Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary related to the study of ancient India.
Students will preview the terms and definitions and use whole class or small group discussion to demonstrate their understanding of each meaning. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.
ascetic: A person who gives up worldly pleasures.
Brahmanism: An ancient Indian religion in which the Brahmins (priests and religious scholars) are the dominant class.
Caste system: A social order that has determined one's place in ancient Indian society.
Dharma: A key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and others. It means one's spiritual duties or "right way of living" and "path of rightness". It is symbolized by the "Dharma Wheel."
edict: A command that is obeyed like a law. King Ashoka had his edicts carved into walls, rocks and pillars to promote Buddhist values, general welfare, justice and security.
glacier: A huge mass of ice that slowly slides over a land area.
Harappa: India's first civilization located along the Indus River.
Karma: The effect a person's actions have on their soul and their next life.
metallurgy: The art and science of working with metals (metalwork) such as gold, copper and iron which was founded in Ancient India.
Meditation: Focusing one's mind on spiritual ideas.
Mohenjo-Daro: One of the first major settlements in ancient India that became a center of the Indus valley civilization.
Moksha: Achieved when one is released from the cycle of rebirth.
monastery: A home for monks.
monsoon: A strong wind that brings heavy rain to southern Asia in the summer.
mural: A wall painting.
nirvana: An ideal state of happiness and peace.
pilgrimage: A journey to a holy place.
plateau: A flat area of land that is elevated, or raised, above the land around it.
reincarnation: The belief that a person's soul is reborn into a new body after death.
Sanskrit: An ancient language of India.
scroll: A roll of material for writing like paper or papyrus.
sewer system: A network of pipes that disposes of sewage or wastewater. Was developed in Mohenjo-Daro around 2000 BCE.
Subcontinent: A large landmass smaller than a continent especially; a major subdivision of a continent.
Vedas: A collection of Hindu sacred writings.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary relating to ancient India.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Must have 3 terms, correct definitions, and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.
Discuss the concept of languages in general and how they have impacted human lives significantly. Gradually, teachers can talk about different languages spoken in ancient Indian civilizations and how each language differed from the other. For instance, Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit were some common ancient Indian languages of the time period.
Teachers can prepare a list of loanwords or the words that other languages use from the ancient Indian languages. This list will help the students analyze what words in what context are found familiar and what other languages use these words. Students can also play an interactive game where they can guess why a word is similar in different languages.
Discuss how geography plays an important role in the exchange of cultures and languages. Ask the students to analyze how countries located near to each other have similar cultures, traditions, foods, and even similar languages. For instance, modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have really similar languages and cultural values.
Introduce ideas from history and culture that have shaped language. For instance, terms like "Mahatma," "Guru," and "Bodhisattva" have cultural importance that transcends language barriers. Teachers can also explain how the relationship between languages and cultures can be considered cyclic. For instance, cultures and influences languages and languages can influence cultures.
Encourage debates regarding the historical, theological, and cultural contexts that these borrowed terms are surrounded by. Encourage the students to consider the ways in which language represents cultural interaction. Students can also uncover other aspects of this influence.
Once students are aware of the meanings and use of all the complex terms present in a text, their comprehension will improve and they will not get confused in the middle of the lessons. This will help the students and teachers get on the same page before the lectures and reading, and it will also make the process easier and smoother as compared to being unaware of the vocabulary terms.
Many modern languages, particularly those in areas where Indian culture and philosophy have had a considerable effect, have adopted ancient Indian terminology, notably from Sanskrit. Students can also analyze how they might have heard words from ancient Indian languages like yoga, avatar, and many more in their daily lives.