ALEX Learning Activity

  

What Everyone Needs to Know about Climate and Geography in India

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

You may save this Learning Activity to your hard drive as an .html file by selecting “File”,then “Save As” from your browser’s pull down menu. The file name extension must be .html.
  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Myra Harris
System:Hale County
School:Greensboro Middle School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2301
Title:
What Everyone Needs to Know about Climate and Geography in India
Digital Tool/Resource:
India Geography/Edpuzzle
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

This learning activity should be used during a lesson on the climate and geography of India and the effects this had on the development of the region. The students will watch an informative and interactive video from Edpuzzle on the climate and geography of India.  The video will pause at various times to allow students to answer comprehension questions about the video's content.  After watching the video, the class will participate in a whole class discussion on how the rivers, deserts, monsoons, and mountains had an impact on the development of India.

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX  Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 8
World History to 1500
8 ) Describe the development of a classical civilization in India and China.

Examples: India—religions, arts and literature, philosophies, empires, caste system

China—religions, politics, centrality of the family, Zhou and Han Dynasties, inventions, economic impact of the Silk Road and European trade, dynastic transitions

•  Identifying the effect of monsoons on India
•  Identifying landforms and climate regions of China
Example: marking landforms and climate regions of China on a map

Unpacked Content
Strand: Geography, History
Course Title: World History to 1500
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Describe the development of a classical civilizations in India and China and the influence of geography and economics on this development.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • subcontinent
  • dharma
  • karma
  • reincarnation
  • caste
  • filial piety
  • classical civilization
  • Varna
  • enlightenment
  • meditation
  • nirvana
  • Daoism
  • Confucianism
  • Legalism
  • acupuncture
  • oracle
  • mandate of heaven
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • The development of a classical civilization in India and China.
  • The climate and geography of India and China and the effects these had on the development of each region.
  • The social and political impact of major groups on the development of India and China.
  • The effects of religion and philosophy on Indian and Chinese societies and the effects of Indian and Chinese cultures and geographies on the development of religions and philosophies.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Analyze textual evidence of primary and secondary sources.
  • Locate places on a map.
  • Identify the effects of religious beliefs and practices on societies.
  • Describe how geography influenced culture.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • The civilizations in India and China development into advanced, sophisticated civilizations.
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.8.8- Locate India and China on a world map; recognize at least one accomplishment of classical civilizations in India and China including the Great Wall, gunpowder, fireworks, and the Taj Mahal; recognize major landforms and climate patterns including monsoon season, the Himalayas, and the Yellow River.
Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to identify the climate and geography of India and the effects these had on the development of each region.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
Before/Engage
Activity:

This learning activity is an engaging activity that should be used at the beginning of a lesson about the climate and geography of India.

For automatic grading of the video, the teacher and students will need to have an account on Edpuzzle.  If students have a Gmail account, they can sign up for an Edpuzzle account through Gmail.  Edpuzzle is free to use.  After creating an account, teachers will give their students a class code to join their class.  Then the teacher will be able to send the video to each student through google classroom, Edmodo, or any other file sharing system.  

Share the video: India Geography

The students will watch this individually on their Internet-connected devices and answer the embedded questions in the video. 

After watching the clip, lead a whole class discussion on the following questions:

  • Why is it important to develop a civilization near a river?

  • How was the Ganges River used in early India?

  • What is the significance of the Himalaya mountains?

  • Why is the monsoon season important to India?

  • What impact do you think the geography had on the development of India?
Assessment Strategies:

The students' answers to the embedded questions will determine if the objectives have been met and can be used as the assessment for this learning activity.
Advanced Preparation:

Students should be familiar with the characteristics of a civilization. The teacher will need to be able to display the video clip.  The teacher will need to set up an Edpuzzle account and create a class with a class code.  The video should already be shared with the students via Gmail, Google Classroom, Edmodo, or any other way the teacher chooses to share files.
Variation Tips (optional):
 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

The video clip is a YouTube video.  If your school has filters on their system and YouTube is blocked, you can use a free YouTube converter and download the clip onto your computer.
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: climate, Ganges River, geography, Himalaya Mountains, India, monsoons