India's History And Government
Lessons about India's political history can lead to an exploration of the country's culture, literature, geography, and more.
By Debra Karr
On August 15, 1947 India became an independent country. As a country that is part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, it has evolved over the centuries, yielding a rich history, demonstrating political upheaval, and making contributions to literature and art. This nation serves as an excellent source for teaching about kinds of governments and all the ramifications that each type of government can yield.
As a predominantly Hindu nation, Indian literature interweaves morality with narrative, giving the reader high standards for daily living that are in alignment with virtuous values. The stories have a lesson to be learned, and the unique characteristics of the characters give each one a specific prototype that is instrumental for illustrating the choosing of the highest path for one's own life.
With the national animal of India being the Tiger Panthera Tigris, and the national flower being the lotus, it is easy to see how India's rich cultural image lends itself to beautiful art. Simultaneously, its political history is teaming with legendary stories that make excellent film fodder. These next series of lessons will help your students gain a better understanding of how India evolved geographically, economically, culturally, and politically. It can only help your students, as our society becomes more dependent on a global economy that defies geographic boundaries and language barriers.
In this lesson plan, students will learn about the Indian economy, how India made it into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the effects of terrorism in the region, and how the economy of India will be affected in the future. As students participate in a mock "summit" with one group representing Pakistani officials and the second group representing Indian officials, they bring about changes by brainstorming and listing possible resolutions to this region's plight. This is an excellent lesson in diplomatic relations, however, I think students' background knowledge must be assessed before assuming that they know about the region's history and geography. Fortunately, this lesson gives web sites and leads that may help teachers with filling in any gaps in learning that students may have.
Students read an article that emphasizes the struggle between Pakistan and India regarding Kashmir. They create a timeline that details this conflict and they answer a series of questions that enables them to further research the history, culture, and personalities that inhabit that particular geographic area. I think going over vocabulary and pronunciation is essential to getting students engaged in the material.
Great Indian epics served not only as entertainment, but as a means for education by embedding virtues of right living into each story. Ramayana is a poem that uses the 'Epic Hero Cycle', in which the main character known as Rama, serves as the incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Students are divided into groups and asked to fill out character charts and to list turning points in the narrative. They are also given Epic Hero Cycle charts which display the traits of this type of poetry, and they list examples from the poem that meet listed requirements. Finally, students are asked to list stories that they've read that not only entertain, but teach a lesson. I think this is an excellent lesson that requires concentrated reading efforts, organization, and an understanding of morality in a student-engaged, fantastic kind of way. Because some of the names of the characters may be unfamiliar, going over vocabulary is essential. Also, doing a brief geographic overview and timeline of the setting will help your students obtain a broader understanding.
After reading an article that details the changing role of women in the political caste system of India, students will reflect and answer thought provoking questions that coincide with the reading. There are other suggested activities that allow students to research and access writing skills like the writing of a Mahatma Gandhi biography. This lesson is actually many mini-lessons combined into one. There is so much rich information about Indian culture, art, history, government, and gender studies, that it would take an entire unit to fully cover each and every one in the classroom. I would break the lesson down into several lessons with one lesson focusing on the vocabulary that will be used in the article read during class.
