The Globally Ignored Country of Sri LankaA Resource Unit for K-6 Students

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Prepared By:

Laurie Goode, Jennifer Litts, Megan McFadden

Table of Contents

Description Prepared By Page

Historical Narrative Collaborative 3Lesson Plan #1 Map/Globe Skills Collaborative 12Lesson Plan #2 Art Series Jen Litts 21Lesson Plan #3 Biography Megan McFadden 34Lesson Plan #4 Inquiry Laurie Goode 43Artifact #1 Collaborative 52Artifact #2 Laurie Goode 54Artifact #3 Megan McFadden 60Artifact #4 Jen Litts 65Primary Assessment Collaborative 70Intermediate Assessment Collaborative 73Appendix A: Standards Collaborative 75Expenses Collaborative 76

Historical Narrative: Sri Lanka

Introduction

Sri Lanka is a country that has been globally ignored in the United States school system

and curriculum. It is a country that struggled for independence from British control, similar to

the United States, gaining independence in 1948. Up until 1972, Sri Lanka was named Ceylon.

Sri Lanka is a small island (about the size of West Virginia) located off the coast of India in

Asia. The country has a diverse landscape, with coastal plains in the northern part of the country

and hills and mountains in the southern part. Located on the southwestern coast is the largest city

and capital, Colombo. This small, globally ignored island has a population of 20.1 million people

with the most prominent religion being Buddhism (U.S. Department of State, 2008,

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5249.htm).

Being able to understand globally ignored countries such as Sri Lanka is important for

children in the United States. Living in such a diverse nation makes it essential that our children

are educated worldwide. We want our children to have a well-rounded education that is aware of

other countries in the world. It is essential to infuse “various perspectives from ethnic groups in

such a way that the complexity of U.S. society is addressed” (McEachron, 2001 p. 170), through

the transformational approach to education. Learning about the Sri Lankan culture through the

transformational approach will help our students become more informed individuals that have a

better understanding of the world outside of the United States. This unit provides an illustration

of the importance of studying countries such as Sri Lanka.

The study of different cultures can and should be incorporated into the elementary

curriculum. This unit on Sri Lanka offers many opportunities to incorporate a globally ignored

culture into the curriculum while still meeting the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). This

culture kit highlights many of the SOLs. In lesson one the SOL that is emphasized is 3.5 where

the students develop map skills by “locating specific places on a simple letter-number grid

system” (SOL, 2008, http://www.doe.virginia.gov/go/Sols/history3.pdf). This map lesson also

meets Standard 1c of the National Social Studies Standard, using appropriate resources such as

grid systems to generate and interpret information. The National Standards for Art Education and

the Visual Arts Standards of Learning are used in lesson two and artifact 1. Here students use

symbols and ideas to communicate meaning as well as gain a greater understanding of visual arts

in relation to history and cultures.

The SOL standards for civics and economics are demonstrated in lesson three as students

explore civic engagement through biography. It is also seen in lesson four where the students are

engaged in an inquiry assignment. During this lesson, students examine secondary resources and

review information. The students are to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.

All of the lessons presented in this culture kit have been formulated on the foundation of the

National and Virginia Standards of Learning. Appendix A provides a list of the specific

standards used in this culture kit.

Key Ideas and Events

With the primary focus of the curriculum on Western history, Sri Lanka offers an

insightful look into events that were taking place on the other side of the world. However, even

before comparing and contrasting events in modern history, Sri Lanka is rich in history with

people dating back on the island to 500,000 BC (Info Please, 2008,

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107992.html). In the 5th century B.C. there was Indo-Aryan

emigration from India, which has formed the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka today, Sinhalese.

The second largest ethnic group today is the Tamils, who originally emigrated to Sri Lanka

between the 3rd century B.C. and A.D. 1200. The Sinhalese and Tamils fought to gain control of

Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) but both lost control in 1505 when the Portuguese took possession. In

1796 the British seized control and remained in control until 1948. On February 4, 1948 Ceylon,

now Sri Lanka, gained independence from British control (Info Please, 2008,

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107992.html).

Sri Lankan history can be used in today’s curriculum to examine how governments and

ruling powers shift over time, especially in a country that has such a long history. Students can

hypothesize whether the United States of America will remain a democracy since it is young

compared to Sri Lanka who has been through multiple government changes, from the exiled

Indian Prince Vijaya to European colonialism to today’s Janaraja Constitution (Info Please,

2008, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107992.html).

According to the Mahavamsa, or the Great Chronicles of Sri Lanka, the first king of Sri

Lanka was the exiled prince of India, Prince Vijaya. He was exiled by an Indian king due to the

large amounts of violence he and his followers caused to the people of India. After being put on

a ship with 700 of his followers, Vijaya became the king of Sri Lanka after landing on the island.

Vijaya led the island in a peaceful manner until his death when his brother took over power (The

Mahavamsa, 2007, http://mahavamsa.org/).

In 1815, the island known then as Ceylon was controlled in its entirety by Britain, the

first time a European nation controlled the entire island (BBC News, 2008,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1166237.stm). Soon after, large

plantations spread throughout the country to change cash crops from cinnamon to coffee and tea

(Info Please, 2008, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107992.html). Tea remains an important

crop of Sri Lanka today, and Lipton tea draws resources primarily from Sri Lanka.

In 1959, a Sri Lankan widow, Srimavo Bandaranaike, became the first Prime Minister in

the world. This was a major movement for women’s suffrage that is unknown throughout much

of the world. Bandaranaike succeeded her husband who was assassinated by a Buddhist monk

(BBC News, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1166237.stm).

Being the first female Prime Minister is a notable milestone in history as it is an elected position.

While there had been other female leaders of the past in matriarchal societies, these women were

not elected to power by the masses as Bandaranaike was. Because of the organization of the

government, Prime Minister Bandaranaike was the head of the government holding the highest

political office one could hold.

Men, Women, Youth, and ChildrenThe nation of Sri Lanka is composed of ethnics groups formed primarily around language

and religion, which has served as a source of conflict for the country (Cummings, Cannon, Elliott

& Ver Berkmoes, 2006). Currently, Sri Lanka’s population of 20.9 million is composed of 74%

Sinhalese, 12% Sri Lankan or Ceylon Tamils (whose ancestors have lived on the island for

centuries), 6% Indian Tamils (whose ancestors were brought to the island during the British

colonial area), 7% Muslims, and the remaining 1% composed of Malays, Burghers (Dutch

colonists’ descendants), and Veddahs (the original island inhabitants) (CultureGrams 2009,

2008).

The Sinhalese of Sri Lanka speak Sinhala, which is one of the national languages, and

predominantly practice Buddhism, which is about 70% of the total population (CultureGrams

2009, 2008). Within the Sinhalese, there is a caste system that had traditionally played an

important role. About 50% of this group belongs to the highest caste of Govigama, whose

ancestors were landowners and cultivators. Further down are the Karava, Hakurus, Berawaya,

Paduvua, Radhu, and Rodiya whose ancestry range from fisherfolk to washerfolk to beggars.

However, the Sinhalese caste system holds little relevance today and is generally only considered

in marital arrangements (Cummings et al., 2006).

As a group, the Tamil of Sri Lanka speak Tamil, which is another national language, and

compose the majority of the 15% Hindu practitioners in the country. Within the Tamil form of

Hindu worship, the god Shiva is centered upon but individuals pray to other deities. For example,

students can pray to Saraswathi or Ganesh for help with their studies (CultureGrams 2009,

2008). Within the Tamil, there also exists a caste system. Like the Sinhalese caste system, the

daily lives of the Tamil people are not completely controlled by the system, but the Tamil caste

system does have more importance and influence than the Sinhalese. Highest of all the Tamil

castes are the Brahmin (priests) followed by those similar to the Sinhalese Govigama. As the

order descends, castes move from artisans and laborers, to butchers and cleaners, and finally to

the lowest caste, the Untouchables, who were once forbidden to enter temples or own land

(Cummings et al., 2006).

