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Rukmani's Journey Begins
These lessons will cover the beginning of the novel. Some major things that happen here is Nathan and Rukmani's marriage, Rukmani’s adjustment in a new town/way of life and the birth of her daughter. You may find lesson here that seek to address the following questions: What themes emerged here? What would help your students comprehend the beginning of the novel? How would you keep them reading?
Students will examine the marriage traditions of Indian culture.
CENTRAL ELEMENTS:
STUDENT OUTCOMES:
Students will:
BACKGROUND NOTES/HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
In India, the caste system has been outlawed in the sense that no one may be discriminated against in terms of caste. There is in place an affirmative action type program in which spaces are reserved for lower caste people in colleges and government jobs. There is a movement to make such reservations required even for private business. Theoretically, society should be blind to caste but to understand how deeply rooted in Indian society are the castes you do not need to look further than the advertisements for suitable mates.
These advertisements are put in the paper by a girl's/boy's parents or guardian. The ones you see in the newspaper tend to be looking for mates for people 20 and over. Marriages for younger couples is usually arranged within the circle of family and friends. The replies are expected to come from the parents of the prospective bride or groom not from the prospective bride or groom herself/himself.
Included a representative sample of ads. These have been taken verbatum from actual newspapers in India. Some of the words will need decoding. Students will enjoy doing this. We have provided a key to help you help them.
KEY: · 25/189/8,000 - age/height in centimeters/salary in Rupees-per-month
NUMBER OF CLASS PERIODS:
One 40 minute period
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
Whole class: Discuss how people in the US choose a mate. Determine prior knowledge of actual wedding ceremony in the United States by brainstorming components of a typical wedding. Read through the wedding page.
Discuss:
Assign one of the following:
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
Essays should be evaluated for examination of underlying cultural assumptions, thoughtful discussion, parallel structure, and mechanics.
Wedding Advertisements
Daughter of high ranking central government officer. 25+/158, fair, slim pretty, Kayastha, M.A.Econ, B.Ed (own house/car) suitable groom wanted.
Match invited from professor/Dr/Engr. Highly placed well employed groom for Brahmin Shandilya Debagn, 27/160 M.Sc Physics., doing PhD, good-looking, well built, fair bride.
An industrialist, Hindu, upper caste, Bengal family of Calcutta, is looking for suitable groom for their daughter. Honors graduate, although convent educated, age 23+/5'3", very beautiful, well settled in her own industry. Groom must be from a respectable family, professionally qualified, preferably B.E. (mech) with MBA, settled in business or holding senior position in reputed company.
Well established groom wanted for East Bengali Kayastha, 30/166, doctorate, computer programmer, issueless divorcee, greencard holder, will be visiting in December 98.
Alliance invited from affluent families for Engr. girl DME, DBM 23/160 fair, charming, engaged in family business. Parents having own factory in Bombay & well settled profitable business. Boy must be professionally qualified & preferable willing to allow the girl to pursue her own career in business. Reply with bio-data, horoscope & photo [Ret.]
Baidya groom, September '69, handsome, 35/180 groom B.E.(Mech), pursuing PhD. Groom Company Secretary, Cum legal manager, joint venture MNC, annual salary 4 lakhs. Wanted post graduate (Eng medium) at least 160 cm tall, really beautiful, fair, homely, below 25, Baidya/Brahmin/Kulin Kayastha Bride. Correspond with biodata: time, month year and place of birth. No demand.
Beautiful match for established businessman, 41/172. High Caste divorcee with two kids in hostel. No bar at all.
Free from religious orthodoxy, 31/170, own house, graduate, handsome, government employee, 8,000/-. Educated, pretty girl desired.
A very handsome, tall, 5'11", very fair, slim, 29 years, highly educated, a successful industrialist having high seven figure income and owning posh apartments and prime properties, teetotaller, non-smoker, world traveled, and coming from a rich, respectable, high educated and cultured south Bombay-based Hindu family. The girl should be extremely beautiful and very fair, slim, tall, educated, sweet-natured and from a cultured family. Beauty Queens, models and Girls from the World of Glamour are also welcome. Proposals welcome from India and world over including Foreigners. Photograph is a must.
North Indian Protest Doctor parents invite proposals from status families for their well settled son 30/167/PGDBA, fair, adventurous, fond of books and music. Looking for an educated, God-Fearing, homely, Protestant Christian girl. Please write with details and enclose a recent picture. Categories under which these ads are placed: Agarwal, Architect, Bengali, Business, Christian, Cosmopolitan, Dawoodi Bohra, Doctors, Engineers, Government/Defense, Gujarati, Hindu, Himachali, Hotel/Shipping/Airline, Maheshwari, Jat, Kannadiga, Khatri, Kayastha, Keralite, Kamauni, Kurmi, Malayali, MBA/C.A., Mangalik, Marathi/Konkani, Muslim, Marwaris, NRI/greencard, Other Professionals, Oriya, Parsi, Punjabi, Rajput, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled tribe, Sindhi, Sikh, Second Marriage, Swarnkar, Tamil, Telugu, Vaish/Jain, U.P.Yadav.
