WORD CULTURES BY JAMES SANTEIU

Indian Culture and History Unit

My Indian Cultural History Unit is a dynamic six week program that will be

experienced through an elective course dealing with world geography and cultures in the

social studies department. This course would be set for 11th to 12th graders; however, I

would not hesitate to let any student who was interested in the topic into the class. As a

teacher I feel the need to explain the outline of this unit, because it is very different from

the typical classroom. I consider my lessons for this course to be on a swinging

curriculum, because they cover a range of specific topics through a variety of media and

learning techniques.

This is my first semester in the MAT program and this is the first lesson plan that

I have created. I attempted to take everything that I have learned in my education courses

this semester and incorporate my new knowledge into a comprehensive lesson. The last

two weeks of the unit were incorporated into my final project of the course Teaching of

Social Studies in Secondary Schools. The unit expanded to six weeks, because I wanted

to adapt a variety of teaching strategies into one topic so that I could reach a variety of

learners. The Unit is structured so the topic is dispersed to the students with the hope to

engage the class and pique the interest of the student.

The goal of the Unit is to help give students an idea about life outside America.

The focus of the topic is India, but there is a larger concept that I hope my students may

begin to grasp. There is a whole world of cultures and if my students gain interest about

them, then cultural acceptance may emerge. The students may find new interests in

wanting to learn and read more about India or life outside America. My class may

become more accepting of foreign films and even enjoy watching a movie that is not a

part of popular American culture. People can learn a lot about the world through foreign

films and it creates a powerful visual and audio connection to other cultures.

The first two week portion of the unit deals with helping to create background

knowledge about the history, people, and religion of India. In order to stimulate higher

level thinking about current issues in India, it is important to create a knowledge base

about the country. The unit will begin with five days of lecture on the history and people

of India. I will include the history of the Hindu and Muslim conflict, while discussing

Pakistan. I believe in lecture and teacher led discussion; regardless of the class I teach,

lecture will be integral to my teaching style. While students are entering the class and

beginning their bell-work I will play Indian music. I am fond of world music and will

bring different music from around the world when it is applicable to the topic I am

teaching. The need to help promote a worldly outlook on life should be an integral part

of social studies; it is important for students to hear the sounds of other cultures and

words of other languages.

I feel there is a lack of need to explain myself in the importance of lecture within

the classroom. However, as a social studies teacher there is a definite need to explain my

reasons for using film as a comprehensive part of my teaching. The following 6 days of

the two week lesson is an intensive study of two foreign films. This is an engaged film

lesson where students will critically examine what is seen in the classroom. Many

teachers show films to actively waste time; this will not be the situation in my classroom.

I have studied foreign films for the last five years and am extremely passionate about

what can be learned though the cultural interpretation of film. I feel there is a lack of

appreciation in America for foreign films. I also feel there was a gap in my high school

education because I never saw a full length foreign film throughout my public education.

I took many social studies electives including two anthropology courses and never saw

one foreign film. Teachers continue to show brainless popular culture flicks, with no

educational purpose whatsoever. I even took a Spanish course in high school and never

watched a Spanish film. These are a few of the reasons that I will not teach a course on a

country without introducing at least one foreign film that my class may find interesting.

The two foreign films that will be viewed in the lesson are “Gandhi” and

“Lagaan”. Gandhi is a British film that won nine academy awards and is extremely

beneficial to the Unit. Although no Indian film has ever won an academy award, it’s

quite ironic that a British film about the exploitation of India and Gandhi’s resistance

won nine. I will also include actual footage of Gandhi in addition to the British film

about his life. The second film, “Lagaan” is the second Indian film to ever get nominated

for an academy award. The film is typical of a classic Bollywood movie which takes

place in 1893 and will give students a picture of Indian culture. Normally I would not

show two full length movies if I were to teach about another country. However, Gandhi

is one of my favorite movies, one that I feel has impacted my life in a positive manner. It

is worth classroom time in the Unit to show this movie. It would be a tragedy to show

only a British film while teaching a lesson on India, the country that has the second

biggest film industry next to Hollywood.

The following two week lesson is the reading portion of the Unit. While

substituting this semester I realized how poor the reading comprehension was of high

school students. The average student had trouble comprehending a ninth grade text.