Though the aforementioned religions and languages belong to the majority and main

minority groups, other groups do exist. The Muslims of Sri Lanka are almost entirely Moors,

which is about 7% of the population. Christianity also exists within Sri Lanka, and about 8% are

reportedly Christian. About 10% of Sri Lankans speak English (CultureGrams 2009, 2008), and

many Sri Lankans are bilingual or even trilingual (Cummings et al., 2006).

Unfortunately, these different ethnic groups do not currently live in peace with one

another. Sri Lanka was peacefully released from their over 130 years of complete control by

Britain in 1948 (CultureGrams 2009, 2008). Once released from rule, the Sinhalese majority was

in power in the government and wanted to elevate their status, thus they established the

“Sinhalese only law” instead of English. However, this was the beginning of conflict between the

Sinhalese and the Tamil, whose language is Tamil (Cummings, Cannon, Elliott & Ver

Berkmoes, 2006). Around 1978, insurgence of Tamil factions began clashing with Sinhalese in

northern Sri Lanka in an attempt to create an independent Tamil state. Through the 1980s

thousands of lives were lost, and to date the conflict is still on-going (CultureGrams 2009, 2008).

The role of gender in Sri Lanka has a mixed influence in the culture. Throughout the

country, education is very important for both men and women, which is shown through the 95%

adult male literacy rate and 90% adult female literacy rate. Given this, women can move into all

occupational areas (Cummings et al., 2006), but they “are expected to maintain all household

responsibilities as well (CultureGrams 2009, 2008, p.219). Within marriage contracts, sexual

purity is only essential on the part of the woman, most sports are played by men, and women do

not go out alone after dark (CultureGrams 2009, 2008). The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has also

had negative affects for women. There is a stigma attached to widowhood, so other women will

sometimes avoid those who have lost their husbands in the conflict. Also, it is speculated by

human rights agencies that women and girls may be forced to enlist in the combat due to the

decrease in men and boys.

Conversely, Sri Lanka has given more power to women than other nations. The women

of Sri Lanka were given the right to vote in 1931, and in 1960, Sri Lanka elected the first female

prime minister in the world (Cummings et al., 2006). This woman, named Sirimavo

Bandaranaike, had been a housewife married to Solomon West Ridge-way Dias Bandaranaike,

who was elected prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1956. However, when her husband was

assassinated in 1959, his party, the Sri Lankan Freedom Part, chose her as its new leader and she

was able to mobilize the majority of parliament to support her and she was elected as Prime

Minister (http://www.answers.com/topic/sirimavo-bandaranaike). She continued her husband’s

nationalism policies, and while she was prime minister, she nationalized the American and

British oil companies in Sri Lanka and established a state-controlled commercial banking system

(http://www.answers.com/topic/sirimavo-bandaranaike). After losing the position of prime

minister, Bandaranaike regained the position later in 1970. Bandaranaike’s daughter, Chandrika

Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, was elected president of Sri Lanka in 1994’s general elections, at

which time she appointed her mother to be the prime minister for a third term (Janssen, 2008).

Like women, the lives of children in Sri Lanka are somewhat contradictory. “Sri Lankans

hold special ceremonies to mark events like the birth of a child, the naming of a child, the child’s

first eating of solid food, (and) the passage of a girl from childhood into puberty” CultureGrams

2009, 2008, p.219). As mentioned before, education is very important and nearly 100% of Sri

Lankan youths are literate and complete primary schooling; around 90% complete the secondary

level (CultureGrams 2009, 2008).

However, not all children in Sri Lanka share the same way of living. It is reported that the

minimum working age for children is 14, unless they are working for a parent in which case the

age can be younger. In 2002, over 200,000 children were working instead of attending school.

Also, in certain parts of the country, children are part of the on-going war between the Sinhalese

and the Tamil. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (or the Tamil Tigers) want a separate

Tamil nation, and recruit children to fight in their army as young as 13 years old (Cummings et

al., 2006).When considering reports of war injuries, these include injuries suffered by these

Tamil child soldiers (CultureGrams 2009, 2008).

Closing and Legacy

Sri Lanka has a strong legacy in culture with a diverse, multicultural environment.

Similar to the United States, Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society and has been

since pre-historic times. By studying the history of Sri Lanka you can gain an insight into the

way countries can evolve through centuries. Sri Lanka has gone through many changes with

many different forms of government. It is notable for a woman, Srimavo Bandaranaike,

becoming the world’s first prime minister. Present day Sri Lanka has an important role in the

world today. One way it contributes to the global economy is being an exporter of its tea crop,

providing Lipton’s tea company with the bulk of its tea.

Today Sri Lanka is a place that many people choose to visit. Tourism is one of its main

industries. There are many ancient historical sites that allow people to step into their world.

There are ancient cities to visit such as Dalada Maligawa, the Sinharaja Forest Reserve,

traditional arts and crafts and many more. These are all artifacts and topics that provide for

exceptional learning opportunities. Taking a picture field trip to Sri Lanka can enrich students’

education and offer a multitude of ways to add to the school curriculum while staying in

alignment with the National and Virginia Standards of Learning. Whether you are looking at art,

music, language, people or geography, studying Sri Lanka can have lasting effects on the

curriculum. This unique small island offers the world a culture and heritage that should not be

ignored.

Historical Narrative References

BBC News. (2008).

Biography: Sirimavo Bandaranaike. (2008). Answers.com. Retrieved October 29, 2008,

from http://www.answers.com/topic/sirimavo-bandaranaike.

CultureGrams: world edition 2009: Asia and Oceania (Vol. 4). (2008). Provo, Utah:

ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University.

Cummings, J., Cannon, T., Elliott, M., & Ver Berkmoes, R. (2006). Lonely Planet: Sri

Lanka (10th ed.). Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet Publications.

Janssen, S. (Ed.). (2008). The world almanac and book of facts 2008. New York, NY:

World Almanac Education Group, Inc.

Info Please. (2008). Sri Lanka. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from,

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107992.html.

The Mahavamsa.org. (2007) The Mahavamsa: The Great Chronicles of Sri Lanka. Rerrieved

November 13, 2008, from http://mahavamsa.org/.

McEachron, G., A. (2001). Self in the world: Elementary & middle school social studies. Boston:

McGraw Hill.

Sri Lanka Tourism. (2008). Sri Lanka: A land like no other. Retrieved October 29, 2008, from

http://www.srilankatourism.org/culture_main.php.

The Library of Congress. (2005). A country study: Sri Lanka, Retrieved October 29, 2008, from

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lktoc.html.

U.S. Department of State. (2008). Background note: Sri Lanka. Retrieved October 29, 2008,

from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5249.htm.

Virginia Standards of Learning. (2008). Grade three: Introduction to history and social science. Retrieved October 29, 2008, from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/go/Sols/history3.pdf.

Map/Globe Skills Lesson #1: Sri LankaContext:Topic: Sri Lanka and grid system; Intended Audience: third grade whole group, heterogeneous general education social studies classroom; Time: 1 hour; Class size: 20 students; Lesson plan preparers – Laurie Goode, Jen Litts, and Megan McFadden.

Standards: National Geography Standard: People, Places, and Environments, Early Grades -c) use appropiate resources, data sources, and geographic tools such as atlases, databases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information Virginia Standard of Learning: 3.5 The student will develop map skills bye) locating specific places on a simple letter-number grid system.

Behavioral Objectives:1) After the teacher’s instruction the class will draw a map of their school on graph paper, using a simple letter-number grid to find the library, gym, and cafeteria.2) After guided practice, students will locate cities in Sri Lanka by using a simple letter-number grid system and clues.

Resources:Godakumbure, C. E. (1976). Architecture of Sri Lanka: The culture of Sri Lanka. Department of

Cultural Affairs. Lee, V. & Guruswamy, K. (2003). Welcome to Sri Lanka: Welcome to my country). Gareth

Stevens Publishing. The Library of Congress. (2005). A Country Study: Sri Lanka, Retrieved September 16, 2008.

from http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lktoc.html. Grid world maps (handouts and display), Sri Lankan grid map, grid paper, handouts, scissors, glue.