Objective:
Students will:
Background information:
Procedures:
While viewing Monsoon Wedding students will individually take notes on:
The class was then divided into groups and each group was assigned one of these aspects. On large sheets of paper they amassed all the ideas on the topic they could glean from their individual notes. Each group then rotated to the next table and added any information they had that had not already been included. This continued in increasingly smaller periods of time until all students had read and contributed to each group’s work. When they eventually returned to their original table they were then responsible for producing a set of notes on their topic to share with the class.
Each group assigned members to a particular task to research. Their brief and assessed task was to compile a set of notes for their group – a knowledge product. Each group would then lead a whole class discussion on the novel, and their particular task drawing together the subject matter, concerns and deeper meanings.
Assessment: Essay question:
Length of lesson: 50 minutes
Purpose/Rationale: For students to explore and understand the traditions of Indian culture and the everyday hardships that Indian women encounter.
MI Standards: CE 1.2.2 Write, speak, and visually represent to develop self-awareness and insight. CE 2.1.7 Demonstrate understanding of written information by restating, paraphrasing, summarizing, critiquing, or composing a personal response. CE 2.2.3 Interpret the meaning of written texts by drawing on different cultural, theoretical, and critical perspectives. CE 3.1.7 Analyze and evaluate the portrayal of various groups, societies, and cultures in literature.
Student Outcomes:
-To recognize Indian culture, tradition, and hardships that are revealed in the beginning of the text.
-To differentiate between American culture and Indian culture.
-To compare and contrast their own lives to that of Rukmani’s.
-To be able to identify with Rukmani or another character from the book.
-To construct an understanding of the characters’ lives through utilizing creative writing skills.
Procedures:
-Upon finishing the first two chapters of the book, have a short, open discussion with students. Raise questions such as:
What differences do you see between Indian culture and American culture? What are some traditions of the Indian culture that you see in the reading? How does Rukmani’s lifestyle drastically change over the period between pages 1 and page 18?
-After this discussion, have students, either in pairs or working alone, create a T-chart that compares certain concepts of the book to their own culture/lives. *Concepts may include: land, agriculture, home, wedding (dowry, pre-determined), birth of male vs. female, food, everyday jobs, and the belief in evil/bad spirits(snake).
- Once most students/pairs have a large amount of their T-chart completed, ask students to share with the class what they have come up with.
-Students will then be asked to think about all the hardships that Rukmani has had to face this early on in the book. Inform students that they will need to put themselves in the shoes of an Indian woman for a day, while they create a journal entry entitled, “One Day in the Life of…” They will be asked to write a 1-2 page journal entry from this woman’s perspective that may emphasize her hard work, forced marriage, whatever they choose, so long as it reflects the hardships of being an Indian woman.
*Note: students will not be summarizing the 1st two chapters written from Rukmani’s point of view, but rather creatively writing their own journal entries that prove they understand the everyday hardships that these women face.
-Also, challenge students to attempt to include anything joyous or positive about their day in their journal entries. This will not be easy, for as students will notice from the reading, Rukmani doesn’t find all that much to be happy about.
-What students don’t finish in class, they will be asked to complete for homework.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on:
-whether they participated during the short discussion
-their participation in brainstorming and completing a T-chart
-their creativity used to write “One Day in the Life of…”
-whether their journal entry proves their understanding of Rukmani and other Indian women’s hardships.
Source: Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya
This lesson plan will further help students understand the themes of tradition and hardships that are visible in the 1st two chapters of this novel. The discussion, T-chart, and journal entry that students are asked to complete, all help students comprehend the events that have taken place within their reading up to this point. Furthermore, because students are asked to carefully examine and write from the perspective of an Indian woman, students will be given the opportunity to truly take a walk in Rukmani’s shoes. This activity forces students to feel sympathy for her, become curious as to what will happen to her in the rest of the book; thus students will be dying to read more!
Length: 50 minutes
Purpose/Rationale: For students to learn more about the many different ways children are being exploited in Third World countries, as well as explore the goals of organizations determined to put an end to child exploitation.
MI Standards: CE 1.5.1 Use writing, speaking, and visual expression to develop powerful, creative, and critical messages. CE 2.1.7 Demonstrate understanding of written, spoken, or visual information by composing a personal response. CE 2.1.10 Listen to and view speeches, presentations, and multimedia works to identify and respond thoughtfully. CE 3.4.1 Use methods of close and contextualized reading and viewing to examine, interpret, and evaluate print and visual media and other works.
Student Outcomes: - Students will be able to identify the different types of child exploitation occurring in all parts of the world.
