World Geography: India


Next up is India, the second most populated country in the world! In India they speak over 200 hundred languages and three faiths originated there: Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. India is the world’s biggest producer of crops and movies!

Diwali, Festival of lights

Diwali is celebrated in September–November. This year Diwali will start on Tuesday, the 13th of November and will continue for 5 days until Saturday, the 17th of November. Also called the Festival of Lights, Diwali means "row of lamps" is one of the largest and most important festivals of the year for Hindus. The festival involves lighting small lamps, called divas, filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. It is also celebrated with fireworks, cleaning the home, wearing new clothes and decorating with lots of lights. In business it is often used to start a new accounting year, and it also celebrates a successful harvest. Families and friends exchange sweets and dried fruits.

Rangoli

Rangoli are traditional patterns used to decorate Hindu homes in India on special occasions.
First I helped them trace a plate and using a ruler, draw a geometric design in the circle

They then glued beans, lentils, pasta and spices on their patterns.



Youngest student's

Special Needs Student

Another Student's

Other topics to explore:
Raksha Bandhan, an Indian holiday where children celebrate their love for their brothers and sisters
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Siddhartha, the spiritual leader who founded Buddhism. 
Indian Dal
Dal is the Indian word for lentils. it is cooked almost daily in every Indian home. As a result, there was many different ways to prepare dal. Often they used red lentils and served it over rice.


Curry
Indian Food recipes
Indian Sari


Tiger
Taj Mahal
Kathakali Theater
Indian music

tesselations
Monsoons
turbans
Hindu wedding ceremony

Himalayan Mountains
coriander
rickshaws
mehndi (henna )
East India Company map
History of India


 "Treat me as a King ought" said King Porus when he was captured.
"That is understood," said Alexander, "but is there anything I can do for you personally."
"Everything is included in that one request," replied Porus.


Student (age 11) notebook page
1850-1858 Dost Mohammad signs treaty with Great Britain, Sepoys rebel against the East India Company
And so, we picked up where we had left off in our history studies of India.
Student (age 8) notebook page

 1919-1930
From Colonies to Countries 
1919 The Amritsar Massacre 
1920's-1948 The peaceful protests of Gandhi 
Student (age 18, special education) notebook page

 1947-present

1947 India is divided into Pakistan and India (Partition), India gains Independence from Great Britain
1966 Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister of India
1971 Bangladesh (East Pakistan) gains Independence from West Pakistan
1984 Bodyguards assassinate Indira Gandhi, Poisonous gasses leak from Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India
Arguments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir
To celebrate our studies, we went to an Indian restaurant buffet and then afterwards looked at a selection of clothes from India that were for sale. (The photos of the paintings all come from the restaurant.)


related posts:
books:
  • Daughter of the Mountains, Louise S. Rankin, (grade 3/age 8 and up), includes bits about Tibetan Buddhist monks.
  • Gandhi : Peaceful Warrior, Rae Bains (grade 4/age 9 and up)
  • India: The Culture; India: Lands and India: Peoples, (3 book set), Bobbie Kalman, (grade 4, age 9), non-fiction
  • Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling
  • Homeless Bird, Gloria Whelan (age 10 and up)
inspiration:

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