Content & Instructional Strategies:Introduction (anticipatory set):Ask the students if anyone has heard of Sri Lanka (show Lee & Guruswamy, 2003). Then tell them that today they will learn about Sri Lanka. Hold up the book and let the students look at various pictures, letting them comment on what they see. Show the students a map of the world and point out that Sri Lanka is in Asia. Allow the students to see where it is in relation to the United States to help with their sense of location.

Content Focus (instructional input):Display a grid map of the world. Provide each student with a smaller copy to have in front of them. Ask the students to point to the United States. Choose one student to come point it out on the displayed map. Explain that the lines on the grid help us to find the location of different places in the world. Inform the students that by the end of lesson they will be able to figure out the location of places by using a simple letter-number grid map and explain how it will help them to read maps in the future (objective and its purpose). Point to Sri Lanka on the map and

discuss where it is in relation to the United States (i.e. explain that it is east of the United States and across the Atlantic Ocean). Show pictures of architectural structures from Architecture of Sri Lanka (1976) and explain how important cities have distinct architectural structures that serve as religious and historical sites as well as tourist attractions. Explain how the simple letter-number grid will help us know where places are on an unmarked map if we were to visit these tourist attractions (input). On a piece of oversized graph paper that is hung in the front of the room, draw a map of the school. In order to model the activity for the students, point to the cafeteria and provide instruction on how to use the graph (e.g. if the cafeteria is located in square A1 on the map you will show the students how to move the pointer to find the letter and number that match the location of the cafeteria). In order to check for understanding point to the classroom that is located on the map and ask the students whether it is located on C1 or C3 of the map (the classroom is located on C3). If the students do not seem to understand go over the cafeteria demonstration again. Select a student to come up to the map and point to the gym. Now have the student move the pointer across the map like you demonstrated with the cafeteria to find the letter the gym lines up with. Next have the student move the pointer up to find the number, explaining that since the gym matched up with the letter B and the number 2 it is in the B2 square. Repeat the class activity, choosing another student to find the location of the library (guided practice). Once the students have practiced with the school grid map, pass out the simple number-letter grid map of Sri Lanka, the list of cities and pictures to locate, and clue worksheet (see pages 3-5). Explain that they are going to work with their desk partners to figure out the location of 8 cities in Sri Lanka by using a simple number-letter grid map and clues. When they have figured out the location of a city, they place the city name/picture on the corresponding dot of the grid map (independent practice). After the students have worked completed the map, go over a couple of the city locations making sure everyone understands and collect the work. When all questions are answered, students complete multiple choice questions independently. Finally, discuss how Buddhism influences the architecture of Sri Lanka, especially in the Buddhist statue of Colombo and the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy (closure).

Assessment:Formative: Observation and questioning of students as they practice using the grid map as a whole class. Summative: Completion of the grid map of cities in Sri Lanka and multiple choice questions.

Content/Background Information:Sri Lanka is a pear-shaped island nation located right off the coast of India in Asia. The capital of Sri Lanka is Colombo, which is located on the southwestern coast. Colombo is the largest city in Sri Lanka and is used as the main port. Main cities with architectural structures to note include Colombo with the giant Buddha statue in Viharamahadevi Park, Anuradhapura with a wall of elephant head statues, Kandy featuring the Temple of the Tooth, Galle with its historical defensive stone fort, and Polonnaruwa’s eight wall tier lotus-shaped pond used by ancient monks. The most practiced religion in Sri Lanka is Buddhism, where 70% of the population practices this religion. The cities located on the map below are Jaffna (A3), Colombo (H2), Anuradhapura (D4), Kandy (G4), Hambantota (J5), Galle (J3), Amparai (G7), Polonnaruwa (E4).Vocabulary: Grid - a basic system of reference lines for locating a region, consisting of straight lines intersecting at right angles (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grid)

Cities of Sri Lanka

Directions: Cut the city and picture out to glue on the map in the correct location. Remember to use your map skills and the clues!

Jaffna

Anuradhapura

GalleHambantota

Colombo Polonnaruwa

Kandy Amparai

Clues

Directions: Read the clues to figure out the location of 8 cities in Sri Lanka. Remember to use your map skills!! The pictures will give you hints too!!!

A3: I am an ancient port city in the far North of Sri Lanka. If you can make it through the waterways, you'll find me at A3.

H2: I am the current capital city of Sri Lanka where you can find a giant Buddha statue in my Viharamahadevi Park. If you hopped on a boat from H2, you could cross the Gulf of Mannar to visit India.

D4: I was once the royal capital of Sri Lanka. If you visit me today, you will have to travel just North of E4, but you will be rewarded with the site of a wall of elephant head statues!

G4: I might have a sweet name, but I will not rot your teeth! I am the home of a famous Buddhist temple called The Temple of the Tooth, which protects a very important tooth. If you would like to visit, come on by G4!

J5: On December 26, 2004, a giant wave called a tsunami hit my shores and caused a great deal of destruction to me and my area. However, the cities around me in J5 have been rebuilding.

J3: I am a city on the Southern shore of Sri Lanka which is surrounded by a great stone wall. Believe it or not, I was built as a fort by Portuguese people and then taken over by Dutch people! If you would like to storm the fort yourself, find me at J3.

G7: I am proud to report that my city’s hospital was voted the best for services rendered in all of the Asian Pacific! So, if you are feeling ill, make sure to head over to G7 for the best care you could ask for.

E4: I have so many sites to see that it is hard to choose! But if you would like to stop by E4, you could climb up and down the eight wall tiers of my lotus-shaped pond.

Name___________________________

Name: ________________________

1. Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka. This important port city is located at ___________ on the map.

A. B2B. A4 C. A3

2. If you would like to climb the wall of Polonnaruwa’s lotus pond, to where would you travel on the map?

A. B4B. D3C. C3

KEYS

Clues

Directions: Read the clues to figure out the location of 8 cities in Sri Lanka. Remember to use your map skills!! The pictures will give you hints too!!!

A3: I am an ancient port city in the far North of Sri Lanka. If you can make it through the waterways, you'll find me at A3.

(Jaffna)

H2: I am the current capital city of Sri Lanka where you can find a giant Buddha statue in my Viharamahadevi Park. If you hopped on a boat from H2, you could cross the Gulf of Mannar to visit India.

(Colombo)

D4: I was once the royal capital of Sri Lanka. If you visit me today, you will have to travel just North of E4, but you will be rewarded with the site of a wall of elephant head statues! (Anuradhapura)

G4: I might have a sweet name, but I will not rot your teeth! I am the home of a famous Buddhist temple called The Temple of the Tooth, which protects a very important tooth. If you would like to visit, come on by G4!

(Kandy)

J5: On December 26, 2004, a giant wave called a tsunami hit my shores and caused a great deal of destruction to me and my area. However, the cities around me in J5 have been rebuilding.

(Hambantota)

J3: I am a city on the Southern shore of Sri Lanka which is surrounded by a great stone wall. Believe it or not, I was built as a fort by Portuguese people and then taken over by Dutch people! If you would like to storm the fort yourself, find me at J3.

(Galle)

G7: I am proud to report that my city’s hospital was voted the best for services rendered in all of the Asian Pacific! So, if you are feeling ill, make sure to head over to G7 for the best care you could ask for.

(Amparai)

E4: I have so many sites to see that it is hard to choose! But if you would like to stop by E4, you could climb up and down the eight wall tiers of my lotus-

shaped pond. (Polonnaruw)

Map

Name___________________________

Name: ________________________

1. Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka. This important port city is located at ___________ on the map.