- Explore child labor, where it exists, what they do, and the different types of work.
- Understand human trafficking and the worth of a child.
- Examine sexual exploitation occurring around the world.
- Recognize the many different organizations/programs determined to put an end to child exploitation.
- Reflect on this topic by utilizing creative writing skills to illustrate their knowledge and concern regarding this universal problem. Procedures:
- Begin class by showing the video, “Human Trafficking (Tyrrell),” this video is approximately 8 minutes long. Warn students about the disturbing video they are about to see, and to feel free to exit the room if they feel it necessary. Inform students to write down anything they are feeling or any other thoughts while watching the video.
- At the end of the video, ask those students who would like to share their reaction of the video, to do so at this time.
- After students are finished sharing their thoughts, show them the second video, “Price of a Child,” which is about 3 ½ minutes long.
-Again, welcome any students to share their thoughts/opinions/reactions to what they have just seen.
-Next, hand out the lengthy article, “End Child Exploitation: Faces of Explotation” and direct students to read the article (it’s not as long as it looks).
-When students have finished reading the article, instruct them of their assignment. Students will be numbered and assigned either a 1, 2, or 3.
# 1’s: Students will write a letter to one of the organizations against child exploitation (Justice for Children International, Not for Sale Campaign, World Vision, or UNICEF UK) Students will be asked to include in their letter: their reaction to one of the videos or the article, if and how they themselves would like to become involved in the attempt to end this problem, as well as any suggestions they may have for spreading the word about this issue.
# 2’s: These students will write a letter to a child, boy or girl, that is being exploited. This child can be one that they saw in the films or article, or even one that has never appeared anywhere; you are now their pen pal. Include in this letter: Any positive thoughts/prayers/words of hope, inform this child that you are aware of child exploitation, as well as any plans you have to prevent this problem from continuing to exist.
# 3’s: These students will write a letter to either a child trafficker or a sexual exploiter. Using appropriate language, tell them how you feel about what they are doing, what you intend to do to stop them, and anything else you might want to add about these children’s lives that they are ruining.
-Assuming this will carry into the next day, have a #1, #2, and # 3 get into the same groups and share their letters with each other. This will be a really moving activity to hear students’ letters to the children, the enemies, and the abolitionists all in the same group.
Assessment:
-Students will be assessed on their creativty and completion of their letter within their asssigned group.
Sources:
Video: Human Trafficking (tyrrell) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0NOiJEKgGw
Video: Price of a Child http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__c6IfFw_ZU
Article: UNICEF UK (2003). End Child Exploitation: Faces of Explotation. Hobbs the printers ltd.
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Lesson Goals/ Rationale:
In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to explore the culture of third world, specifically through arranged marriages. Looking at the characters perceptions of Rukmani’s marriage, students will be able to fashion ideas of what is held as important in the culture and why the different characters felt that way. Students will be expected to make connections to our own culture in the United States. Also, students will have time to investigate what the possible causes are for arranged marriages. Students will be asked make proposed society changes or defend current ones, as well as make an argument for or against Rukmani’s marriage. This will help students understand the underlying themes in third world society so that they may apply them throughout the novel.
Michigan English Language Arts Content Standards 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5, 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3:
5.1: Select, read, listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit.
5.2: Describe and discuss archetypal human experiences that appear in literature other texts from around the world.
5.3: Analyze how tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in literature and other texts reflect the substance of the human experience.
5.5: Analyze and evaluate the authenticity of the portrayal of various societies and cultures in literature and other texts.
9.1: Analyze and reflect on universal themes and substantive issues from oral, visual and written texts.
9.2: Synthesize from multiple texts representing of varied perspectives, and applying the principles and generalizations needed to investigate and confront complex issues and problems.
9.3: Develop and extend a thesis by analyzing differing perspectives and resolving inconsistencies in logic in order to support a position.
Student Objectives:
Given a common text, supplemental readings, time to work in groups, and time to create proposal, students will:
Procedure:
Assessing Student Learning:
To assess student learning, I will use a rather informal method. Instead of asking students to do a formal write-up on what they learned, they will receive participation points for the following:
• Attendance.
• The Think-Pair-Share activity form.
• Active participation in group work.
• Having a role in the class proposal.
• A complete voting slip.
Points will be given on a participation basis, as well as ten points for each of the handouts (Think-Pair-Share and voting slip).
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Lesson Goals/ Rationale:
After finishing Nectar in a Sieve, it is vital to put students’ knowledge into action. In class we will form into advocacy groups, with a panel of “officials” that, after convincing from the lobbying of the different groups, decide to take action on a particular issue with which third world countries are faced. Students in the advocacy groups will need to not only investigate their chosen subject, but also come up with possible solutions or courses of action. “Officials will have to investigate subjects and entertain the lobbying of advocates. A sort of inquiry based project, students will expand their research abilities, as well as their competitive debate skills, since they are trying to convince officials that their topic is most worthy of addressing. Students will also have the opportunity to familiarize themselves in expert manner on one topic, while still learning about other issues third world countries face.