After my experiences with my own learning disability and the lack of comprehension and

interest of reading materials in the classroom, I have decided to incorporate reading in my

lesson plans. I don’t believe that high school literature does justice to the variety of

books in the world. Whenever possible teachers in the social studies discipline need to

incorporate trade books and other reading material into their curriculum. One of the

biggest challenges of the high school teacher is getting the students to read. I strongly

believe that if teachers assigned interesting novels and fiction books about the content

area then we may be able to get our students to read. It takes a lot of research to find

books that will be interesting to the students. In fact the hardest part of this whole lesson

was finding an interesting book that would be at an appropriate readability level for the

students. It’s hard to find reading material that will interest both the upper and lower

reading levels of the course. There are two tests that I have developed to find the perfect

book; what I call the functional test and interest test. The functional test is as follows;

find a book on the topic, calculate the readability of the text and skim the book to make

sure it is the appropriate reading level. The interest test works like this; if you can’t read

the book in one sitting then get rid of it; if the book doesn’t interest the social studies

teacher than it surely won’t interest the student.

Many teachers may still be skeptical of fiction and novels, but let me explain why

high school needs to start with these. Fiction and novels are the easiest material to

comprehend and pique interest in a variety of ways. There are plenty of educational

fiction books that can help students get engaged in a topic. Far too many students have

no interest in reading and I propose the best way to capture their interest is through

fiction. Students have never been taught to enjoy reading, because everything they read

is dry and factual. Fiction can paint a picture of life that can’t be explained in any other

way. To get students actively involved with theoretical and historical text they must first

develop the basic enjoyment of reading. Just like you can’t teach a baby to run before

they learn to crawl; educators need to captivate their students to read. Students drown

when they get to college and realize that they can’t pass their courses without reading

comprehension.

So not only am I going to introduce the book Nectar in a Sieve and an intriguing

article on Kashmir, my lesson plans surround the reading to extremely improve reading

comprehension. The lesson includes reading activities to promote reading comprehension

and therefore also reading enjoyment. The reading comprehension lessons will be

introduced with a variety of leaning settings including individual and group work. I

developed a variety of before, during, and after reading activities to help support

comprehension with the reading material that will be read in the Unit.

The KWL strategy will help to activate the student’s prior knowledge while

prompting students to ask questions about the text. This strategy can encourage the

students to become engaged while reading. The anticipation guide will help students

with background knowledge while giving them a chance at extra credit and boost reading

comprehension. The discussion worksheets will help students with content by presenting

and talking with peers about the reading. It also gives students who may be shy or have

limited writing ability to shine with depicting the story through art. The comprehension

guide and questions are there to test students at a variety of comprehension levels. The

comprehension guides begin with basic literal comprehension and advances to more

abstract thinking about the text.

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya tells a story of the arrival of a tannery

in a traditional village. It shows how fragile a traditional agrarian society can be, and

how little it takes to turn a prosperous farmer into a beggar. The book covers issues of

class and caste, of the woman’s role in traditional society, the exploitation of peasants by

factories and land tenants, as well as family organization. This book vividly paints a

picture of Indian culture and the struggle of their people. It will be useful in my Unit

because it brings life to the people of India. Kashmir Trapped in Conflict by Lewis

Simons is an article from National Geographic. This article explains the Indian and

Pakistan conflict and their battle over Kashmir. I will tie these articles into the larger unit

on Indian Culture and History.

The last two days of the lesson plan are to bring India into my classroom. Not

literally, but through a guest speaker. I know a few people who have spent the majority

of their lives in India and I would invite them into my class to talk about their country.

The last day would of course incorporate learning with food. The last day will include an

introduction to the tastes of India. I would bring in Indian cuisine so that my class would

have the opportunity to taste and smell Indian culture.

The last two weeks of the lesson plan which was turned in as my final project in

the Social Studies Methods class includes group activities, technology, and higher level

thinking, Current events and a final exam.

In conclusion, the lesson is dynamic because it includes a variety of learning tools

that can promote learning with a variety of students. My India unit includes art, reading,

writing, foreign films, geography, technology, lecture, music, visual and audio learning,

taste, smell and critical thinking skills.

