Ancient India

Mapping and Geography

Here is a link to a great worksheet you can download.  It is applicable for both a modern or ancient study of India.  It helps students get a great sense of the area around India.  It is important that they leave with a sense of the key parts of India's geography.  The mountain ranges surrounding it and the fact that India is a peninsula.

Possible Lessons

The following are some worksheets that could support build-up lessons on the Indus Valley and Ancient India. I would do a selection of these lessons, or all of them before starting the ABC book project.

Time Line - Cut out and sort the items into correct order.  Have students create an illustrated paper time line or use an online time line generator.

Geography of India - Students research and take notes on the three major geographical areas that make up India.

An Inviting Land - Students use this sheet to record information from Ancient Worlds textbook about the geography and climate.  They do a comparison between Kabul and New Delhi climates.

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro - Students create a Venn Diagram to compare these two great cities from the Indus Valley.

Hinduism and Buddhism - Students use a Venn Diagram to compare the two religions.  It is recommended that they take notes first.  I love Cornell notes, but any method will do!
In addition, I have students complete a chart where they define the basic components of the Caste System.

Learning from Artifacts:
Use these artifacts to learn about the society!  Primary sources are always a good thing! Worksheet includes QR codes to take students directly to the source
Links to 4 artifacts from at the MMET website:

1- Stamp seal and a modern impression: unicorn or bull and inscription, Mature Harappan period, ca. 2600–1900 B.C.
2 - Bowl with painted decoration, ca. 2600–1900 B.C
3- Recumbent mouflon, Mature Harappan period, ca. 2600–1900 B.C.
4 - Anthropomorph, ca. 1500 B.C.

The Decline of Indus Valley - Student use information in Ancient Words to compete a chart of possible reasons for the decline of the Indus Valley civilization.

Project Ideas

Ancient / Modern ABC booklet.  Spans from the Indus Valley through the Gupta Dynasty to modern times.

The Any Civilization Project- Completed in groups or as an individual.
Can do the Any Country Project as a compliment project!

Newspaper Project - Best done in groups.

Modern Lesson Ideas

Compare and Contrast a day in the life.  
Use Day in the Life: India on the TIme for Kids website.
Before you show them Yoshita Sharma's day, have them document their day with identical time frames.  I have created this handout for them to fill in:
A Day in My Life
Then read and take notes on a Day in the Life: India.  After this, have them complete a Venn diagram where they compare their life to Yoshita Sharma's.  I would follow this up with a compare and contrast paragraph.  
Here is a rubric for this assignment:
Comparing My Life with Another



If It were My Home - Visit this website to compare how their life would be different through mini facts.It also has additional information about each country and some suggested books.

Mini Fact Example:
"If India were your home instead of Canada you would make 91.93% less money, Die 14.83 years sooner."