A. B2B. A4 C. A3

2. If you would like to climb the wall of Polonnaruwa’s lotus pond, to where would you travel on the map?

A. B4B. D3C. C3

Critical Thinking in the Arts: Lessons #2 Sri LankaPreparer - Jen Litts

Context: Grade K (VA SOL, National Standards–Art); whole group; 1 hour; 20 studentsStandards: History and Social Science Standards of Learning: K.7 – The student will identify the difference between basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) and wants (things people would like to have).Visual Arts Standards of Learning: K.12 – The student will identify the purposes for creating works of art.National Standards for Art Education (Visual Arts); K-4 Content Standard: #3 – Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas. B. Students select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning. #4 – Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures. A. Students know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures.Behavioral Objectives:1. Using image cards, students will differentiate between needs and wants. 2. After discussion and provided with materials, students will construct their own Sanni masks. Materials/Time/Space: Paper plates with eye-holes and nose tabs pre-cut with tying string already attached (at least 25), crayons, markers, safety scissors, construction paper, glue sticks, image cards, Sanni mask images; 1 hour; whole class. This lesson should be completed in one whole-hour session or two half-hour sessions (the second of which should be review and mask creation).Content & Instruction Strategies:Introduction: Review with students that the class has been learning about Sri Lanka and inform them that today’s lesson will give them the chance to learn about a special kind of art from Sri Lanka. Explain to students that not all art is made just because people want it; sometimes people believe they need it. Ask the students what a “want” is and what a “need” is. Show the image cards to the group one at a time, offering a description of the image. Students should differentiate the images of wants from needs. Afterwards, tell students that health is something people need. Ask students, what do they need when they are sick? (Examples: medicine, sleep, or fluids) Also, what do they want when they are sick? (Examples: stuffed animal, watch TV, or popsicles) After this exercise, hang the first three Sanni mask images on the board (see attached images). Remind students that being healthy is something people need, and that these masks were made to help Sri Lankan people become healthy again. Content Focus: Key Questions: Objective: What do these masks look like? Do these masks look like masks you have ever seen? If so, where? What could these masks be made out of? Reflective: How do these masks make you feel? What stands out the most to you about these masks? What do you imagine when you look at these masks? Interpretive: Why do these masks not look like normal people? Why would people in Sri Lanka have wanted to use these masks? What might these masks represent? Decisional: How do you think these masks were used? How might these masks have helped people feel healthy again? What do you typically do when you get sick?Explain to the students that these are called “Sanni masks,” which have a special purpose. There are a total of eighteen Sanni masks, each representing a different sickness. Tell the students that a long time ago, people in Sri Lanka believed that bad spirits made people sick and that there were

different bad spirits for different illnesses. Sri Lankans believed that the bad spirits had to be frightened away to make people feel better. Since people needed to be healthy, they made these masks to scare away the bad spirits that made them ill. A healer would do a dance while wearing one of these masks to scare away that disease’s bad spirit. Now display the image of Maha Kola, and tell the students that, to end the ceremony, the healer would wear this mask that represents all the different illnesses.To Sri Lankans, the Sanni masks represented “needs.” Tell the students that they are going to make their own Sanni masks. Ask the students for illnesses they sometimes have. Some examples would be sore throat, runny nose, cough, fever, headache, and so on. Each child should choose only one illness to demonstrate in his/her mask. Pass out paper plates with pre-cut eye holes and nose tab (and string already attached) along with markers, crayons, construction paper, safety scissors, and glue sticks. As the children work, travel around to over-see the use of the materials and assist where needed. Closure: Once the masks are complete, instruct the students to sit in a circle with their mask creations. Ask them if the Sri Lankan people believed they needed their masks or wanted their masks. Review with the students that the masks were meant to help people get well. Request that each student present their mask by saying what illness it represents. Ask: Why did you choose this for your mask? What are some things you need when you are sick like this? What are some of the things you want? Hand-out and read multiple choice questions, while students circle answers. Assessment:Formative: Students will be assessed based on observation of active participation in group classification of card images for Wants and Needs as well as on-task behavior while creating their own mask.Summative: Students will be assessed based on their individual mask creations, their explanations of their masks, and their completion of two multiple choice questions (attached). Content/Background Information:In Sri Lanka, there is a ritual called “Sanni Yakuma” that uses eighteen different masks to represent a variety of diseases. Sri Lankans believe that the ill person will begin to feel well again once the bad spirit is scared away. Sri Lankan healers wear these masks and perform the ritual to drive away the demon(s) that is suspected of afflicting the ill person. Although all 18 masks can be used in a ceremony, many times only the masks for the patient’s particular diseases are used. Each mask is unique to a particular disease and has physical features meant to represent its own specific disorder. The masks chosen for this lesson are called Gulma (associated with stomach disease and parasitic worms), Golu (associated with dumbness), and Gedi (associated with boils and skin disease). Gulma is pale, probably a reflection of hookworm anemia. Golu is lacking a tongue and teeth to represent the inability to speak. Gedi is covered with bumps to represent boils. Although it is mentioned that there are variations in some of the masks’ designs, these particular masks are lists as being rather consistent in appearance. The last mask shown is called Maha Kola, (the terrific or all encompassing one), which is the chief bad spirit and appears at the end of the ceremony. This mask includes miniature versions of the 18 possible diseases on its sides. Some people think that the masks help sick people feel better because the sick people believe the bad spirits have left their bodies. When they think this way, it helps them feel healthier. Key Concepts: Needs vs. Wants, Representation of culture through art

Resources

Ambegoda Handicrafts. (No Date). About Masks. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www.ahcrafts.20m.com/custom.html.

Ariyapala & Sons. (2008). Ariyapala & Sons Traditional Masks [Maha Kola Mask]. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from http://masksariyapalasl.com/our_products.htm.

Bailey, M. S., & de Silva, H. J. (23-30 December, 2006). Sri Lanka sanni masks: an ancient classification of disease. BMJ, 333, 1327 – 1328. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/333/7582/1327.pdf.

Image Cards

Wants Needs

Cell Phone Food

Jewels Family

Decorations Home

Name: _______________ Date: _____________

Directions: Circle the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is a NEED to Sri Lankans when they want to get rid of red bumps or boils?

A.

B.

C.

2. Which of the following is a NEED to Sri Lankans when they want to get rid of stomach disease?

A.

B.

C.

Answer Key

Name: _______________ Date: _____________

Directions: Circle the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is a NEED to Sri Lankans when they want to get rid of red bumps or boils?

A.

B.

C.

2. Which of the following is a NEED to Sri Lankans when they want to get rid of stomach disease?

A.

B.

C.

Civic Engagement Lesson #3: Sri LankaContext:Topic: Sri Lanka, biographies and personal character traits; Intended Audience: fourth grade whole group, heterogeneous general education social studies classroom; Time: 1 hour; Class size: 20 students; Lesson plan prepared by –Megan McFadden.

Standards: CE.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life by a) practicing trustworthiness and honesty; b) practicing courtesy and respect for the rights of others; c) practicing responsibility, accountability, and self-reliance;

Behavioral Objectives:1) Students will create a graphic organizer depicting the aspects of Sybil Wettasinghe that demonstrates positive civic behavior. 2) After the reading a small biography on Sybil Wettasinghe and discussing her books, students will write their own story showing trustworthiness, honesty, courtesy, respect, responsibility, or accountability.3) Students will go into a first grade classroom and read The Umbrella Thief by Sybil Wettasinghe, practicing civic discussion.

Resources:1. Wettasinghe, S. (1987). The Umbrella Thief (C. Hirano Trans.) Brooklyn: Kane/Miller Book. (Original book published 1956).2. Wettasinghe, S. (2006). Sybil Wettasinghe. Zeyedia Sol. Retrieved October 23, 2008, from http://www.sybilwettasinghe.com/3. The Sunday Times. (2001). Kuda Hora reaching ‘kuda’ hearts. Retrieved October 28, 2008, from http://sundaytimes.lk/010527/plus2.html. 4. Class copy of Sybil Wettasinghe biography worksheet, word cards for each student (6 word cards with multiple copies), and picture of Sybil Wettasinghe.

Content & Instructional Strategies:Introduction (anticipatory set):Begin lesson by having students share what they believe the terms trustworthy and respect mean. Write the list of ideas on a piece of paper using the document camera so everyone can see. Discuss with the students that these terms are some of the personal character traits that help effective participation in civic life.