Michigan English Language Arts Content Standards 5.3, 5.5, 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3:
5.3: Analyze how tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in literature and other texts reflect the substance of the human experience.
5.5: Analyze and evaluate the authenticity of the portrayal of various societies and cultures in literature and other texts.
9.1: Analyze and reflect on universal themes and substantive issues from oral, visual and written texts.
9.2: Synthesize from multiple texts representing of varied perspectives, and applying the principles and generalizations needed to investigate and confront complex issues and problems.
9.3: Develop and extend a thesis by analyzing differing perspectives and resolving inconsistencies in logic in order to support a position.
Student Objectives:
Given a text set, guidelines on the project, and small groups, students will be able to:
Procedures:
Assessing Student Learning:
This lesson is heavily weighted by participation. Since little, if any, formal writing is done at this point in the activity, points will be given on the following:
• Active participation in group collaboration.
• Ability to persuade”officials”.
• Active excursions into research.
• Reflective approach to changing methods.
Most of this type of participation will be measured with observations, as well as group evaluations that will be turned in at the completion of this activity. Keep in mind that the activity will span several days.
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LOVE AND MARRIAGE
By Marcia Anderson
RATIONALE: By Marcia Anderson
Students will examine the marriage traditions of Indian culture.
CENTRAL ELEMENTS:
· Multicultural understanding
· Exploring tradition
· bringing the past to the present
STUDENT OUTCOMES:
Students will:
· Examine the values of Indian culture and traditions.
· Discuss the repercussions of these values.
· Compare and contrast the ways different cultures address an issue such as finding a marriage partner.
· Consider the rational basis for the tradition in each culture.
BACKGROUND NOTES/HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
In India, the caste system has been outlawed in the sense that no one may be discriminated against in terms of caste. There is in place an affirmative action type program in which spaces are reserved for lower caste people in colleges and government jobs. There is a movement to make such reservations required even for private business. Theoretically, society should be blind to caste but to understand how deeply rooted in Indian society are the castes you do not need to look further than the advertisements for suitable mates.
These advertisements are put in the paper by a girl's/boy's parents or guardian. The ones you see in the newspaper tend to be looking for mates for people 20 and over. Marriages for younger couples is usually arranged within the circle of family and friends. The replies are expected to come from the parents of the prospective bride or groom not from the prospective bride or groom herself/himself.
Included a representative sample of ads. These have been taken verbatum from actual newspapers in India. Some of the words will need decoding. Students will enjoy doing this. We have provided a key to help you help them.
KEY:
· Brahmin - highest caste
· Fair - Indians are quite color-conscious. Light skin is preferred to dark skin. Young men and women are very careful about not getting too much sun so as not to be too dark.
· Homely - This refers to a girl's homemaking skills.
· 25/189/8,000 - age/height in centimeters/salary in Rupees-per-month
A government teacher in a New Delhi primary school might make 7-10,000 Rs per month depending on experience. The exchange rate at this writing is 42 Rupees to the dollar so the salary would be $166-$238 per month. Teachers also get a housing allowance and a small medical allowance. Secondary teachers make more but government teachers in smaller cities and in rural areas are not as well compensated. A person just out of college with not specific skills will make about 3-5,000 Rs per month. Computer programers and engineers make considerably more.
· Decent marriage - arranged marriage
· Convented - educated in a private school, preferably a religious school.
· Eng med - English medium - wants person who has gone to a school in which English was the languaged used as a teaching medium. It indicates a certain class of school--upper/middle.
· Initials: B.E. [Bachelor of Engineering]. B.Ed [Business Education], Mech [Mechanical Engineering], MBA [Masters of Business Administration], MA Econ [Masters in Economics], DME [Degree in Mechanical Engineering], DBM [Degree in Business Management], MNC [Multinational Corporation], MSc [Master of Science]
· No bar at all - caste not a consideration
· Hostel - a boarding house for students or working people - segregated by sex.
· Listings: These ads are listed under many categories--the advertisers choice. Many of the labels denote castes--Jati, Khatri, Kshatriya, Yadav, etc.; while others indicate language/state--Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Keralite, Rajput, etc. Some of the labels indicate the desired profession, religion, or professional degree of the bride/groom.
NUMBER OF CLASS PERIODS:
One 40 minute period
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES:
Whole class: Discuss how people in the US choose a mate. Determine prior knowledge of actual wedding ceremony in the United States by brainstorming components of a typical wedding. Read through the wedding page.
Discuss:
· The concept of Arranged Marriage.
· Advantages and disadvantages of marriage for love and marriage by arrangment.
· Assumptions made in each case.
Assign one of the following:
· Write your own marriage ad.
