ERIC ED401168: Animals in India: Folklore, Myth, and Religion. Fulbright Hays Summer Seminar Abroad 1995 (India).

15 Pages·1995·0.18 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
SO 026 038
ED 401 168
Maclntyre, Carol S.
AUTHOR
Animals in India: Folklore, Myth, and Religion.
TITLE
Fulbright Hays Summer Seminar Abroad 1995 (India).
United States Educational Foundation in India.
INSTITUTION
Center for International Education (ED), Washington,
SPONS AGENCY
DC
PUB DATE
95
NOTE
14p.
Teaching Guides (For
Classroom Use
PUB TYPE
Guides
Teacher)
(052)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Animals; Area Studies; Asian Studies; Beliefs;
DESCRIPTORS
Cultural Activities; *Folk Culture; Foreign
Countries; High Schools; *Indians; Legends;
Literature; Mysticism; *Mythology; Non Western
Civilization; *Religion; Social Studies; Symbols
(Literary)
Fulbright Hays Seminars Abroad Program; *India
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This six-week elective course in English for grades
10-12 is designed to acquaint students with the culture of India
through the study of animals in Indian myth, folklore, and religion.
Research skills, creative writing, group cooperation, and oral
presentations are all integral parts of this course. Students must
keep a course journal, research a chosen animal with a group, compile
school
a bibliography, and plan an oral presentation for elementary
students.
(EH)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
********************************************************************
CURRICULUM PROJECTS DEVELOPED
by
1995 SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS
CAROL S. MACINTYRE
INDEPENDENT CURRICULUM PROJECT
PROGRAM
FULBRIGHT-HAYS SEMINARS ABROAD
1995
INDIA:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office at Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
It This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
By
United States Educational Foundation in India
2
MacIntyre 1
CAROL S. MACINTYRE
INDEPENDENT CURRICULUM PROJECT
FULBRIGHT-HAYS SEMINARS ABROAD PROGRAM
1995
INDIA:
Folklore Myth and Religion
Animals in India:
PROJECT TITLE:
Six weeks
PROJECT LENGTH:
Grades 10-12/ Elementary students
PROJECT TARGET GROUPS:
This six-week elective course in English is
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
of India
designed to acquaint students with the culture
folklore and
through the study of animals in Indian myth,
Research skills, creative writing, group
religion.
integral parts
cooperation, and oral presentations are all
Students must keep a course journal,
of this course.
compile a
research a chosen animal with a group,
for elementary
bibliography, and plan an oral presentation
school students.
The student should be able to
PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
the folkloric function
1. -demonstrate familiarity with
in the culture
and religious significance of animals
of India.
and appreciation for
2. -give evidence of an understanding
the animals.
the culture of India through readings on
and organize a lively
3. -apply research skills to create
selected animals.
and interesting presentation about
into a 45-minute
4. -organize material to fit comfortably
presentation to local elementary school students.
hands-on
5. .-arrange for visual aids, handouts,
presentation.
activities, etc. to enhance the
choice of objects, stories,
6. -exercise creativity in the
for the
slides, dance, audience participation, etc.
presentation.
cooperative learning
7. -practice positive and effective
careful mutual
through inclusive group interaction,
utilization of
planning, fair delegation of tasks, and
presentation.
individual talent to the benefit of the
3
Maclntyre 2
activities, plans,
8. -keep a journal chronicling course
ideas, problems, illustrations, sources, quotations,
paste-ins,
cartoons; poems, observations, assignments,
personal reactions, outlines of information gathered,
etc.
sharing journal
9. -participate in a final discussion
of
entries and feelings about the outcome and impact
culture of
the project on their understanding of the
India.
Begin journals
WEER ONE:
STRATEGIES:
Organize groups and materials
Outline project tasks
Teacher/Student/Student
Procedure:
DAY 1:
interaction
the animals
Initiate discussion of American attitudes toward
Ask what animals they associate with the
in their lives.