Topic of Lesson: Basic Understanding of Indian Culture and History Number of Days: Four Objectives of the Lesson: The students will learn about India The students will gain knowledge on culture and history The students will reflect on population density and democracy The students will gain a basic understanding of India and begin to build knowledge on the topic. The Content Standards: Strand 1 Historical Perspective Standard 1.1 Time and chronology Standard 1.2 Comprehending the past Standard 1.3 Analyzing and interpreting the past Standard 1.4 Judging decisions from the past Strand 2 Geographic Perspective Standard 2.1 Diversity of people, places, and culture Standard 2.2 Human/environment interactions Standard 2.3 Location, movement, and connections Standard 2.4 Regions, patterns, and processes Standard 2.5 Global issues and events Strand 5 Inquiry Standard 5.1 Information processing Detailed Description and Procedure of Lesson: The class would begin with journal writing on these four topics, one for each day.

1. What do you know about India? 2. What would you like to learn about India? 3. What do you think are some common stereotypes about India? 4. Do you think you would ever want to travel to India? Explain why you would or

wouldn’t want to go to India or your experiences traveling to India, if applicable. I would play Indian Music while the students write in their journals. After journals I would begin my lecture about the history and culture of India. The lecture is primarily a tool so the students can process information about India and move on to more specific topics and critical analysis. I created about 60 Power-Point slides to guide me through the lecture. I will encourage students to ask questions so that they will

have an interactive part in the lesson. If time permits I will incorporate the internet into my lecture so they can see short video clips and current events on India. List of Materials: Computer, Projector, Internet Topic of Lesson: History and Religion in India Number of Days: 2 Objectives of the Lesson: The students will compare and contrast India’s religions. The students will draw a timeline of the History of India. The students will critically think about how culture, philosophy, religion and beliefs are deeply embedded in Indian life. The students will use visual aids to comprehend India. The students will understand the chronology of India’s history. The Content Standards: Strand 1 Historical Perspective Standard 1.1 Time and chronology Standard 1.2 Comprehending the past Standard 1.3 Analyzing and interpreting the past Standard 1.4 Judging decisions from the past Strand 2 Geographic Perspective Standard 2.1 Diversity of people, places, and culture Standard 2.2 Human/environment interactions Standard 2.3 Location, movement, and connections Standard 2.4 Regions, patterns, and processes Standard 2.5 Global issues and events Strand 5 Inquiry Standard 5.1 Information processing Standard 5.2 Conducting Investigations Detailed Description and Procedure of Lesson: The class will begin with journal writing.

1. How does learning about India help in the understanding about America? 2. When studying India do you see patterns of history repeating itself?

I will play Indian Music while the students write in their journals. Day One will consist of making a history timeline by using the Historical Overview worksheet. I will allow students to get in groups of three people and let them read together and create an artistic outline. The outline will help students visualize the chronology of India’s history. I have a lot of writing in my class and want to give students the opportunity to express themselves visually. This gives students with an

artistic talent the chance to shine in class. At the end of the hour I will have students come in front of class and share their timelines. Day Two- The students will read through the articles on Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism and create a web of how the religions are similar and different. They will be able to express the web through writing or pictographically. This will be an optional group activity with up to three students in a group. If time permits the students will be given time at the end of the hour to share religious webs. I will also display the two best timelines and webs in the classroom while awarding the winners with extra credit. Materials: Large 11x14 Paper, Pencils, Colored Pencils, Crayons, Markers Topic of Lesson: Lagaan: An Introduction to Indian Film Number of Days: Three Objectives of the Lesson: The students will learn about the Indian film industry. The students will hear Indian language and music. The students will see India through film. The students will be introduced to a foreign subtitled film. The students will learn about British colonization and control. The students will learn how to critically evaluate and think about film. The students will learn about popular Indian culture. The Content Standards: Strand 1 Historical Perspective Standard 1.1 Time and chronology Standard 1.2 Comprehending the past Standard 1.3 Analyzing and interpreting the past Standard 1.4 Judging decisions from the past Strand 2 Geographic Perspective Standard 2.1 Diversity of people, places, and culture Standard 2.2 Human/environment interaction Standard 2.3 Location, movement, and connections Standard 2.4 Regions, patterns, and processes Standard 2.5 Global issues and events Detailed Description and Procedure of Lesson: Class will begin with a brief lecture on the importance of film in India today. I will also talk about the value of learning through foreign films. There will be no journal during

the three days of the lesson. I will explain to the class about the questions and critical analysis that will have to be completed after viewing the film. If it is possible I will use a projector when I show any video in class. I will show the film the next few days and give my students their work sheets at the end. List of Materials: Projector and DVD Player

Lagaan: 120pts Answer in a paragraph: 15pts

1. “The British hunt for sport, while the Indian farmer protects the wildlife.” How does this scene represent British feelings about colonization?

