Taj Mahal - UNESCO World Heritage Centre." UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Official Site. Web. 27 Aug. 2010. . A 3-minute video on the Taj Mahal with basic historical information and many beautiful views
"The Taj Mahal." Coloring Pages, Kids Crafts and Printable Activities For Kids. Web. 27 Aug. 2010. . Basic background information about the Taj Mahal; includes links to coloring pages and a paper model for older kids to make
Time - Current Time around the World and Standard Time Zones Map of the World- 12 Format. Web. 28 Aug. 2010. .
"Tissue Paper Flower Tutorial." Origami Mommy. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Photos of the process for making paper flower garlands, which can be used for Diwali. You will want to make much smaller flowers.
"Wearing A Sari." Shiju Création Page 1. Web. 03 June 2010. . How to wrap a sari
"World Heritage Sites in India." The Salmons. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. . Lists all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India with links to each
"Wrebbit Jigsaw Puzzle Taj Mahal." WonderClub Deals with Both World Wonders, and Animal Life. Come and Learn about the World Around You! Web. 27 Aug. 2010. . A mere $300, and definitely in need of adult workers to complete this project, but it would be magnificent
"YouTube - HJ1:Authentic (real) Bharatanatyam Bharatnatyam Indian Dance." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Bharatanayyam classical Indian dance performed by an 11-year old girl
"YouTube - Jalebi (Sweet) Recipe by Manjula, Indian Vegetarian Cuisine." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. .
"YouTube - Jataka Tales - Greed Does Not Pay." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 26 Aug. 2010. . Short cartoon of Jataka tale; easy to understand
"YouTube - Roti, Chapati (Flat Indian Bread) Recipe by Manjula." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Roti cooking demonstration
"YouTube - Singing Pictures - PREVIEW." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Patua scroll painting, including preparation of paints, themes, singing of scrolls, women painters. Last part of video deals with social problems and political issues which are not particularly appropriate for young children.
"YouTube - Songs of a Sorrowful Man - PREVIEW." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. . Patua scroll painting; good background information for teachers rather than young students
"YouTube - The Monkey and the Crocodile." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 27 Aug. 2010. . A Jataka tale narrated by a young boy.
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