Teacher Information for Student Activities

The Ramayana
Teacher Information | Student Worksheets

The World of the Ramayana: Visual Texts
Teacher Information | Student Worksheets

Searching the Internet for Shinto
Teacher Information | Student Worksheets

 
Note: Some sites used in these activities contain large quantities of images which may take some time to download.

THE RAMAYANA

These student activities (using the Ramayana as their focus) encourage students to research the role of epic tales in community life and culture and to develop a wider understanding and appreciation of the epic as a form of literature.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• interact with others to systematically seek and store information and develop and present ideas in spoken and written forms appropriate to their peers
• read and view texts with teacher guidance to identify and discuss how linguistic structures and features work to shape readers' and viewers' understanding of the texts
• select, use and reflect on strategies appropriate for reading or viewing different kinds of texts
• use their knowledge of conventions of narrative text to construct meaning from a range of text types
• use writing to convey information, adjusting it to suit their audience of peers
• be aware of adjusting their writing to take into account aspects of context, purpose and audience
• draw on planning and review strategies that assist in effectively completing different tasks.

1 The Characters in The Ramayana

This website has illustrations of gods from the epic including Hanuman, Rama and Sita, and Ganesh. The site is easily accessible for this level of learner although it does include a large number of advertisements.
http://www.hindunet.org/god/summary/index.htm

Suggested Approach

Students should access the site and view the illustrations, then select ones of Rama and Sita, Hanuman (the monkey god) and Ganesh (the elephant-headed god). Students should be encouraged to describe their own perceptions of the appearance and characteristics of each character.

2 Ramayana and Visual Material

This site includes a copy of an old, charming and elegantly illustrated text containing the story of Rama's time as an exile in the forest. Use the back and forward arrows at the bottom of each page to view the twelve paintings and read the accompanying story.
http://www.goloka.com/docs/rama/rama_01.html

Suggested Approach

Students should work in pairs or groups to access the site. They should read the text and view the illustrations and decide how well the illustrations contribute to the story. They may write a short critical review of the text.

3 Festivals Associated with The Ramayana

This website includes descriptions of important Indian festivals and an annotated calendar.
http://www.hindunet.org/festivals/

Suggested Approach

Start with the calendar. It contains festival dates for the current year and links to information about the festivals. The major festivals are also listed, with links for more information, from the first page. Some descriptions are easy to read, others become complicated after the first paragraph or two. Students should be encouraged to pick out important points only: these are to be found near the beginning.

4 The Author of The Ramayana

This description of Valmiki is very long and the language is quite archaic. However, this is the most detailed and sensitive version of this story available and it raises some very interesting issues that are addressed in the activities. The student activity deals only with the first three pages.

The student worksheet for this activity is designed for group work. Groups should look at cultural values and the lifestyle of people in ancient times, and think about which cultural and moral beliefs and values are still relevant today. This website is particularly suitable for use with more advanced classes.
http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/valmiki/

Suggested Approach

This activity should be undertaken by two groups of students. Locate the website and assist with the reading of the story. Check students' understanding within the groups and encourage them to discuss possible answers to the questions on the worksheet.

The groups should be able to develop their final presentations comfortably if the initial reading and question phase is well supported by teachers.

Additional Web Resources

A brief version of the Ramayana story with some illustrations of key parts may be found at: http://www.askasia.org/frclasrm/lessplan/l000054.htm

Rama and Sita are also clearly portrayed in 'Rama at the Hermitage of Sage Atri': http://www.goloka.com/docs/rama/rama_04.html

Teachers interested in teaching about Hindu culture will find http://www.hindunet.org/ a very useful resource.

A detailed story of the Ramayana and the history of the miniatures is available at: http://www.goloka.com/docs/rama/index.html

THE WORLD OF THE RAMAYANA: VISUAL TEXTS

This student activity sheet encourages students to appreciate the form, content and purposes of visual texts related to the Ramayana in print, bas-relief on religious structures and in contemporary media.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• justify their own interpretations of ideas, information and events in texts that contain some unfamiliar concepts and topics and introduce relatively complex linguistic structures and features
• select, use and reflect on strategies appropriate for different texts for reading or viewing purposes
• draw on planning and review strategies that assist in effectively completing different tasks.

Suggested Approach

Individually or in small groups, students could work through the student activities based on the following sites.

1 The Ramayana--Print Illustrations

This story from the Ramayana is accessible and the illustrations are easy to study. It is an appealing site suitable for text and graphic study for a range of proficiency levels.
http://www.goloka.com/docs/rama/rama_01.html

The 'Borobudur' Website is slow to download, but it has a number of excellent graphics and a map of the location. Attractive and quite small, the website is accessible and informative.
http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/Borobudur/E/Bouddhisme.html

There are many websites about Monkey and The Tripitaka and Monkey - from the most academic to fan-sponsored sites with discussions about the plot of the popular television series. The following have been chosen because they are simple, informative and accessible.
http://www.china-on-site.com/literatu/classic/west/
http://www.purifymind.com/JourneyWest.htm

SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR SHINTO

This student activity sheet aims to improve students' Internet search skills, asking them to target and locate information, and to develop an appreciation of the characteristics of a useful website.

The student activity sheet requires students to:

• investigate Shinto
• develop search skills for efficient location of specific information
• develop an appreciation of the qualities of a useful website.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• independently search for and locate appropriate websites
• assess the usefulness and usability of particular websites
• refine and develop search criteria within a given framework
• locate, read and discuss a variety of relevant resource material
• collect and store information
• appropriately present material.

Teacher Support: Websites

Shinto information is available at the 'Basic Terms of Shinto' site:
http://www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/bts/index.html

A list of search engines and a guide on their use is available in the Resources section on this website.

Suggested Approach

1. Class decides on appropriate criteria for choosing the best website found in this activity. Consideration should be given to:
   • whether information on website is valid and up-to-date
   • relevance to the search or query.
   • accessibility (ease of moving around the site, presence and usefulness of indexes, contents and hotlinks)
   • presentation (layout, colours, quality, quantity and relevance of graphics, presence or absence of advertising)
   • time taken to download the website

2. Class brainstorms and lists vocabulary and criteria to use for their search (synonyms and associated paraphrases).

3. Class decides upon the kind of information considered satisfactory for the set task.

   

4. Groups or teams undertake Internet searches and select and collate information. Note particular words and phrases that are the most successful. Assess the websites found against the criteria for choosing the best website.

5. Groups or teams use information to develop a paragraph-length report on the results of the search task.

6. Groups or teams design the framework for a website to present the information obtained, using appropriate criteria.