Call a student to board to elicit from class a
word INDIA.
American
side-by-side list of the animals most familiar to
Teacher will add any
Discuss.
and Indian households.
animals left out of Indian list and share personal
(very brief
observations of Indian attitudes toward animals
the elephant,
references to Jain philosophy, the sacred cow,
close proximity of animals
oxen, water buffalo, monkey...the
and citizens in everyday life, etc.)
Assignment: journal entry: reaction to discussion
Student/Student interaction-Teacher
Procedure:
Day 2:
facilitator
Course description and
Handout:
Share journal entries.
Discuss and clarify as needed.
_content, list of animals.
four (no more)
Students divide into groups of three or
(Be sure
and decide on one animal per group for study.
animals)
they use compromise to cover a variety of
projects in
Students make a rough outline of tasks and
ideas,
journals, elect a group leader, discuss strategies,
Stress that sharing
All keep notes in journals.
etc.
information among the groups is important.
4
MacIntyre 3
reaction to group work.
Assignment: journal entry:
Go through books and/or computers at
home or interview an Indian acquaintance
or classmate for information on India.
Student/Student/Teacher interaction
Procedure:
Day 3:
Daily procedures in class, names
Teacher instruction:
Ramayana, Bhagavadgita,
of the great Indian literary works:
Students share
model outlines for project.
Handout:
Teacher
homework findings, swap information as needed.
books collected
places out books of Indian stories and comic
scroll,
in India, newspaper articles, art books, story
students to peruse and
posters, animal objects etc. etc. for
(See bibliography). School and
check out as needed.
Teacher
also.
community libraries must be used for research
making
circulates to each group checking progress,
suggestions, helping with problems as necessary.
journal entry, group task: research
Assignment:
Student/Student interaction-Teacher observation
Day 4:
sharing
group progress reports;
Five minutes, whole class:
for each other.
of research between groups; troubleshooting
Assist only
materials.
Allow students to work together with
leads to find
when students ask, and then only give them
themselves.
information or to solve group problems by
Make sure
Observe and take notes on positive activities.
each group has planned a homework task.
journal entry, group initiated.
Assignment:
homework
Student/Student interaction - Teacher observation
Day 5:
good strategies
Before students begin tasks, commend any
Encourage groups to cooperate with each
observed.
Assure
brainstorm, etc.
other: to join for some activities,
collaborators and that
them that they are not rivals but
class grade on
they will receive at the end of the course a
Collect the week's
how well they have worked together.
suggestions.
worksheets and/or journals for comments and
journal.entry, group initiated
Assignment:
homework
5
Maclntyre 4
Research animal
WEEK TWO:
Prepare bibliography of sources
Outline presentation
worksheets, artwork,
Prepare audiovisual aids:
WEEK THREE:
puppets, story scrolls,
music, videos, etc.
Rehearse presentations
WEEK FOUR:
Students evaluate and suggest improvements
Rehearse, Revise, and clean up as needed
Present projects at Vanderlyn Elementary School
WEEK FIVE:
Groups summarize project based on journals
WEEK SIX:
Class evaluates course
essay/journal entry
Exam:
Since the course has not yet been tried out, time
NOTE:
allotments may need adjustment--hence the day-by-day
The outline of activities
planning for one week only.
The
from weeks two through six may also need some leeway.
rather light activity of week six allows for this need.
(2/5) finished journal/ presentation/ group
Major:
GRADING:
summaries/ class grade
(1/5) timely completion of individual
Participation:
group taskEi/ group interaction
(1/5) group completion of handouts/
Quizzes/Homework:
outlines/ bibliography, etc.
journal entries/ research
(1/5) essay/final journal entry
Exam:
6
MacIntyre
Notebook/ Paper, plain and colored/
STUDENTS:
MATERIALS:
Material scraps/ Pens, Pencils, Crayons
Markers/ Glue/ Tape/ Needles, Thread,
Buttons/ Miscellaneous needs
Story Scroll/ Animal figures/
From India:
TEACHER:
MATERIALS:
Photographs/ Slides/ Indian fabrics with
animal motifs/ Indian books/ Paper Maiche
boxes/ Door/Wall hangings with Ganesha/
Animal shadow puppets/ Theater
Jewelry/
masks/ Woodcut animal stamps/ Moghul
paintings of hunting and other animal
scenes.