Content Focus (instructional input):Start by placing a picture of Sybil Wettasinghe on the document camera. Explain to the students that she is an author from Sri Lanka, stating that she was recognized in Japan for her talent in writing and her emphasis on ethical behavior. Pass out the Kuda Hora Reaching ‘Kuda’ Hearts article (See pages 7-9). Have the students follow along and read in their heads as you read the biography out loud to them. As a class, discuss the article. Direct the discussion to the fact that

Wettasinghe started communicating views with others through newspapers and then through books. Wettasinghe started writing children’s stories at the local level (with the newspaper), then went to the national level (with the children’s books) and then the international level when her books were translated into many languages. Kuda Hora was translated into 12 different languages. After discussion, have the students complete a graphic organizer, providing examples from Wettasinghe’s life that demonstrate positive civic engagement (See page 6). Help the students get started by writing an example on the document camera (e.g. Was recognized with a prize in Japan for her talents or used newspaper as a medium to communicate views to others). When the students have finished the graphic organizer, explain to the students that many times authors write stories to show a message or teach the reader something. Show the students Kuda Hora (The Umbrella Thief) and explain how it is about a monkey who steals umbrellas from a country mouse. Discuss whether the students believe the monkey was trustworthy or not, having students provide reasons for their responses. Explain how there are many books that teach lessons and have themes such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Inform the students that they will be writing their own story that focuses on a positive characteristic. Each student will receive a card with a word on it. The theme of the stories they write will be the word they received on the card (See page 4). Explain the words on each card to the students to help them get started and provide an example for the students (e.g. Say, “If I were given the word sharing and were to write a story about it, I might have two friends fighting over the same toy but in the end of the story have them to decide to share and play together which is more fun anyway.”) Pass out the word cards to each student. Have the students independently work on their stories, quietly at their desk. Tell them that this is a draft and that we will continue working on it in tomorrow’s lesson. When they are finished have the students share their ideas with a partner. Next, after previously making arrangements with a first grade teacher, have the students go to the first grade class and read Kuda Hora (The Umbrella Thief), discussing and explaining to the students what the lesson in the story is. After reading the story, go over how the class just demonstrated civic engagement when they discussed the theme of the story with the first graders. Finally, review how Sybil Wettasinghe demonstrated positive civic engagement. Go back to the graphic organizers and have the students share with the class the ideas they wrote down.

Assessment:Formative: Observation and questioning of students as they write and share their stories with peers. Observation of students as they interact and discuss with first graders.Summative: Completion of the graphic organizers, themed stories and multiple-choice questions

Content/Background Information:Sybil Wettasinghe is a Sri Lankan author and illustrator. She started writing children’s books in 1948 and has been writing them for 60 years. Sybil loves children and has written over 200 books. Her books have been translated into many different languages, including English. She illustrates her books with a style that is individualistic and goes along nicely with her expressive stories. Like many authors, some of her stories touch on topics such as honesty, trustworthiness, responsibility, etc. Students can take away a lot from stories with themes. Books provide great ways to teach about personal characteristics that will help children become upstanding citizens. Kuda Hora (The Umbrella Thief) was originally published in 1956 and was later translated into English in 1987. It has been translated into 12 languages in all (in Japan, English, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Korean, Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Guam, China, and Hong Kong.

Vocabulary: Biography, trustworthiness, honesty, courtesy, respect, responsibility, and accountability

Sybil Wettasinghe

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Each Student should receive one of these words.

TRUSTWORTHINESS: deserving of trust or confidence; dependable; reliable

HONESTY: truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness

COURTESY: excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior

RESPECT: to show regard or consideration for

RESPONSIBILITY: answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management

ACCOUNTABILITY: the state of being liable or answerable

Multiple Choice Questions

Answer the questions below.

1. Sybil Wettasinghe demonstrated positive civic engagement in many ways. She did all of the following, except:

a) She used newspaper as a way to communicate views with others.b) She toured many countries, singing at big concert halls. c) She wrote children’s books that included life lessons for being good citizens.d) She was recognized with a prize in Japan for her talent and emphasis on ethical

behavior.

Extra Credit:How many languages was the book Kuda Hora (The Umbrella Thief) translated into? ________

Sybil

Wettasinghe’s

Life: Exam

ples O

f Civic

Engagem

ent

Sybil

Kuda Hora reaching 'kuda' hearts

For a children's book in Sinhala it is a unique distinction to be translated into 12 foreign languages, to win a prize in competition against other international books, to be featured on a calendar outside this country, and - most significantly of all - to have given so much pleasure to thousands of children that they voted it the most popular book of the year. Yet all these achievements lie to the credit of Sybil Wettasinghe's Kuda Hora (The Umbrella Thief), whose publication in Sinhala 45 years ago launched it on its career of international recognition.

When Kuda Hora first appeared in 1956, children's literature was still in its formative stages in Sri Lanka. The Sinhala book- buying public in Sinhala was yet small, far from affluent, and unused to the very idea of giving children books other than their school texts. Kuda Hora was originally published at 50 cts. in late H.D. Sugathapala's Nava Maga series, to be within the reach of as many purchasers as possible, and the economics of publication determined that except for its bright, bold cover, it should be black and white.

To the superficial eye it may have seemed an unlikely rival to the wealth of many-coloured children's books from abroad which were displayed so plentifully in our bookshops. But Kuda Hora was in fact a new beginning for children's literature in Sinhala.

Sybil Wettasinghe had begun her career as a young artist for the children's page of a newspaper, and had developed a highly individual style of drawing for this purpose - a style which made the most of her gift for lively and expressive line, for comic exaggeration and caricature, for the delineation of a whole personality in a few telling strokes. Kuda Hora was actually her first

attempt at writing a story, and she produced the first version for the Children's page of the Lake House evening newspaper, the Janata, spurred on by the encouragement of her husband, who was working for the same newspaper, and of Denzil Peiris, who was the editor then. This newspaper publication became the germ of what was to later develop into book and then into an international success.

Kuda Hora is an ingenious and imaginative story about Kiri Mama who comes to Colombo from a remote village where the umbrella is unknown, takes back an umbrella on the way home but loses it when he leaves it outside the boutique where he stops for a cup of coffee. This happens to him each time he takes an umbrella home, but the identity of the umbrella thief remains undiscovered till the last page of the book. The story avoided didacticism (in the past the bane of much writing for children in Sinhala), even though it indirectly conveyed a sense of social change transmitted from city to village.

But what was most notable in Kuda Hora was its form of story telling, which made it the beginning of a new era in children's Sinhala literature. I recall with some pleasure that I recognised the significance of the book on its first appearance and emphasised this in a review written for the Daily News in 1956.

Before Kuda Hora, writing in Sinhala for children had consisted of a mass of text with a scattering of illustrations. Kuda Hora was the first Sinhala children's book wholly to marry text and picture. In fact, it was impossible to speak of the drawings in Kuda Hora as illustrations - a term that would imply the pictures were

simply an accessory to the words. Instead, on every page of the book the story progressed simultaneously through text and drawing, in which one element supported the other. The child's delight in the unfolding of the story step by step was sustained throughout by this perfect mutual accompaniment of the verbal and the visual. In a children's book the writer and the artist aren't always the same person. Sybil's possession of creative talent with both words and pictures made it possible for her to conceive both these elements together in a narrative whole.

This was no doubt the secret of the book's perfection which prompted its enthusiastic reception by foreign publishers with a wealth of the whole world's children's books to choose from. They would have found in the book a theme and story that were distinctively of our country but presented in a form and style that satisfied the criteria of the best international children's publishers.

In 1982 the book won a prize in a competition held every two years in Japan to promote the quality of book illustrations. This led to a Japanese publisher, Fukutake Publishing, bringing out an edition in Japanese in 1986. For this edition Sybil was able for the first time to enliven the pictures further by presenting them in colour, something that had not been possible with the economics of the original Sinhala version.

The Japanese version was a great success: it won a special prize for the best foreign children's book to be published that year in Japan, and it topped a pool for the most popular children's book conducted by the Japanese Library Association - voters being the children themselves. One of the pictures from the book was put on

the cover of a calendar produced by the Asian Cultural Centre.

