SOUTH ASIA – India and its Neighbors Lesson Materials for Middle School
STUDENT MAPS of SOUTH ASIA
I have used both of these maps during different school years. As you can see, the one on the left includes Southwest Asia and the one on the right includes Southeast Asia.
I have used both of these maps during different school years. As you can see, the one on the left includes Southwest Asia and the one on the right includes Southeast Asia.
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South Asia Vocabulary Terms
In my class, we do vocab together. This has some advantages over having students copy definitions from the book. First, I make sure the definitions are "student-friendly" in the way they are worded. Secondly, it gives me a chance to pre-teach concepts. Third, the way I do it allows for interaction between students and me as we talk though the terms. All of this tends to increase student understanding and retention of the information.
Below is the PowerPoint I use, as well as the format I have students use.
Below is the PowerPoint I use, as well as the format I have students use.
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Typhoon v. Cyclone v. Hurricane: How are they different?
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For lesson materials on Hinduism, go to my World Religions section.
Life in the Himalayas Lesson Plan
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This is another great lesson plan from the University of Texas at Austin's Hemispheres program. The focus is on how residents of the Himalayas work with their environment to create their lives. (I include downloadable copies of things when I'm not sure how long they'll be available online from the original source.)
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Middle Ages in India
The two documents below are very simple worksheets introducing this time period in India. The worksheets are almost identical, but are written on two different reading levels. For those of us with very low readers mixed into our classes this can be very useful. I found these pages free on the Teachers Pay Teachers store site of adebusk. (No, I have no idea why someone would name a store "adebusk." I'm just giving credit to the author of the material.)
The download files are high quality. The images below are just so you can see what the pages generally look like.
The download files are high quality. The images below are just so you can see what the pages generally look like.
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India's Traditional Caste System
In India, discrimination based on caste is supposed to be illegal. The 1950 India Constitution outlawed discrimination against the so-called "untouchable" class, a group categorized as so low that they aren't even officially in the caste system.
However, caste still has a hold on much of India. When I arrived in Mumbai in 2010, the registration card at the hotel asked for my caste. Apparently some people don't want to sleep in a hotel room previously occupied by certain castes. And when it comes to marriage, caste can be a huge issue.
However, caste still has a hold on much of India. When I arrived in Mumbai in 2010, the registration card at the hotel asked for my caste. Apparently some people don't want to sleep in a hotel room previously occupied by certain castes. And when it comes to marriage, caste can be a huge issue.
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POWERPOINT: Traditional Caste System
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GUIDED NOTES: Caste System
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India's Political History - An overview
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SHAMELESS PLUG: I sell some things on Teachers Pay Teachers. You can click on the image on the right to get more information on the Ganges River. |
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Big Dam Construction in India Lesson Plan
Terhi Dam, India
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This lesson incorporates map skills, writing, climate and agriculture concepts. It is another lesson from the Hemispheres program at UT Austin.
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India and Pakistan conflict - nuclear weapons and Kashmir
| India and Pakistan - Nuclear States in Conflict |
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Kashmir is a major point of conflict between India and Pakistan. This first item is a simple worksheet introducing the history of the conflict and explaining why nuclear weapons makes the conflict so much more dangerous. There are 12 questions at the end - ten basic comprehension questions, one inference question, and one inference with opinion question. It provides an easy way to get them started on the India - Pakistan issues and on Kashmir.
You can see that it is adapted for students from the web site NuclearFiles.org. |
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Cities in South Asia
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South Asia has a high population density, and it is very obvious in the cities. By analyzing photographs, two maps, and two newspaper articles, students draw conclusions about the impact of colonialism on the development of these cultures. They also draw conclusions about ways people of the region have adapted to the geographical conditions of the region.
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This lesson plan comes out of the Teaching with Primary Sources program at UT Austin.
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The Taj Mahal
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The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, is probably the most famous building in all of India. It was built in 1632 by emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial and tomb for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took 20,000 workers 16 years to finish it. Use the Google map below to look around the site. If you move the map just across the river, you will see another site that some people believe was originally planned for another matching memorial, to be built in black stone instead of in white. But it is actually "the Moonlight Garden," built by Shah Jahan as a place to relax and to view the Taj Mahal from across the river. The round area near the river is a reflecting pool.
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LINKS to other India and South Asia Lesson resources
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The University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences has lesson plans on South Asian history, geography, politics, and culture.
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This web site includes resources for teachers as well as information for students.
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Ducksters web site has pages for kids on lots of different school subjects. This link is for their page on Asia. It includes additional links to information on specific countries.
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