7
MacIntyre 6
Course Bibliography
Some Interesting Excerpts from the Book ANIMAL
"A Shared World:
The Hindustani Times
SPIRITS, by Nicholas J. Saunders."
July 15, 1995.
7.
Saturday Magazine.
New York:
Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God.
Blank, Jonah.
Doubleday, 1993.
Folk Tales and Fairy Tales from India.
Ghose, Sudhin N.
Rupa & Co., 1961.
Calcutta:
Indian Express.
"Revant and the Horse."
Gupta, Sunil.
Wednesday, July 26, 1995.
8.
New Delhi: Prakash Books,
Indian Mythology.
Ions, Veronica.
1983.
(Pamphlet)
The Parrot's Death and Other Poems.
Lal, P.
Cameo Private, Ltd.
Calcutta:
New Haven: Yale
Rajiv Gandhi and Rama's Kingdom.
Mehta, Ved.
1994.
UP,
New
Classics.
Best Stories from the Indian
Naravane, V.S.
Roli Books, 1994.
Delhi:
Discover Sublime
Nagaswami.
Narayan, Sunithi L. and Revathi
Kartik Offset Printers, 1993.
Madras:
India.
The Glorious Heritage of
Amar Chitra Katha:
Ed.
Pai, Anant.
India Book House, 1994:
Bombay:
India.
"Ganesha."
Chandrakant, Kamala.
"Garuda."
Choice of Friends"
"Hitopadesha:
"Hanuman to the Rescue."
Fernandes, Luis M.
Deer Stories."
"Jataka Tales:
"Panchatantra: The Greedy Mother-in-Law
Rao, Shobha.
and Other Stories.
"Vali."
Sharma, Tyagaraj.
Penguin, 1993.
New York:
Folktales from India.
Ramanujan, A.K.
8
Maclntyre 7
Travel
Jaipur:
Hinduism: an Introduction.
Singh, Dharam Vir:
Wheels, 1994.
Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and
Zimmer, Heinrich.
Princeton UP, 1946.
New Jersey:
Civilization.
9
Maclntyre 8
LIST OF LIKELY ANIMALS FOR STUDY
BHAGAVAD GITA
THE RAMAYANA/
EPICS:
THE GREAT INDIAN
HINDU GODS AND THEIR ANIMAL VEHICLES:
Vishnu--Eagle, copper-colored, also called the Brahminy Kite
Shiva--Bull, also called Nandi
Saraswathi--Peacock
Parvati--Lion
Ganesha--Mouse
Subramanya--Peacock
Ayyappa--Tiger, Elephant
Bairava--Dog
Rati--Parrot
Indra--Elephant
Agni--Ram with two heads
Yama--Buffalo
Varuna--Crocodile
Vayu--Deer
Kubera--Horse
Surya--Seven Horses pulling chariot
Chandra--Ten Horses pulling chariot
Ganga--Makara, a sea monster
Sithala--Donkey
ANIMAL GODS
Garuda--King of the Birds
Ganesha--Elephant God
Hanuman--Monkey God
Jambavan--King of the Bears
Sugriva--King of the Monkeys
Bali--Halfbrother to Sugriva
Nagas--Race of serpents
SOME ANIMALS FEATURED IN FOLKLORE:
Fish
Crow
Monkey
Parrot
Tiger
Crocodile
Heron
Pig
Dog
Snake (Naga)
Buffalo
Rooster
Jackal
Rabbit
Swan
Owl
Peacock
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