2. Why would Capitan Russell want to see Prince Rajaji eat meat, even though he is

well aware it is against his religion? 3. In what ways does the British Army display their power over the land? 4. What did you learn about Indian life, culture, &/or caste?

In one page write on one of the following two questions: 25pts

1. How did the Indian village come together to resist colonial rule? 2. How was the game cricket turned into war? What did the battle remind you of?

Was the circle reminiscent of any other battle scenes from popular American films?

In two pages: 80pts Rate this film on a four star scale and indicate why you think this. Critique the film and talk about how it made you feel, the cinematography, your likes or dislikes. Did you learn anything about foreign films or India and would you like to see another film in subtitles? Could you feel the expressive power of listening to a language even though the words were unknown to you? Anticipation Guide-Kashmir Trapped in Conflict 5pts extra credit if 9/13 questions are correct.

Before reading the article on Kashmir, indicate whether you think the statements are True (T) or False (F). 1.___ The borders of Kashmir were drawn up by the United Nations in 1949. 2.___ Kashmir is a peaceful place where paradise reigns. 3.___ Pakistan and India uphold the cease-fire agreement that was established by the United Nations in Kashmir. 4.___Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India constantly wage war on each other in Kashmir. 5.___Kashmir was supposed to demonstrate that an Islamic population could coexist with a Hindu majority. 6.___Nuclear war has begun between India and Pakistan in Kashmir. 7.___It is believed that between 40,000 and 80,000 civilians and soldiers have died in the conflict over Kashmir. 9.___At one time many tourists were attracted to Kashmir for the beautiful mountains and scenic towns. 10.__Journalists are the only foreigners who travel to Kashmir and even for them it is risky business. 11.__Ethnic cleansing does not exist in Kashmir. 12.__Some Muslim militants believe Indian families are too dirty to have as neighbors, but Indian women are not too dirty to rape. 13.__Indian and Pakistani leaders will not discuss the conflict over Kashmir. Levels of Comprehension Guide: “Kashmir” 50pts

Literal: Place a check mark next to a statement if you think it says the same thing that the author says. You should be able to show where you found this in article. ____1. More than half a million tourists visited Kashmir annually during the 1990’s. ____2. Political meetings with leaders of India and Pakistan are not improving the situation in Kashmir. ____3. Guerrillas infiltrating from Pakistan became a target of Indian air strikes.

Interpretive: Place a check mark next to ideas you think the author implies and support your decisions in a few sentences. ____1. The United Nation cease-fire agreement sparked the war over Kashmir. ____2. Until Muslim and Hindus become more accepting of each other the battle will rage on until one of the religions in wiped out in the area. ____3. India has dominated the war in Kashmir. Applied: Place a check mark by the ideas you would agree with based on both the reading and your own experiences. On the back of this worksheet explain in a paragraph why you agree or disagree with each statement. ____1. Muslim militants believe they are in a religious war and will not stop murdering innocent people until Islam rules. ____2. America should intervene with the conflict in Kashmir. ____3. Religious tolerance has never been a part of Hinduism and Islam, so why should they take place today?

Topic of Lesson: Nectar in a Sieve Number of Days: five Objectives of the Lesson: The students will learn and experience Indian through fiction. The students will gain an interest for reading and understand its usefulness. The lesson will use reading comprehension guides to help students with text. The students will learn about the struggles of Indian people. The students will gain an understanding of village, rural, and city life in India. The students will gain an understanding about the exploitation of labor in India. The students will learn Indian vocabulary words as well as Indian culture and history.

