English Blast Unit of Inquiry Lesson Plan
Unit of Inquiry Name: INDIA
Unit Contributed by: Holly and Sarah
Target Age Group (in years): 6 -10
Basic Goals and Objectives: Introduce the country and cultures of India.  Give
children opportunities to do presentations.  Introduce the concept of a biography.  Have
children do basic research.
Reference Materials Recommended (texts, workbooks, picture books,
maps, videos, websites, audio materials, etc.): Teachers should prepare a
simple overview of Indian history ahead of time and familiarize themselves with Indian culture.
Some books about India: Diwali by Chris Deshpande; A Row Of Lights by Lynne Broadbent
and John Logan; Rama and the Demon King by Jessica Souhami; Diwali (Information and
activities for celebrating Diwali); Worcestershire County Council, U.K.; A Visit to India, by
Peter Roop; Gandhi, by Demi; A Single Grain of Rice, by Demi; Homeless Bird, by Gloria
Whelan; Monsoon, by Uma Krishaswami; Chachaji’s Cup, by Uma Krishaswami.
Additional Notes, Suggestions or Comments about the Unit:
  • A week before starting the unit, children can be given a list of simple questions to
    answer in preparation for the study of India: What seas or oceans touch India?  What
    countries border India?  What does the Indian flag look like?  What languages are
    spoken in India?
  • These plans are for the in-class time.  Additionally, a family India Day can be planned,
    with an Indian guest, Q&A, cultural instruction in areas such as dance, Mendhi
    decorations, foods, and displays of all the materials the children have prepared through
    the unit.
  • The Indian population in Japan has increased dramatically in recent years and
    organizations in Tokyo and Yokohama as well as many other areas now hold Diwali
    festivals open to the public in autumn as well as other events throughout the year.
Week 1
Materials Required: Children's own atlases.  Large map of India or world map.  
Prepared events to go on the India history timeline.
Class Content and Activities:
  1. Discuss answers to the questions handed out before the start of the Unit.
  2. Find India on a world map. Help children compare the size of India to size of another
    country/region.
  3. Read aloud the book A Visit to India, by Peter Roop, or another book to introduce
    India.
  4. Show segments of Discovery Channel India video or another video (scenes at a
    market, in a sari store) and ask children questions about what they see.
  5. As a class, make a simple India time line -- eneral intro to important moments in Indian
    history.
Homework: Using atlases, ask for volunteers for or assign main landforms and cities for
children to look up and explain in Week 2.  Children should be prepared to explain about their
landform/city. Places:  Ganges River, Bay of Bengal, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Himalayas, Deccan
Plateau, Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats, Thar Desert, Nilgiri Hills, Arabian Sea, Indian
Ocean (Blue Hills), Kanha National Park; Mumbai (Bombay), Calcutta, New Delhi, Madras,
Darjeeling, Bangalore.
Week 2
Materials Required: Copies for each child of a large hand-drawn outline of India and
parts of surrounding countries.  Biography reproducible
Class Content and Activities:
  1. Children briefly explain about each landform or city while the other children find the
    location on their own handout map and write the name and map symbols for that
    landform.
  2. Introduce the concept of a biography.  What is a biography and what information
    should be included?  Hand out the biography form for the children to use in their
    homework.
Homework: Assign biographies of famous Indians: for example, Mohandas Ghandi
(political activist), Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi (former prime minister), Siddhartha
Gautama (founder of Buddhism), Guru Nanak (founder of Sikhism), Rajiv Gandhi (former
prime minister), Mother Theresa (social worker), the current prime minister, Bhikaji Rustom
Cama (first Indian flag), R.K. Narayan (writer), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (lawyer), Rani
Lakshmibai (brave queen of Jhansi) and others!  
Children should write a biography on the handout form and bring photos if possible -- these
biographies will be copied to make a booklet for each family, so black-and-white photos or
illustrations are best.
Week 3
Materials Required: Books and photographs showing festivals in India
Class Content and Activities:
  1. Collect biographies written by the children for the biography booklet. (Copies will be
    made to distribute biography booklets at a later date; use the biography cover and notes
    pages)
  2. Introduce different celebrations and festivals in India.
  3. Introduce the story of Diwalli and read a book if possible.
  4. Discuss how children today celebrate Diwalli.
Homework: Make a Diwali candle holder with paper clay or other materials and decorate.
Week 4
Materials Required:
Print one for each child: Religions of India handout with a few sentences of text explaining
each religion: Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism.  Leave space for cutouts to be
glued on.  Copies of drawings or photos showing key symbols, figures or places important to
the various religions for children to cut out and glue onto the handout. India religions and
percentages handout. Teachers should research on Internet in advance current figures for
composition of population by religion.
Class Content and Activities:
  1. Distribute a Religions of India overview handout.  Introduce Hinduism followed by
    Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.  Have children cut out pictures of important
    symbols,  figures or places associated with each religion and glue by the appropriate
    text.
  2. Have children complete India religions and percentages handout; have them input
    proportional number of letters in the boxes according to percentage of population
    practicing each religion (note: each box equals 1 percent).
  3. Using children to demonstrate, explain other society and culture issues: caste system,
    marriage customs.
  4. Read aloud the book Gandhi, by Demi. Talk about Ghandi Speaks Through Clothing
Homework: Have children search for items at home that were made in India and bring to
the next class.
Week 5
Materials Required: Materials and instructions for various crafts relating to India.  
Brown markers for Mendhi designs.
Class Content and Activities:
  1. Look at and discuss items children brought in that were made in India.
  2. Children make Mendhi designs on a tracing of their hands with a felt-tip pen.
  3. Children make rakhi bracelets to tie on the wrists of male relatives for good luck.
  4. Children make ankle bracelets for dancing.
  5. Try other clothing, jewelry, makeup. See here for turbans and saris
Homework: If a family day is planned, prepare for this.
ENGLISH BLAST!
Duration of Unit (in classroom hours): 5