The Japanese publishers took the book to the Bologna Book Fair, where it was picked up by an American firm, Kane Miller Book Publishers of California, who brought out an English-language version in 1987. Danish, Norwegian and Swedish editions by the publishers Forlaget Hjulet followed in 1990, and then in 1993 came a Chinese version by Formosan Magazine Press. Subsequently, it was published in Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Guam and Hongkong. All these foreign editions have preserved the format of text and pictures as well as Sybil's original drawings, now enriched by her in glowing colour.

Kuda Hora has brought Sybil Wettasinghe the satisfaction not only of becoming one of that small group of Sri Lankan creative people who have won international recognition in their own fields but also - what will perhaps be even more precious to her as a writer and artist - of giving joy to many thousands of children not only within but outside her country as well.

Lesson 4 – Colonialism: The European Settlement of Sri LankaPrepared by: Laurie Goode

Purpose: Students will understand through conducting research that Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, was changed in many ways when Europeans settled and conquered the island. Students will have the opportunity to compare and contrast this change with the change of the Americas after European colonization.

Grade Level/Time/Space: 6th; four 1-hour lessons; whole group (about 20 students)/collaborative work/individual

Standards: Social Studies Standards of Learning for Virginia CE.1 The student will develop the social studies skills citizenship requires, including the ability to a) examine and interpret primary and secondary source documents; d) distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information; e) review information for accuracy, separating fact from opinion; f) identify a problem and recommend solutions; g) select and defend positions in writing, discussion, and debate. Social Standards of Learning for Virginia USII.1The student will demonstrate skills forhistorical and geographical analysis, including the ability to b)make connections between past and present. NCSS Time, Continuity, and Change: Middle Grades c. [The student will] identify and describe selected historical periods and patterns of change within and across culture, such as the rise of civilizations, the development of transportation systems, the growth and breakdown of colonial systems, and others.

Objectives: 1. Given a catalyst for inquiry, students will research about European colonialism in Sri Lanka. 2. Students will document their ability to complete research by filling out a guided research worksheet. 3. Students will discuss their research findings to draw conclusions about European colonialism in Sri Lanka.

Resources and Materials: Internet-equipped computers for student use, Guided research worksheet (enclosed), Sri Lanka: A portrait of the country through its festivals and traditions (see bibliography); Cultures of the World: Sri Lanka (see bibliography); Sri Lanka: Modern Nations of the World (see bibliography); The Sri-Lankan Conflict: A Multi-Polar Approach (see bibliography).

Procedure: Introduction: (Day 1) Catalyst: The teacher will come in wearing plain clothing with a sheet draping over his/her shoulder and introduce him/herself as Anishka, a Sri Lankan villager. Proceed by telling a story of how life was in Ceylon before the British took over power from the Dutch, focusing examples on the changing economy that British colonization brought to his country (see attached script). Play a confused role saying a quote along the lines of, “I do not

know why life changed so drastically.” Distribute guided research worksheet to students. Break students into groups of four or five and have students discuss questions that arose during the introduction. Content Focus: (Day 2) After developing a hypothesis for their research questions, students will take the period to research their questions independently. Students must consult at least 2 different sources (only one may be on the internet). (Day 3) Students will continue research on their questions. Students will work in groups that have similar questions and must add 1 more source to their guided research worksheet. Closure: (Day 4) Discussion of what the students found on the period of European colonialism in Ceylon. Organize students into same groups as on Day 3 and give each group 5-10 minutes to summarize their findings. Provide students a listening guide to make sure they record key ideas (see attached). End with a review of key information found by students and any new questions that arise that students may take time to research on their own time.

Evaluation/Assessment: Formative: Monitoring student engagement and participation in the research process and the discussion that follows

Summative: Complete research worksheet for three different sources; Essay question: Describe two aspects of life that changed on the island after European settlement (6

points) and provide two specific details about these two aspects. (4 points) Use your knowledge about British colonialism in Sri Lanka and your background knowledge of British colonialism in America from 1607-1789 to name two generalizations about British colonialism. (4 points) Pull ideas from at least three different sources.

Background Information (adopted from Cultures of the World: Sri Lanka):The island then known as Ceylon was first settled by Europeans in 1518 after learning of the island’s economic and strategic value after a Portuguese ship accidentally landed in Colombo in 1505. The Dutch took control from the Portuguese fort in Colombo in 1658 The Dutch legacy in Sri Lanka includes printing technology, the judicial system of Roman-Dutch law, and a canal system. It was not until 1796 that the British East India Company was established on the island, and it took less than 20 years for Britain to gain control of the entire island in 1815. This marked the first time the island had been under complete control by a European power. The British changed the economy from subsistence farming to large plantations growing the newly introduced cash crop of coffee. To provide labor for the growing plantations and economy, the British brought in cheap labor from South Indian Tamils. The British also built roads and railroads.

Content in Sources available for Student ResearchBandara, A. (2008). The Sri Lankan Conflict: A Multi-Polar Approach. Harvard International

Review. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.harvardir.org/articles/1725/.

This recent article clearly shows the modern conflicts that are remnants from the British rule. If desired, highlight the following paragraph from the article before making available to students:

The fault lines between the Sinhala and Tamil communities that show up in the modern Sri Lankan conflict were drawn during the period of British colonialism from

1815 to1948. The island’s conflict, like many other ‘ethnic’ conflicts around the world, emerged with democratization and the shift of power from privileged minorities, such as the Sri Lankan Tamils to the Sinhala Buddhist majority who had been marginalized under colonial rule.

Fiesta! (2004). Sri Lanka: A Portrait of the Country through its Festivals and Traditions. Danbury: Grolier.

A student friendly guide to India that covers a topic per page spread. While colonialism is not directly stated in the text, students can find its lasting impact by researching current traditions in Sri Lanka. For example, the celebration of Independence Day comes from their independence from the British in 1948 or “The Story of Ceylon Tea” describing how a British man brought the crop to the island shows how this resource demonstrates the impact of the British control.

Miller, D. A. (2006). Sri Lanka: Modern Nations of the World. New York: Thomson Gale.

This book contains multiple chapters dedicated to giving an overview of Sri Lanka. It includes chapters on the country’s past with an entire chapter dedicated to Sri Lanka’s colonial past, along with information on the Sri Lankan people, arts and culture, and facts about the country. A unique addition to this book is its attention to the impact of colonialism on architecture. Both the table of contents and the index help students navigate the plethora of information found in this book.

Wanasundera, N. P. (2002). Cultures of the World: Sri Lanka. New York: Benchmark Books.

This resource contains many bright illustrations to support the richness of information the author includes about Sri Lanka. While there is a section on history, this book allows students to read past the European colonial era and see how the colonialism has still had an impact on the lifestyle of Sri Lankans today. Sections on the economy, government, diverse population, and lifestyle are just a glimpse at what students can use to discover the lasting impact of European colonialism of this island off the coast of India. It also contains a table of contents and index help students in their quest for answers.

Skills: The process of inquiry and research; drawing connections and generalizations from the researched information.Concepts: European ColonialismVocabulary: colonialism – a country’s control over their colonyBibliographyBandara, A. (2008). The Sri Lankan conflict: A multi-polar approach. Harvard International

Review. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.harvardir.org/articles/1725/. Fiesta! (2004). Sri Lanka: A portrait of the country through its festivals and traditions. Danbury:

Grolier.

McEachron, G., A. (2001). Self in the world: Elementary & middle school social studies. Boston: McGraw Hill.

Miller, D. A. (2006). Sri Lanka: Modern nations of the world. New York: Thomson Gale. Virginia Standards of Learning. (2008). Grade Six. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/go/Sols/history3.pdf.

Wanasundera, N. P. (2002). Cultures of the world: Sri Lanka. New York: Benchmark Books.