The Content Standards: Strand 1 Historical Perspective Standard 1.1 Time and chronology Standard 1.2 Comprehending the past Standard 1.3 Analyzing and interpreting the past Standard 1.4 Judging decisions from the past Strand 2 Geographic Perspective Standard 2.1 Diversity of people, places, and culture Standard 2.2 Human/environment interaction Standard 2.3 Location, movement, and connections Standard 2.4 Regions, patterns, and processes Standard 2.5 Global issues and events Strand 5 Inquiry Standard 5.1 Information processing Strand 6 Public Discourse and Decision Making Standard 6.1 Identifying and analyzing issues Standard 6.2 Group discussion Standard 7.1 Responsible personal conduct The English standards that are met by the unit Standard 5 Literature Standard 6 Voice Standard 9 Depth of understanding Detailed Description and Procedure of Lesson: The lesson will begin with the KWL strategy to get students actively involved with thinking and verbalizing questions on the book. I will hand out the story impression guide and have students get in groups of three people. The students will follow the guide and write a story using the words that have come from the book. Then I will have someone from each group read the stories out loud. I will hand out the books and discussion guides to the students. I will give the students a few days of class time to read the book. When the students are about half way completed with the reading I will split them into groups and let the class discuss the reading. The students will use their discussion sheets and talk with their peers about the reading. At the end of the book I will assign comprehension questions to the class so that they can critically reflect on the reading.

Story Impressions 50pts

Story Chain Story Prediction Bullock-Cart

Village

Sari

Rice

Field

Dhal

Dhoti

Ollock

Zemindar

Kum-kum

Bier

Funeral

Drums

Comprehension Questions: Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

Short Answer 20pts

1. Why did the village view Ira’s child differently? 2. Why did Arjun and Thambi leave the village and where did they go? 3. Why was the animal dung such a precious commodity?

Pulling Concepts Together 60pts

Answer each question in a thorough paragraph without exceeding one page.

1. How did the tannery affect the village and in what ways did it directly affect Nathan’s family?

2. Write about the transition from village to town and the ongoing struggle of the villagers to keep up with inflation.

3. Explain tenant farming in India and why a tenant farmer could never earn enough money to buy his own land.

Compare and Contrast 150pts

Based on reading and your own experience answer two of the questions in 1½ to 3 pages.

1. Compare and contrast the connection of the starving peasant farmer to the indulgent American. How is the appetite of America connected to starving India?

2. How does industrialization affect family ties and the mobility of the nuclear family in India and America?

3. Nathan’s sons were unhappy with the exploitation of their father’s labor. Explain how industrialization impacts the exploitation of the laboring class in India and America.

Fiction Discussion Sheet: Nectar in a Sieve 50pts Name While you are reading or after you have finished reading, please prepare for the group meeting by doing the following: Connections: What personal connections did you make with the text? Did it remind you of past experiences, people, or events in your life? Did it make you think of anything happening in the news, around school, or in other material you have read?

Discussion question: Write down a few questions you would like to discuss with your group. They could be questions that came to mind while reading, questions you would like to ask the author, questions you would like to investigate, or any other questions you think the group should discuss regarding the reading. Passage: Mark several lines, or a section, that caught your attention as you read. These might be passages that seem especially important, puzzling, beautiful, strange, well-written, controversial, or striking in some other way. Be ready to read aloud to the group or ask someone else to read them. Illustration: On the front or back of this sheet sketch a picture related to your reading. This can be a drawing, cartoon, diagram, or a flowchart. You can draw a picture that was specifically talked about in the text or something from your own life. Be ready to show the picture and talk about it with your group.

Topic of Lesson: Guest Speaker from India Number of Days: One Objectives of the Lesson:

The students will learn an insider’s perspective of India. The students will learn about India interactively.

The students will be encouraged to ask questions about India. The Content Standards: Strand 2 Geographic Perspective Standard 2.1 Diversity of people, places, and culture Standard 2.2 Human/environment interaction Standard 2.3 Location, movement, and connections Standard 2.4 Regions, patterns, and processes Standard 2.5 Global issues and events Detailed Description and Procedure of Lesson: The students will develop questions for the guest speaker and will learn about India through a native’s perspective. Guest speakers always add a nice dimension to social studies classes. Students love interacting with a person when they are directly involved with the subject being taught in class. List of Materials: “A Guest Speaker”

Topic of Lesson: A Taste of India Number of Days: One

Objectives of the Lesson: The students will learn about Indian culture through ethnic food. The students will smell the spices of India. The students will make connections to diverse places and culture. The Content Standards: Strand 2 Geographic Perspective Standard 2.1 Diversity of people, places, and culture Standard 2.2 Human/environment interaction Standard 2.3 Location, movement, and connections Standard 2.4 Regions, patterns, and processes Standard 2.5 Global issues and events Detailed Description and Procedure of Lesson:

I would bring in Indian food for the students to taste and smell. I would let the students talk about what they have learned in the lesson. I would play Indian music while the students were given the chance to express themselves about the Unit.

