This collection of lessons was developed by teachers in an institute focusing on teaching about India and the Ramayana. Essays providing background information are "The Oral Tradition and the Many 'Ramayanas'" (Philip Lutgendorf) and "Bringing Ramayana into the Classroom" (Hazel Sara Greenberg). After an introduction by Susan…

This unit is intended to provide high school students with a general knowledge of the history and culture of India. Lessons include: (1) "Early India"; (2) "Indian Civilization 1500 BC - 500 AD: Hinduism"; (3) "Buddhism"; (4) "Indian Empires"; (5) "Indian Empires, Continued"; (6)…

This curriculum guide was developed to assist middle-school students in understanding Indian culture and values. Twelve activities and a research project outline are part of the guide. Sections of the "Passport to India" unit include: (1) "Geographic Setting"; (2) "The People"; (3) "Government"; (4)…

This curriculum guide was developed to assist high school students in understanding the contributions of Tagore and Ray in the literature and film of India. The film "Rabindranath Tagore" by Satyajit Ray illustrates the life, times, and works of Tagore in Calcutta. Vignettes of Tagore's life are enacted, incorporating actual photographs…

This guide was developed to assist high school students in understanding the culture of India. As part of this elective anthropology course, high school students create a teaching museum for elementary students. Students teach younger children and prepare museum exhibits for visitors. As cultural anthropologists, students develop a project and…

This unit is intended to provide students with an understanding of India in 1997 by drawing on some of the major cultural, political, intellectual, and economic themes of its recent history. This snapshot of India uses the 50th anniversary as the occasion to evaluate the path modern India has taken. The unit examines the country's reactions to…

This paper describes a unit in a high school world literature course which focuses on non-Western literature. The novel on India to be included is "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya. The 13-day unit includes worksheets and focus questions for research. Additional novels are suggested with a rationale presented as to why the…

This lesson is designed to expose high school students to contemporary Indian authors who write in English and to explore some of their common experiences, themes, and sensibilities as found in their works. While designed for use with a 12th grade literature class, the lesson can also be adapted for use as a single unit in a world literature…

This curriculum guide was developed to assist high school students in understanding the role of women in modern India. The one semester elective course uses historical texts, biographies, scholarly works, novels, short stories, poems, and film as a means of exploring the subject matter. The course looks at the traditional role of women in modern…

This curriculum guide was developed to assist middle-school students in understanding the complexity of India. A slide presentation is used in combination with several activities for interdisciplinary study of India through literature and social studies. A comprehensive bibliography provides suggestions for further reading. Sections of the guide…

This unit is intended to provide students with a general knowledge of the history and culture of India. Activities include: (1) "What Do You Know about India?"; (2) "What Is All This Stuff For?"; (3) "Name That Spice and Why It's Nice"; (4) "Where and How Are These Elephants Marching?"; (5) "Why Is…

This unit is intended for secondary students in American literature, Asian history, U.S. history, or a world cultures class. Special emphasis is placed on the literary contributions of four individuals: Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Dalai Lama. The sections appear in chronological order and contain…

This unit contains a sampling of lessons from a unit on India designed for ninth-grade students. Sections of the unit include: (1) "Geography of India"; (2) "Comparison of Major Religions"; (3) "The Caste System"; (4) "Empires of India"; (5) "Gandhi and Independence"; (6) "Division of the…

This paper contains a course outline for a five-hour graduate class focusing on the issue of population in India. Students examine contributing factors to population growth, along with studying characteristics of, and efforts to, control population growth. The significance of ethnic diversity in India also is addressed. Group discussion and group…

This unit contains two lessons to promote commonality of culture and indicate differences as well. The first lesson asks students to explore their preconceptions about India. The second lesson is a research activity to facilitate learning about major "movers and shakers" in 20th century South Asia. Lessons include objectives, strategies,…