Anishka’s Script

“My name is Anishka and this year, in 1818, I turned twelve years old. I am from what

was once a small village outside of Kandy that had many small farms. As most people on my

island, I am very close with my family. I can tell you many stories about my ancestors, but let me

not get ahead of myself. Since I have come from so far away and our lives are very different, I

want to tell you about Ceylon. Well, the island that is now Ceylon. Just twenty years ago my

parents lived on the same island called Ceylian. This was when part of the island was controlled

by the Dutch. Before that, the Portuguese called our spice island (known especially for

cinnamon) Ceiloa. These are only a few of the names that our island has been given throughout

its long history. Has your country’s name ever changed? Ceylon changed due to outsiders

coming in and changing the name.”

“Not only did the name of my country change, there were many changes that have been

in place ever since the British took control after settling on the island. First, the capital has been

changed from Kandy to Colombo, but I do not know if there was a purpose such as strategic

reasoning behind this move or not. Also, I no longer work in cinnamon fields; instead, my

family has been told it must grow this black bean with a really strong smell. Supposedly the

citizens in Great Britain like to make this bean into a drink to help them wake up in the morning

(coffee). Other families around me have lost their land to the new settlers and the land is now

used to grow tea. I do not like growing this new crop because most of the crop is sold and we no

longer have room to grow our own food. Since the new crop is being sold so quickly, there are

now large tracks that connect to the city. Trains move back and forth transporting our crops to

the city. There have been so many changes to our country, I wish I had more time to tell you

about them. Not only have the Europeans settled on our land, they have also brought with them

a group from India to help in the large plantations. My grandfather, one of the wisest men I

know, believes this group of Indians will cause turmoil in the future.”

“If you ever get a chance to visit Ceylon, I hope you will come visit me near Colombo. I

would love to show you around my place, and hopefully things will not keep changing as much

so you can visit a stable country. I don’t know why things have had to change so drastically

since the British took over!”

Guided Research Worksheet

1. What do you know already about Sri Lanka (culture, history, economy, etc.)?

2. What are the first two things you would do if you were visiting Sri Lanka? Why?

a)

b)

3. What are two things you learned from our guest speaker, Anishka?

a)

b)

3. After the introduction from Anishka, what are three questions you have about European colonialism of Sri Lanka?

a)

b)

c)

4. Record your hypothesis to the three questions above.

a)

b)

c)

Now you are going to research the questions from above. Today you will work independently to find the answers. Tomorrow you will conduct research in groups. You are free to use the laptops to search on the internet and the books provided. By the end of the period, record two sources that you used and any information that helps answer your research questions. Also, record any new questions that you think of from the research.

Guided Research Worksheet – Example of Student’s Work

1. What do you know already about Sri Lanka (culture, history, economy, etc.)?

Sri Lanka is an island off the coast of India. It used to be named Ceylon, which is where we get Ceylon tea. The main religion of the people is Buddhism.

2. What are the first two things you would do if you were visiting Sri Lanka? Why?

a) Try the food in order to be able to eat with my hands!

b) Sleep after the long flight before sightseeing.

3. What are two things you learned from our guest speaker, Anishka?

a) Three European countries settled in Sri Lanka at one point (Portugal, Netherlands, and Great Britain).

b) Sri Lanka’s name changed many times during its history (Ceylon, Ceylian, Ceiloa).

3. After the introduction from Anishka, what are three questions you have about European colonialism of Sri Lanka?

a) Who are the group of Indians that the British brought to the island to help with the farms? Did it cause turmoil later?

b) What other crops were grown in Ceylon after the British settled? Why?

c) Did the British leave? Why or why not? Was it peaceful?

4. Record your hypothesis to the three questions above.

a) A group from a lower class since they are laborers; yes, turmoil broke out

among the different groups

b) Coffee, tea, and any other crops that were in demand and would bring the

country money

c) Yes because the country’s name is changed again; no, it was not peacefulNow you are going to research the questions from above. Today you will work independently to find the answers. Tomorrow you will conduct research in groups. You are free to use the laptops to search on the internet and the books provided. By the end of the period, record two sources that you used and any information that helps answer your research questions. Also, record any new questions that you think of from the research.

Day 1 (Independent Research)“The Sri Lankan Conflict” from Harvard International Review Southern Indian Tamils were brought to the island by the British. Today there is an ethnic conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhala Buddhists that started with change of power in the democracy.

New Question: Has there been a civil war between these ethnic groups?

Cultures of the World: Sri Lanka Tea, rubber, and coffee tea and rubber needed year round care so that’s why the Tamils were brought over to help

Sri Lankans gained independence from Britain on February 4, 1947 after previously being “granted internal self-government” after WWII

http://countrystudies.us/sri-lanka/22.htm Peaceful movement for independence

Day 2 (Collaborative Research)

Sri Lanka: Modern Nations of the World Coffee was first cash crop introduced by Brits, replaced with tea and rubber only after a leaf disease spread through the plantations (p. 30-31)

New Question: What is the economy based on today? Sri Lanka: A portrait of the country through its festivals and traditions says that tea is the “most important industry” (p. 12-13).

Sri Lankans began pushing for independence in early 1900’s; Brits gave first “small concession” in 1910: allow limited voters to elect one “educated Ceylonese” to the Legislative Council (p. 32

Sri Lanka and European ColonialismListening Guide

1. Dutch Colonialism

Dates of occupancy:

Important findings:

2. Portuguese Colonialism

Dates of occupancy:

Important findings:

3. British Colonialism

Dates of occupancy:

Important findings:

Artifact 1: Sri LankaPrepared by: Megan McFadden, Jen Litts and Laurie Goode

Sri Lanka: Geta Bera drum musicPrimary Activity

Background Information: Music is an integral part of Sri Lankan culture. The traditional music of Sri Lanka was derived from the elements of nature. Music, dance and art are part of everything Sri Lankans do. Drums, blowing instruments, and strings instruments are used in Sri Lankan traditional music. The Geta Bera is the main drum is a drum that is used with traditional Kandyan dances. There are two openings on the drum to create different sounds. One opening is covered with monkey skin while the other opening is covered with cattle skin. Geta Bera drums are played with bare hands.

Small Group Activity: After teacher instruction, students in groups of 3-4 will create their own dance to the song “Bera(Drums) Prior To Maha Pirith”. After creating a dance, the groups will perform their dance for the rest of the class.Whole Group Activity: Teacher will give a brief lesson on Sri Lankan music, playing the “Bera(Drums) Prior To Maha Pirith” song (from Reference 1) for the students. Teacher will explain that Geta Beta drum music often accompanies traditional dance and that dance is often used to represent feelings or special events. Students will watch a video of Kandyan dance (Reference 3) and the class will compare and contrast the Kandyan dance to dances they have seen in the United States.Individual Activity: After teacher instruction, the song, “Bera(Drums) Prior To Maha Pirith” will be played for the students. Students will be given a feeling, spreading out around the room to do their own dance to the song that represents their given feeling.

References: 1. Laktunes. (2008). Bera(drums) prior to maha pirith. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.laktunes.com/MusicSearch/servlet/findSongs?findByCategory=Go&catid=30&category=Free%20Downloads.2. Virtual Library – Sri Lanka. (2008). Drums of Sri Lanka. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit/drums.htm.3. Top LK Video. (2008). Sri Lankan traditional dance. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.toplkvideo.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&id=470&Itemid=2

Sri Lanka: Geta Bera drum musicIntermediate Activity

Background Information: Music is an integral part of Sri Lankan culture. The traditional music of Sri Lanka was derived from the elements of nature. Music, dance and art are part of everything Sri Lankans do. Drums, blowing instruments, and strings instruments are used in Sri Lankan traditional music. The Geta Bera is the main drum is a drum that is used with traditional Kandyan dances. There are two openings on the drum to create different sounds. One opening is covered with monkey skin while the other opening is covered with cattle skin. Geta Bera drums are played with bare hands with the drum tied around the drummer’s waist.