· Write a Compare and Contrast Essay
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
Essays should be evaluated for examination of underlying cultural assumptions, thoughtful discussion, parallel structure, and mechanics.
Wedding Advertisements
These are quoted verbatum from the Calcutta
Telegraph
Telegraph
July 1998
Grooms Wanted:
Daughter of high ranking central government officer. 25+/158, fair, slim pretty, Kayastha, M.A.Econ, B.Ed (own house/car) suitable groom wanted.
Match invited from professor/Dr/Engr. Highly placed well employed groom for Brahmin Shandilya Debagn, 27/160 M.Sc Physics., doing PhD, good-looking, well built, fair bride.
An industrialist, Hindu, upper caste, Bengal family of Calcutta, is looking for suitable groom for their daughter. Honors graduate, although convent educated, age 23+/5'3", very beautiful, well settled in her own industry. Groom must be from a respectable family, professionally qualified, preferably B.E. (mech) with MBA, settled in business or holding senior position in reputed company.
Well established groom wanted for East Bengali Kayastha, 30/166, doctorate, computer programmer, issueless divorcee, greencard holder, will be visiting in December 98.
Alliance invited from affluent families for Engr. girl DME, DBM 23/160 fair, charming, engaged in family business. Parents having own factory in Bombay & well settled profitable business. Boy must be professionally qualified & preferable willing to allow the girl to pursue her own career in business. Reply with bio-data, horoscope & photo [Ret.]
Brides Wanted:
Baidya groom, September '69, handsome, 35/180 groom B.E.(Mech), pursuing PhD. Groom Company Secretary, Cum legal manager, joint venture MNC, annual salary 4 lakhs. Wanted post graduate (Eng medium) at least 160 cm tall, really beautiful, fair, homely, below 25, Baidya/Brahmin/Kulin Kayastha Bride. Correspond with biodata: time, month year and place of birth. No demand.
Beautiful match for established businessman, 41/172. High Caste divorcee with two kids in hostel. No bar at all.
Free from religious orthodoxy, 31/170, own house, graduate, handsome, government employee, 8,000/-. Educated, pretty girl desired.
A very handsome, tall, 5'11", very fair, slim, 29 years, highly educated, a successful industrialist having high seven figure income and owning posh apartments and prime properties, teetotaller, non-smoker, world traveled, and coming from a rich, respectable, high educated and cultured south Bombay-based Hindu family. The girl should be extremely beautiful and very fair, slim, tall, educated, sweet-natured and from a cultured family. Beauty Queens, models and Girls from the World of Glamour are also welcome. Proposals welcome from India and world over including Foreigners. Photograph is a must.
North Indian Protest Doctor parents invite proposals from status families for their well settled son 30/167/PGDBA, fair, adventurous, fond of books and music. Looking for an educated, God-Fearing, homely, Protestant Christian girl. Please write with details and enclose a recent picture. Categories under which these ads are placed: Agarwal, Architect, Bengali, Business, Christian, Cosmopolitan, Dawoodi Bohra, Doctors, Engineers, Government/Defense, Gujarati, Hindu, Himachali, Hotel/Shipping/Airline, Maheshwari, Jat, Kannadiga, Khatri, Kayastha, Keralite, Kamauni, Kurmi, Malayali, MBA/C.A., Mangalik, Marathi/Konkani, Muslim, Marwaris, NRI/greencard, Other Professionals, Oriya, Parsi, Punjabi, Rajput, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled tribe, Sindhi, Sikh, Second Marriage, Swarnkar, Tamil, Telugu, Vaish/Jain, U.P.Yadav.
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The God of Small Things and Monsoon Wedding
By Marcia Anderson
Rationale:
Students will examine and compare Indian culture by reading the novel The God of Small Things by Arundhati Royand then watching the movie Monsoon Wedding.
Objective:
Students will:
_ Examine the historical and cultural context of Indian traditions.
_ Discuss the repercussions of these values.
_ Compare and contrast the different cultural issues addressed in the novel and the movie.
Background information:
I chose the novel The God of Small Things because the protagonists are children, which gives students a point of identity with the text. Furthermore, the historical and cultural context is extremely different from our own and offers students a new and engaging area of comparison. The film, Monsoon Wedding, a more positive and hopeful text, will allow students to examine, in this paired study of post-independence India, a continuation in the way the country is adjusting to social, economic and political changes, the impact of globalisation and the ways in which India (albeit, middle class) is becoming more accommodating and tolerant of the caste system. The temporal setting of The God of Small Things extends from 1969 to 1994 exploring the tragic events when the traditional and modern aspects of this transforming society clash. The characters in Monsoon Wedding are young people adapting also to the pressures of life in a rapidly changing India, at the beginning of the new millennium. While theycontinue to value their native cultural traditions they are also modern, global citizens and the text is a celebration of not only the marriages of the characters but the way in which India has maintained its cultural heritage while assimilating with the modern world and its past.