List of Materials: Music, Indian Food

Lesson One: Gandhi and the Power of Clothing Content Standards: Content Standard 2 Historical Perspective: 2) Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue. 3) Select events and individuals from the past that have had a global impact on the modern world and describe their past. Content Standard 1 Geographic Perspective: 1) Describe how major world issues and events affect various people, societies, places, and cultures in different ways. 2) Explain how culture might affect women’s and men’s perceptions. Objectives:

1. Students will gain an understanding of the power in nonverbal communication. 2. Students will identify some of the many layers of meaning clothing can express. 3. Students will compare the meaning of Gandhi’s clothing to clothing today. 4. Understand why Mahatma Gandhi was such an effective leader of the Indian

struggle for independence from British colonial rule.

Materials: Overhead projector, paper and pencils. Detailed Description of Lesson: Bell Work: Overhead on Gandhi’s Life. I will talk about the time line and begin with the lesson. This is a follow up lesson from the film Gandhi which my students watched the previous week. However, the film is not necessary to complete the assignment. Young people today know the power of how one dresses and looks to convey meaning. Wearing hats, piercing, dying hair, labels, and styles all convey meaning. Take your life experiences with clothing and compare them to Gandhi’s manipulation of clothing. View the pictures and activate prior knowledge about Gandhi through what we have learned and take the meaning from the pictures. After studying the photographs and what Gandhi is trying to convey, you might ask: Is his later clothing more complex or simpler than his earlier clothing? Procedure:

Students will write a comparison essay on the meaning of Gandhi’s clothing to the meaning of students clothing today. The essay should be 2-3 pages typed and students will only have one class period to work on this project.

Student Directions

Gandhi and Clothing

1. Students should review the timeline of Gandhi’s life

2. Students should analyze the transformation of Gandhi’s clothing

3. Students should think about the meaning of Gandhi’s clothing.

4. Students should think about how Gandhi rejects the Western World through

clothing.

5. Students should analyze the meaning of youths clothing.

6. Students should compare and contrast the meaning of clothing.

7. Students may work in groups of 2-3 people during the class period.

8. Every student has to write their own essay.

9. Type a 2-3 page essay comparing the meaning of Gandhi’s Clothing to the

meaning of students clothing today.

Students have only one class period to work on the project in school.

The project is due on Friday.

Mahatma Gandhi was born in Gujarat, in Western India, in 1869 of middle-class parents. He studied law in England and then worked as a lawyer in South Africa for twenty years trying to improve the lives of Indians living there. In 1914 he returned to India and several years later he began to work for Indian independence. Gandhi realized that many upper class, Western-educated Indians were committed to working for independence, but that one of the greatest challenges was to bring the rest of the country into the struggle. Many were very poor, illiterate, and divided by regional, linguistic and religious differences. Gandhi used the way he dressed to communicate his message in a way that the average Indian could understand.

As the years passed Gandhi became increasing aware of the power of clothing to express ideas. The photographs in this lesson show various clothes he wore. In the 1886 photograph he and his brother are dressed in typical Gujarat clothing. The 1890 photograph was taken while he is a law student in London. Both the 1900 and the 1906 photographs show him as a lawyer in South Africa. In the 1913 photograph he is dressed for a protest in South Africa. The 1915 photograph was taken as he first arrived in India from South Africa, dressed like an Indian peasant. In September 1921 he decided to wear the Indian loincloth for at least six weeks, and it became his standard dress from that time forward. In the 1940 photograph he is shown wearing the loincloth and shawl, and the 1942 photograph he is only wearing his loincloth.

When, as a 19-year-old, Gandhi arrived in London to study law, he wanted to dress like an Englishman, believing that English clothes were "more civilized," but he was embarrassed when he realized he was the only person on the dock wearing white flannels as they were "not worn in late September." When he returned to India in 1891, he was wearing European clothes and an Indian turban. He arrived in South Africa dressed like a British barrister except for his turban. Very soon a magistrate in the Durbam court asked him to remove the turban, an act he found most humiliating. Although he stopped wearing a turban, he registered his protest with the press, and he began to experiment consciously with the symbolic power of his clothing. For example, his 1913 clothing was a "sign of mourning," a symbolic way to identify with the suffering of the Indians who had been shot in South Africa.

