Ancient India lesson plan ED 2135

Ancient India lesson plan - Class 2 - ED2135

WHY.
Some Steiner schools teach the cultural epochs in one 3 week block in Class 5. Other schools such as ours prefer to alot one epoch per year throughout the 7 years. In Class 1 we look at the Atlantean times when man was still in his Garden of Eden and part of the spiritual world around him. In Class 2 we move to the Ancient Indian epoch where man was very aware of not being part of the spiritual world and yearned for it or spent years striving for understanding via the Buddha's teachings or other meditations.
The other epochs studied go as follows:- Class 3 - Persia and the story of Zarathustra, Class 4 - Ancient Egypt, Class 5 - Ancient Greece, Class 6 - Ancient Rome, Class 7 - Arthurian legends.
Each epoch resonates with the soul development of the children of the appropriate age group and can be explored in a variety of ways, through all sorts of lessons and experiences.

In Class 2 we will be studying some of the gods of Ancient (and modern) India, the clothes, animals, dance, music, food and customs. It is culminated with an end of year play.
It is such a broad subject that it is hard to cover it in one 3 week main lesson block so it is spread out over the year. Fortunately I have parents in the class involved in dance and music who are happy to contribute time and expertise.

This lesson is part of a 3 week main lesson set in ancient India. The Class two children have been hearing the serial story of Mahalia and Bharata, two young people who have broken with the strict rules of the caste system and have run off together. Mahalia is the daughter of a laundryman and Bharata the son of a rich Brahmin. Through listening to this story the children have been learning about the Hindu gods, Indian customs and wildlife. They have learnt some basic dance steps,listened to a musical performance, made some Indian food and are making saris and T shirts for their end of year play which is based on this story. Throughout the year they have made a felt elephant and modelled clay animals. Everyone is involved in some way. The lesson described below is one day in the life of this 3 week main lesson and has a Natural Science flavour.

MAIN LESSON TERM 4 2007

KLA - SAT

Outcomes - LTS1.3

LTS1.6

KLA - CAPA

Outcomes - MUS1.1

VAS1.1

9 am-9.05 - Morning verse and greetings. (Glasser)

9.05 - 9.25 - Weekly spelling list work, students choose a word and read and spell it, everyone has a turn. (1.) Times tables practice with percussion.(2.)

9.30 - 9.40 - Tiger song sheet is handed out and the children listen and join in. (1, 3.) The class wonder audibly why they have a song about a tiger, they start to get excited.

9.40 - 9.55 - General discussion about cats, who has one, how they move, how quiet they are, how they can go from sound sleep to action very quickly.(6) Ask some students to demonstrate cat movements, get class to close their eyes to see how quietly their friends can walk. (5)Ask class what size cat door they would need for a tiger, ask who has seen one, where it was, what sort of environment it was in. Tell children how big a tiger can be and demonstrate size.Important points to make are that tigers love swimming, have a large territory and are solitary unlike lions. (6) Ask what general knowledge they have about tigers and then lead into the story after some quick revision about the previous day's story.(Vygotsky). For the sleepy heads I insert some nonsense scenarios that did not happen and enjoy the confusion and laughter.

10.00 - 10.15 - Students listen to the new part of the home grown story introducing Dream-Eyes the tiger who was wounded in the hunt for Mahalia and Bharata. This is followed by more tiger discussion, in my class everyone is an expert.(1)

10.15 - 10.40 - Students set up their paints and do a painting of a tiger as directed by myself. They use the colours yellow, gold, orange and purple. The painting takes most of the children about 15 minutes and they start to pack up. We sing the song again.(3,4.)

10.40 - The students stand quietly while I congratulate them on their beautiful paintings. I ask them to bring in a drawing or a model of their idea of a perfect tiger enclosure. (Piaget)

Class is released for recess.

SONG.

"I'm a tiger, let me sleep.

Don't wake me, let me dream.

It's so cool here in the shade,

As cool as a flowing stream.

But now I'm awake! Alert strong awake.

Let the forest be aware, I'm a stripey here-and-there.

With my ever ready jaws and my velvet paddy paws,

Now I'm on the prowl, as quiet as an owl.

A quiver and a creep, a longing and a LEAP!

Now I'm tired."

This lesson has yet to be taught so no evaluation available . I have tried to incorporate at least three Intelligences into the lesson, but I believe I have covered more.

1.Linguistic

2.Mathematical

3.Musical

4.Spacial

5.Bodily kinesthetic

6.Naturistic

I know if deep learning is taking place by observing play activities in the playground, (Vygotsky)fielding questions in casual conversations and seeing the books they get from the library. If the lesson has hit the spot they always do their own research.(Piaget) (Bloom)

By approaching a subject in a threefold way - through their head forces in discussions, through their heart forces through story and through their will in the painting activity, the learning process is usually very thorough and deep.