Procedures:
After students have read the novel we will brainstorm as a class:
- Arranged marriages
- The caste system
- Gandhi and independence
- His own school history and impressions of growing up in India
While viewing Monsoon Wedding students will individually take notes on:
- Plot
- Characterisation
- Concerns/issues/ideas
- Marriage/weddings
- Culture
- Setting
- Film techniques
The class was then divided into groups and each group was assigned one of these aspects. On large sheets of paper they amassed all the ideas on the topic they could glean from their individual notes. Each group then rotated to the next table and added any information they had that had not already been included. This continued in increasingly smaller periods of time until all students had read and contributed to each group’s work. When they eventually returned to their original table they were then responsible for producing a set of notes on their topic to share with the class.
.
The students were assigned to groups for study of The God of Small Things. They returned to the original list of questions they had asked about the text in the first session and then categorised them into subject areas.
Questions:
- What is the meaning of the History House?
- What/who is the god of small things?
- When was India modernised?
- Indian politics – Marxism
- Religion – Syrian Christianity
- Hinduism – Untouchables
- Marriage customs
- Caste system
- Setting – Community
- Kathakali dances
- Indian cultural references
- Colonisation
- Language use
- Symbolism
- Roy’s view on incest
- Twin connection
- Timeline of events
- Meanings/themes
Categorised into subjects:
- Religion – Syrian Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism
- Culture – Caste system, customs, mores, Kathakali dancers
- Politics – Marxism, current political system
- History – British invasion, colonisation, Independence, India in the 1960s, present day India
- Meaning/Themes/Concerns/Issues – What is the god of small things? Twin connection
- Techniques – Characterisation, structure, setting, language use, timeline, family tree, symbolism.
Each group assigned members to a particular task to research. Their brief and assessed task was to compile a set of notes for their group – a knowledge product. Each group would then lead a whole class discussion on the novel, and their particular task drawing together the subject matter, concerns and deeper meanings.
Groups then worked on a chart to demonstrate the similarities and differences between the two texts. They categorised them into three areas: cultural, historical and concerns/issues. A discussion on the post-colonial theoretical aspects of the texts was also white boarded. This included aspects in both texts about hybridity, feminism, appropriation and colonialism.
Assessment: Essay question:
‘Although Monsoon Wedding and The God of Small Things are both set in post-independence India, they address very different issues and have different outcomes.’ Do you agree with this statement?
Traditions and Hardships
By Alaina Peseski
Purpose/Rationale: For students to explore and understand the traditions of Indian culture and the everyday hardships that Indian women encounter.
MI Standards: CE 1.2.2 Write, speak, and visually represent to develop self-awareness and insight. CE 2.1.7 Demonstrate understanding of written information by restating, paraphrasing, summarizing, critiquing, or composing a personal response. CE 2.2.3 Interpret the meaning of written texts by drawing on different cultural, theoretical, and critical perspectives. CE 3.1.7 Analyze and evaluate the portrayal of various groups, societies, and cultures in literature.
Student Outcomes:
-To recognize Indian culture, tradition, and hardships that are revealed in the beginning of the text.
-To differentiate between American culture and Indian culture.
-To compare and contrast their own lives to that of Rukmani’s.
-To be able to identify with Rukmani or another character from the book.
-To construct an understanding of the characters’ lives through utilizing creative writing skills.
Procedures:
-Upon finishing the first two chapters of the book, have a short, open discussion with students. Raise questions such as:
What differences do you see between Indian culture and American culture? What are some traditions of the Indian culture that you see in the reading? How does Rukmani’s lifestyle drastically change over the period between pages 1 and page 18?
-After this discussion, have students, either in pairs or working alone, create a T-chart that compares certain concepts of the book to their own culture/lives. *Concepts may include: land, agriculture, home, wedding (dowry, pre-determined), birth of male vs. female, food, everyday jobs, and the belief in evil/bad spirits(snake).
- Once most students/pairs have a large amount of their T-chart completed, ask students to share with the class what they have come up with.
-Students will then be asked to think about all the hardships that Rukmani has had to face this early on in the book. Inform students that they will need to put themselves in the shoes of an Indian woman for a day, while they create a journal entry entitled, “One Day in the Life of…” They will be asked to write a 1-2 page journal entry from this woman’s perspective that may emphasize her hard work, forced marriage, whatever they choose, so long as it reflects the hardships of being an Indian woman.
*Note: students will not be summarizing the 1st two chapters written from Rukmani’s point of view, but rather creatively writing their own journal entries that prove they understand the everyday hardships that these women face.
-Also, challenge students to attempt to include anything joyous or positive about their day in their journal entries. This will not be easy, for as students will notice from the reading, Rukmani doesn’t find all that much to be happy about.
