Summary of Raining Surprises
Raining Surprisesis a 48 page story book intended for Australian students in years 5-7. Full-colour photographs are included on every page,

It is the story of Henry, an eleven-year-old Australian boy whose parents tell him they are going to take him to India, where they are going on a business trip. He doesn't know much about India and neither do his classmates but they tell him he won't like it. He doesn't want to go.

In India, however, Henry spends time with the families of his parents' business partners. He finds a lot of things in common with them and some differences but he enjoys himself enormously. He visits New Delhi, Shimla, Agra, Jaipur, Cochin, Bangalore and Goa. Eventually, Henry writes the book so that his classmates can read about what India is really like: 'A place full of surprises everywhere I looked'.

Many aspects of Henry's trip raise issues and questions about India that can lead to further discussion and study. Among other things, for example, he sees:

• A variety of young people with a variety of interests.
• Extended families.
• People following several religions.
• Historic art and architecture.
• A variety of foods.
• Crowded cities and holiday resorts.

Student work on topics such as these is facilitated by the materials included in Exploring India.

Summary of Exploring India
Exploring India is a resource book for teachers and includes 13 units of student work on various aspects of India. Most units relate to aspects of Henry's trip to India in Raining Surprises and include resource sheets which can be reproduced for student use. The following table illustrates the breadth of material in Exploring India.

Unit of Work	Key Learning Areas
1. What do students already know about India? Introductory activities.	Studies of Society and Environment
2. India-location and size Students use outline maps and atlases to estimate the relative areas of India and Australia. They then use accurate information about areas to complete other mathematical activities.	Mathematics
3. Sand and snow Students learn about factors influencing the Indian climate and use statistics provided to complete a comprehensive worksheet.	Studies of Society and Environment
4. Crowded India Students develop physical and graphical representations of the relative populations of India and Australia and discuss the results.	Mathematics, Studies of Society and Environment
5. Holy India Students use resource sheets provided to explore the effect of Hinduism and Islam on daily life. They also devise and implement a survey about religion in their own community.	Studies of Society and Environment
6. The magnificent Mughals Students investigate features of Mughal art and architecture and develop original art work based on designs from the Taj Mahal.	The Arts, Mathematics
7. The spice of life Students look at reasons for choosing various foods, investigate the spices and other ingredients used in Indian food and prepare some Indian dishes.	Health and Physical Education
8. Indian clothing Students learn about various styles of Indian clothing, develop their own designs and practise fabric printing and hand decoration techniques.	Technology, The Arts
9. Silk, the queen of textiles Students use resource sheets provided to make a timeline which shows the history of silk production. They then have the opportunity to raise their own silkworms.	Studies of Society and Environment, Science
10. Indian natural wildlife Students learn about the variety of Indian wildlife and focus on Project Tiger, a conservation project in India.	Science
11. Sanjeet's day Students compare their own lives with that of Sanjeet, a Sikh boy in New Delhi. They also learn to play carrom, an indoor game popular in India.	Studies of Society and Environment
12. What's on TV? Students study a contemporary Indian TV guide and compare the offerings with those in their own area.	The Arts
13. India's national emblems-What do they mean? Students look at familiar emblems and insignia and then learn about the Ashokan lion capital and the design of the Indian flag.	The Arts

Using Raining Surprises and Exploring India
The two books can be used to support an integrated or thematic approach to curriculum. The study of Raining Surprises itself relates to the English Key Learning Area. In the units of Exploring India, although the Studies of Society and Environment Key Learning Area is most prominent, there is material relating to the others as well. With the possible addition of further resources, Raining Surprises and Exploring India could form the nucleus of an integrated program of student work about India.

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