Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. For this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates terms that are commonly used in India and Pakistan, and are used frequently in The Night Diary.
Students will preview the terms and definitions and use whole class or small group discussion to demonstrate their understanding of each meaning. This can be done at the beginning of each chapter so that students can preview what they will read or teachers could decide to do at the end of a chapter as an assessment. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.
Bindi: A dot Hindu women sometimes wear in the center of their forehead to signify different things such as religion, class, and marital status.
Cricket: A popular game using a bat and a ball played commonly in India, Pakistan, and many other countries.
Dadi: A Hindu word for one’s paternal grandmother.
Dal: A stew made of split lentils or split peas and spices.
Dhoti: A garment for males that consists of a piece of fabric that wraps around the waist and covers the legs.
Diwali: A popular Hindu holiday that takes place over five days. It is a festival of lights and signifies the triumph of light over darkness.
Hindu: A follower of Hinduism, which is the world’s oldest organized religion that is still practiced today. Hindus believe in several deities and writings, and the majority of Hindus live in India today.
Kheer: A sweet pudding usually made with rice and milk and flavored with saffron, raisins, or nuts.
Khol: Eye makeup.
Muslim: One who follows the religion of Islam. Muslims follow the words of the Quran, and primarily live in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia.
Punjab: A province in British-ruled India that was split into two parts, one belonging to India, and the other belonging to Pakistan. It was an area of horrible riots and violence during the time of Partition.
Rupee: The basic unit of money in India and Pakistan.
Samosa: A small triangular shaped fried pastry filled with spiced vegetables or meat.
Sari: A decorative garment worn by women that is wrapped a certain way around the body.
Sikh: A follower of Sikhism, which originated in the Punjab region of India in the 15th century. The majority of Sikhs live in Punjab, India.
Sitar: A fretted string instrument played in Indian music.
Topi: A circular prayer cap worn by Muslim men in India and Pakistan.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a spider map that defines and illustrates the meaning of vocabulary from The Night Diary.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Must have 3 terms, correct definitions, and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.