-What students don’t finish in class, they will be asked to complete for homework.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on:
-whether they participated during the short discussion
-their participation in brainstorming and completing a T-chart
-their creativity used to write “One Day in the Life of…”
-whether their journal entry proves their understanding of Rukmani and other Indian women’s hardships.
Source: Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya
This lesson plan will further help students understand the themes of tradition and hardships that are visible in the 1st two chapters of this novel. The discussion, T-chart, and journal entry that students are asked to complete, all help students comprehend the events that have taken place within their reading up to this point. Furthermore, because students are asked to carefully examine and write from the perspective of an Indian woman, students will be given the opportunity to truly take a walk in Rukmani’s shoes. This activity forces students to feel sympathy for her, become curious as to what will happen to her in the rest of the book; thus students will be dying to read more!
Ending Child Exploitation
By Alaina Peseski
Purpose/Rationale: For students to learn more about the many different ways children are being exploited in Third World countries, as well as explore the goals of organizations determined to put an end to child exploitation.
MI Standards: CE 1.5.1 Use writing, speaking, and visual expression to develop powerful, creative, and critical messages. CE 2.1.7 Demonstrate understanding of written, spoken, or visual information by composing a personal response. CE 2.1.10 Listen to and view speeches, presentations, and multimedia works to identify and respond thoughtfully. CE 3.4.1 Use methods of close and contextualized reading and viewing to examine, interpret, and evaluate print and visual media and other works.
Student Outcomes: - Students will be able to identify the different types of child exploitation occurring in all parts of the world.
- Explore child labor, where it exists, what they do, and the different types of work.
- Understand human trafficking and the worth of a child.
- Examine sexual exploitation occurring around the world.
- Recognize the many different organizations/programs determined to put an end to child exploitation.
- Reflect on this topic by utilizing creative writing skills to illustrate their knowledge and concern regarding this universal problem. Procedures:
- Begin class by showing the video, “Human Trafficking (Tyrrell),” this video is approximately 8 minutes long. Warn students about the disturbing video they are about to see, and to feel free to exit the room if they feel it necessary. Inform students to write down anything they are feeling or any other thoughts while watching the video.
- At the end of the video, ask those students who would like to share their reaction of the video, to do so at this time.
- After students are finished sharing their thoughts, show them the second video, “Price of a Child,” which is about 3 ½ minutes long.
-Again, welcome any students to share their thoughts/opinions/reactions to what they have just seen.
-Next, hand out the lengthy article, “End Child Exploitation: Faces of Explotation” and direct students to read the article (it’s not as long as it looks).
-When students have finished reading the article, instruct them of their assignment. Students will be numbered and assigned either a 1, 2, or 3.
# 1’s: Students will write a letter to one of the organizations against child exploitation (Justice for Children International, Not for Sale Campaign, World Vision, or UNICEF UK) Students will be asked to include in their letter: their reaction to one of the videos or the article, if and how they themselves would like to become involved in the attempt to end this problem, as well as any suggestions they may have for spreading the word about this issue.
# 2’s: These students will write a letter to a child, boy or girl, that is being exploited. This child can be one that they saw in the films or article, or even one that has never appeared anywhere; you are now their pen pal. Include in this letter: Any positive thoughts/prayers/words of hope, inform this child that you are aware of child exploitation, as well as any plans you have to prevent this problem from continuing to exist.
# 3’s: These students will write a letter to either a child trafficker or a sexual exploiter. Using appropriate language, tell them how you feel about what they are doing, what you intend to do to stop them, and anything else you might want to add about these children’s lives that they are ruining.
-Assuming this will carry into the next day, have a #1, #2, and # 3 get into the same groups and share their letters with each other. This will be a really moving activity to hear students’ letters to the children, the enemies, and the abolitionists all in the same group.
Assessment:
-Students will be assessed on their creativty and completion of their letter within their asssigned group.
Sources:
Video: Human Trafficking (tyrrell) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0NOiJEKgGw
Video: Price of a Child http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__c6IfFw_ZU
Article: UNICEF UK (2003). End Child Exploitation: Faces of Explotation. Hobbs the printers ltd.
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Kyle Krol
Nectar in a Sieve Unit
Topic: Rukmani’s Marriage
Grade: 11-12
Lesson Length: 50 minutes
Nectar in a Sieve Unit
Topic: Rukmani’s Marriage
Grade: 11-12
Lesson Length: 50 minutes
Lesson Goals/ Rationale:
In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to explore the culture of third world, specifically through arranged marriages. Looking at the characters perceptions of Rukmani’s marriage, students will be able to fashion ideas of what is held as important in the culture and why the different characters felt that way. Students will be expected to make connections to our own culture in the United States. Also, students will have time to investigate what the possible causes are for arranged marriages. Students will be asked make proposed society changes or defend current ones, as well as make an argument for or against Rukmani’s marriage. This will help students understand the underlying themes in third world society so that they may apply them throughout the novel.
