Geographic Alliance of Iowa

Introduction to India
George Kuhter
South Tama County Middle School
gkuhter@po-l.s-tama.kl2.ia.us

The following lesson are meant to introduce India to Middle School students.

Geographic Themes
Location, Place, Human Environment Interaction, Movement, Region
 

National Geography Standards

The World in Spatial Terms

1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

2. How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context

3. How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface

Places and Regions

4. The physical and human characteristics of places

5. That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity

6. How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions

Physical Systems

7. The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface

8. The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface

 

Human Systems

9. The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface

10. The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics

11. The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface

12. The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement 

13. How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface

Environment and Society

14. How human actions modify the physical environment

15. How physical systems affect human systems

16. The changes that occur in the meaning, use/distribution, and importance of resources

The Uses of Geography

17. How to apply geography to interpret the past

18. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future

Grades
These lessons were written specifically for middle school students, but can easily be adapted for younger students or complemented for older students.

Time
The lessons can be used as a short stand alone unit lasting one to two days or part of a bigger unit lasting up to one month.

Materials
colored pencils/crayons/markers
India: An Introduction Reading
India flag outline sheet
Outline Map of India Sheet
Atlas or Almanac
Crossword Puzzle Sheet

Procedure

1. India: An Introduction
Have students read India: An Introduction. After reading this, you may need to discuss some of the information presented in the reading (depending on the level of the students) or you could show a film introducing the topic. There are a number of good films at your local AEA (depending on your area) that can be used as a better introduction or to complement.

2. Flag Activity
Begin with a short discussion on what a flag means to a people within a country. You may guide the discussion to things like symbolism, patriotism, etc. Then very easily, after reading the short paragraph on the flag of India, discuss the meaning of the Indian flag to the Indian people.(It is similar to the United States and you can draw many parallels with colonialism, repression, etc. You may also talk about the colors, symbols, etc.) As conclusion to the discussion, you could have students color the map of India. This can be a very helpful thing to do with older students, because this may also lead to a discussion about the different cultures that have influenced the people of India (Buddhism, Aryan, Hinduism, Islam) and the problems that it has caused for modern day India.

3. Mapping Activity
This activity can be used for a dual purpose. It may be used to study the location of cities, landforms, bodies of water, and the neighborhood of India and it may be also used to help review the concept of latitude and longitude. Students are to find the places listed on the corresponding map. For younger students, the dots are where the cities are located so they can put the name beside them. For upper level students, the dots can be whited out or you may use the alternate map. It may also be useful to have students highlight India on the inset map of the world. This will help them work on the concept of absolute and relative location.

4. Crossword Activity
This activity is designed to be a assessment to check for student understanding. The answers are all contained within the reading and it is useful to check for understanding of key concepts and ideas.

I would like you to know that any of these activities can be used or not at your own discretion. I use this and similar activities within the context of units on larger regions in my world geography overview class.

India: An Introduction

India is a land of many diverse people and landscapes. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world goes back at least 5/000 years. People known as Aryans from the land northwest of India invaded about 1/500 B.C./creating classical Indian culture. The Aryna invasion led to many other people invading the land including the Arabs, Turks and finally the European trading nations beginning in the 1500's A.D. By the 1900's the British assumed control of the land and they ruled the peoples until the non-violent resistance to their control by Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharal Nehru led to independence in 1947. After independence, the subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the primarily Muslim state of Pakistan. In 1971, after a third war, the part of the territory known as East Pakistan became the separate state of Bangladesh. Today India is a country of more than one billion people and ranks second behind China in total population. It is country that faces an ongoing dispute with Pakistan over the region known as Kashmir, serious environmental concerns, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious conflicts. Many countries around the world keep investing in the future of India despite these many problems hoping that India may be able to overcome many of their problems.

India Facts at a Glance

Population: 1,049/7000,118(2003,est)

Area: 3,287,590 sq.km

Highest Point: Kanchenjunga(8/598m/26,185ft.)

Lowest Point: Indian Ocean(0m/0ft)

Main Ethnic Groups: Indo-Aryan(72), Dravidian(25), Mongoloid and other(3)

Religions: Hindu (81.3), Muslim (12), Christian (2.3)/Sikh (1.9)/others

including Parsi, Buddhist, Jain (2.5)

Official Name: Republic of India

National Holiday: Republic Day , January 26th,

gained Independence from Great Britain in 1950

Suffrage: 18 years old

Capital: New Delhi

India's Flag

India's flag was adopted on July 22, 1947 after India became independent from Great Britain. The flag was based upon the design by the Indian National Congress. The Indian flag has three horizontal bars (saffron, white and green) with a blue Dharma Chakra (wheel of law) in the center.  The wheel has 24 spokes, representing the 24 hours in the day (at the end of each spoke is a dark blue half moon). The saffron, the color which is sacred in Hinduism, represents courage and sacrifice. The white stands for peace, unity, and truth. The green stands for faith (Islam) and fertility and the blue symbolizes the sky and the ocean. 

FLAG

MAPPING ACTIVITY

On the map of India, please label the following places (black pen), bodies of water (blue pen), and important land forms (green). Color the countries yellow and label them with a black pan.  If you need assistance, you may consult an atlas.