By the time he returned to India in 1915, Gandhi knew that clothing could convey important messages, and he consciously chose to dress like an Indian peasant. The strong reactions his clothing elicited from the Indians who met him further convinced him of the symbolic importance of clothing.

Gandhi debated for a long time whether he should wear a loincloth. He knew it could be taken as a sign of primitiveness or even indecency. On the other hand, it was a way of identifying with the poorest Indians. He insisted he was not trying to express "saintliness" even though many people identified it with the way Hindu ascetics dressed.

"In Gandhi's own perception, the loincloth was a sign of India's dire poverty and of the need to improve its wealth through swadeshi [things produced at home] and through a wholesale rejection of European civilization. It was a rejection not only of the material products of Europe, but also of the European value system with its criteria of decency. It was better for the poor to wear scanty loincloths than to clothe themselves in garments from abroad. But while the loincloth was indeed a full-scale promotion of Indianness, it was not a glorification of poverty. Rather through his nakedness, Gandhi hoped visually to expose Indian poverty while simultaneously suggesting its resolution through hand spinning, weaving and freedom from British rule." (1996, page 75) The importance of how he dressed was very closely related to Gandhi's vision not only of the means Indians should use to achieve independence but also of the type of nation India should become. Central to that vision was home-spun cloth known as khadi. Khadi would make Indians self-sufficient and would eventually result in swaraj or self-rule.

Gandhi worked very hard to get every Indian to spin his or her own cotton thread and to weave khadi. Gandhi believed that making khadi would provide employment for many Indians and contribute to the country's self-sufficiency. Susan Bean, an eminent American anthropologist, in an article entitled "Gandhi and Khadi, the Fabric of Indian Independence," wrote:

"Like most leaders of the nationalist movement, Gandhi thought the re-industrialization of India to be of paramount importance, but unlike most of them he was opposed to mechanized industry, which he viewed as a sin perpetrated on the world by the West. He wanted to revive artistry. ....machines were labor-saving devices that put thousands of laborers out of work, unthinkable in India where the masses were underemployed. Factory production facilitated the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few capitalists, and transformed workers into 'utter slaves'."

Gandhi often stated that wearing khadi was a moral duty, a sign that a person had transformed his or her life and was now devoted to "self-sacrifice," "purity," and "fellow feeling with every human being on earth." (Tarlo 89) To Gandhi, a change of clothes was like a change of religion; "it was a question of morality and belief." (Ibid.) But Gandhi went even further. He suggested that kadhi had a "transformative power" and that "through wearing it people could actually become more worthy."

Lesson 3: Indian Current Events Thursday Content Standards: Content Standard 1: Geographic Perspective: All students will describe, compare, and explain the location and characteristics of places, cultures, and settlements. (People, Places and Cultures) 1) Describe how major world issues and events affect various people, societies, places, and cultures in different ways. 2) Explain how culture might affect women’s and men’s perceptions. Content Standard 4: Geographic Perspective: 1) Explain how major world processes affect different world regions. 2) Explain how major world regions are changing. 3)

Explain how processes like population growth, economic development, urbanization resource use, international trade, global communication, and environment impact are affecting different world regions. Content Standard 5: All students will describe and explain the causes, consequences, and geographic context of major global issues and events. (Global Issues and Events) Statement of Objectives:

1. Students will learn global and cultural issues that are currently affecting people in India and around the world.

2. Students will practice efficient technology skills to research a current event. 3. Students will learn current events in India.

Materials: Computers with an efficient WEB connection for searching current events. Current events can range from politics to entertainment. Bell Work: 5 min: What are the current events of India? If you don’t know any current events make a list of India’s current event topics that would interest you. I will pair people off in groups of two (keeping in mind focused students others who need more help). I will take my class to the computer lab to work on topic. Students should turn in one answer page per group due at the end of the hour. Students can start off at http://in.yahoo.com/ Yahoo India and begin searching current event topics.

1. Summarize current event in 1-2 paragraphs. 2. Summarize in 1-2 paragraphs how is this event important to international or

domestic affairs? 3. Summarize in 1-2 paragraphs how would this event affect your life if you were

living in the region?

Power Point Lesson Create 12 slides on Indian Topic Research a topic of interest in Indian Culture and History Use Graphics, Sound & Pictures to Present Topic to Class.