Michigan English Language Arts Content Standards 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5, 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3:
5.1: Select, read, listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit.
5.2: Describe and discuss archetypal human experiences that appear in literature other texts from around the world.
5.3: Analyze how tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in literature and other texts reflect the substance of the human experience.
5.5: Analyze and evaluate the authenticity of the portrayal of various societies and cultures in literature and other texts.
9.1: Analyze and reflect on universal themes and substantive issues from oral, visual and written texts.
9.2: Synthesize from multiple texts representing of varied perspectives, and applying the principles and generalizations needed to investigate and confront complex issues and problems.
9.3: Develop and extend a thesis by analyzing differing perspectives and resolving inconsistencies in logic in order to support a position.
Student Objectives:
Given a common text, supplemental readings, time to work in groups, and time to create proposal, students will:
• Identify key themes in the culture pertaining to arranged marriages.
• Apply an understanding of themes to characters.
• Compare and contrast arranged marriages to a similar issue in the United States.
• Create an argument for or against arranged marriage.
Procedure:
| Approximate Time | Activity |
| 10 minutes | Think-Pair-Share why a culture would think that arranged marriages are important and if the U.S. has anything comparable. |
| 3 minutes | Assign small groups |
| 28 minutes | Proposal activity: small groups have to take a side (for or against arranged marriages), use information from warm-up activity or text set, create an argument to present to class that demands, or refuses, changes with information to back up decisions. |
| 16 minutes | Present proposals. |
| 3 minutes | Voting slips on what side should have won the activity. |
Assessing Student Learning:
To assess student learning, I will use a rather informal method. Instead of asking students to do a formal write-up on what they learned, they will receive participation points for the following:
• Attendance.
• The Think-Pair-Share activity form.
• Active participation in group work.
• Having a role in the class proposal.
• A complete voting slip.
Points will be given on a participation basis, as well as ten points for each of the handouts (Think-Pair-Share and voting slip).
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Kyle Krol
Nectar in a Sieve Unit
Topic: Issues of the Third World
Grade: 11-12
Lesson Length: 50 minutes
Nectar in a Sieve Unit
Topic: Issues of the Third World
Grade: 11-12
Lesson Length: 50 minutes
Lesson Goals/ Rationale:
After finishing Nectar in a Sieve, it is vital to put students’ knowledge into action. In class we will form into advocacy groups, with a panel of “officials” that, after convincing from the lobbying of the different groups, decide to take action on a particular issue with which third world countries are faced. Students in the advocacy groups will need to not only investigate their chosen subject, but also come up with possible solutions or courses of action. “Officials will have to investigate subjects and entertain the lobbying of advocates. A sort of inquiry based project, students will expand their research abilities, as well as their competitive debate skills, since they are trying to convince officials that their topic is most worthy of addressing. Students will also have the opportunity to familiarize themselves in expert manner on one topic, while still learning about other issues third world countries face.
Michigan English Language Arts Content Standards 5.3, 5.5, 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3:
5.3: Analyze how tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in literature and other texts reflect the substance of the human experience.
5.5: Analyze and evaluate the authenticity of the portrayal of various societies and cultures in literature and other texts.
9.1: Analyze and reflect on universal themes and substantive issues from oral, visual and written texts.
9.2: Synthesize from multiple texts representing of varied perspectives, and applying the principles and generalizations needed to investigate and confront complex issues and problems.
9.3: Develop and extend a thesis by analyzing differing perspectives and resolving inconsistencies in logic in order to support a position.
Student Objectives:
Given a text set, guidelines on the project, and small groups, students will be able to:
• Identify various issues within third world countries.
• Incorporate information gathered from Nectar in a Sieve into their debates.
• Expand basic oratory skills.
• Create and develop advanced reasoning for addressing a given issue.
• Reflect on the reaction of “officials” to improve debate.
Procedures:
| Approximate Time | Activity |
| 7 minutes | Discuss past work on project (it will have been going on for a day prior) and reform groups. |
| 17 minutes | Give time for students to access text set, using it to gather information on a given topic. |
| 13 minutes | First round of lobbyists for advocacy groups. After, advocacy groups reform to discuss effectiveness and strategy while “officials” journal and discuss what they thought about the lobbying in comparison their own information. |
| 8 minutes | Students begin to prepare for second of three rounds of lobbying. |
| 5 minutes | Questions and comments on the day’s occurrences. |
Assessing Student Learning:
This lesson is heavily weighted by participation. Since little, if any, formal writing is done at this point in the activity, points will be given on the following:
• Active participation in group collaboration.
• Ability to persuade”officials”.
• Active excursions into research.
• Reflective approach to changing methods.
Most of this type of participation will be measured with observations, as well as group evaluations that will be turned in at the completion of this activity. Keep in mind that the activity will span several days.
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