Small Group Activity: After making the Geta Bera drums students, will get in groups of 4-5 to write their own song using their newly made instruments. Whole Group Activity: Teacher will provide a brief lesson on Sri Lankan music, playing the “Bera(Drums) Prior To Maha Pirith” song (from Reference 1) for the students. Teacher will show enlarged pictures of various Sri Lankan drums, ending with the Geta Bera drum. The class will compare and contrast the different drums.Individual Activity: Students will create their own Geta Bera drums using coffee cans with the bottom already taken out, balloons, wax paper and ribbon. The balloon will be stretched over one opening to represent monkey skin (one sound) and the wax paper put over the other opening for the cattle skin (the other sound). Ribbon will be attached to allow for the drum to be worn around the waist.

References: 1. Laktunes. (2008). Bera(drums) prior to maha pirith. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.laktunes.com/MusicSearch/servlet/findSongs?findByCategory=Go&catid=30&category=Free%20Downloads.2. Virtual Library – Sri Lanka. (2008). Drums of Sri Lanka. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit/drums.htm.3. Sri Lanka Reference. (2008). Sri Lanka art, music & dance. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.info.lk/srilanka/srilankaculture/srilankaart.htm.

Sri Lanka: Geta Bera drum musicPrimary Assessment

1. Sri Lankan music came from:a. music from other countriesb. naturec. art

Sri Lanka: Geta Bera drum musicIntermediate Assessment

1. What are the two openings on the Geta Bera drum covered with? a. monkey skin and donkey skinb. monkey skin and cattle skinc. cattle skin and snake skind. cattle skin for both openings

Geta Bera Drum

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Artifact 2: Sri LankaPrepared by: Laurie Goode

Sri Lanka: Kuda Hora (The Umbrella Thief) by Sybil WettashinghePrimary Activity

Background Information: Sybil Wettashinghe is a famous children’s literature author/illustrator from a small village, Gintota, Sri Lanka, who has published over 200 books in both English and Sinhala (language of Sri Lankans); many of these books have been translated in multiple languages. The Umbrella Thief was first published in 1956 that ignited a new era in Sri Lankan children’s literature with its form of storytelling and large illustrations married with the text. The book has won numerous awards in Japan and is Wettashinghe’s most famous book to date.

Whole Group Activity: Before the read-aloud, students will take a picture walk. Students will use previous lessons on Sri Lanka to point out illustrations that relate to Sri Lankan culture (clothing, Asian flare, etc.). After the read-aloud, students will add on to their list started prior to the reading. Small Group Activity: Give students a map of Sri Lanka with the capital Colombo marked. List two “facts” about the Sri Lankan city learned from the reading. Students will then locate the village of Gintota (author’s home) and list two “facts” about this small village given in the reading. Individual Activity: Have students color pictures related to Sri Lankan culture. The students will choose a pre-cut umbrella from multiple colors of construction paper and glue the pictures onto the umbrella.

References: 1. Wettasinghe, S. (1987). The Umbrella Thief (C. Hirano Trans.). Brooklyn: Kane/Miller Book. (Original book published 1956). 2. Wettashinghe, S. (2006). Sybil Wettashinghe. Zeyedia Sol. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.sybilwettasinghe.com/sinhala-writing.html.

Sri Lanka: Kuda Hora (The Umbrella Thief) by Sybil WettashingheIntermediate Activity

Background Information: Sybil Wettashinghe is a famous children’s literature author/illustrator from a small village, Gintota, Sri Lanka, who has published over 200 books in both English and Sinhala (language of Sri Lankans); many of these books have been translated in multiple languages. The Umbrella Thief was first published in 1956 that ignited a new era in Sri Lankan children’s literature with its form of storytelling. The book has won numerous awards in Japan and is Wettashinghe’s most famous book to date.

Whole Group Activity: Students will explore the Sinhalese language. The teacher will describe how Sinhalese is an alphabet of 56 “syllabs” rather than letters. Therefore, the “ma” symbol stands for the “m” sound followed by the “a” sound. The teacher will show a picture of the cover of the The Umbrella Thief published in Sri Lanka. The students will discuss why it is important for the author to write stories in two languages: English and Sinhala. The students will also hypothesize what the meaning of the words used in two illustrations of the book. Small Group Activity: After discussion about how Sri Lankan culture is evident in the book, students in groups of 3 or 4 will “Americanize” The Umbrella Thief. (Some examples that could be changed are the setting in a village and the name of the character.) Students will share their versions of the story. Discuss how “Americanizing,” or assimilation and accomodation, loses the richness a culture has to offer. Individual Activity: Using a cutout of an umbrella and a handout with the characters of the Sinhala alphabet, students will design their umbrellas with a Sri Lankan flare. Students will write their English names on the umbrellas using the characters of the Sinhalese alphabet. For more information on writing Sinhala, students will explore http://www.sinhala-online.com.

References: 1. Wettasinghe, S. (1987). The Umbrella Thief (C. Hirano Trans.). Brooklyn: Kane/Miller Book. (Original book published 19562. Wettashinghe, S. (2006). Sybil Wettashinghe. Zeyedia Sol. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.sybilwettasinghe.com/3. Sinhala. (2003-2007) Sinhala. Roland Russwurm. Retrieved http://www.sinhala-online.com/sinhala-writing.html.4. Fallows, N. and Fallows, N. (2003). Let’s Speak Sinhala. Retrieved October 9, 2008 from http://www.speaksinhala.com/index.htm.

Artifact 2: Materials

List two things you learned about a Sri Lankan city (like Colombo):

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

List two things you learned about a Sri Lankan village (like Gintota):

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

http://www.fundraw.com/clipart/clip-art/00003701/Umbrella/

Sinhala Alphabet

The Umbrella Thief

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Artifact 3: Sri LankaPrepared by: Megan McFadden

Sri Lanka: Independence: Ceylon Constitution: Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the ColoniesPrimary Activity

Background Information: Up until the year 1972, Sri Lanka was called Ceylon. Ceylon was a colony ruled by the British that gained independence in 1948. The Sri Lankan flag stands as a symbol reminding the country of inequality and separation. The Ceylon Constitution (1941) discusses the political unrest that was occurring in the early 1940’s and the rise of nationalism and hope for independence in Ceylon.

Whole Group Activity: Teacher will show a picture of the American flag to the students, discussing how our flag stands for individual liberty that came about in the Declaration of Independence. It represents our freedom from the British and our strength and unity. Before this independence we did not have a national flag. Teacher will then explain that before Sri Lanka gained independence, it was called Ceylon. Even after independence it remained Ceylon until 1972. The colony of Ceylon did not have a national flag. Once Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) gained independence from the British, it developed a national flag. Show both the flag from Sri Lanka and the American flag, Students will give suggestions as to what they think the Sri Lankan flag stands for. Small Group Activity: After teacher instruction, students, in groups of 3 will think of symbols other than flags that have been discussed in previous classes such as the United States national bird, song, and flower. Students will look through worksheets that provide information about Sri Lanka’s national bird, song, and flower. Groups will brainstorm why they think Country’s have national symbols.Individual Activity: Using red, yellow, green and orange construction paper, students will make a large national flag of Ceylon/Sri Lanka to celebrate its independence in 1948.

References: 1. Secretary of State for the Colonies. (1941). War cabinet: Ceylon constitution. Unpublished 2. Info Please. (2008). Sri Lanka. Retrieved October 14, 2008 from, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107992.html 3. Digital research-Sri Lanka. (2008). National symbols of Sri Lanka. Retrieved October 27, 2008 from, http://www.mysrilanka.com/travel/lanka/nati_symbol/index.htm.

Sri Lanka: Intermediate Activity

Background Information: Up until the year 1972, Sri Lanka was called Ceylon. Ceylon was a colony ruled by the British that gained independence in 1948. The Sri Lankan flag stands as a symbol reminding the country of inequality and separation. The Ceylon Constitution (1941) discusses the political unrest that was occurring in the early 1940’s and the rise of nationalism and hope for independence in Ceylon.

Whole Group Activity: Teacher will give a brief lesson on the history of Ceylon, focusing on the fact that it gained independence from British rule in 1948. Each student will be given a copy of the Ceylon Constitution to read independently. Once everyone has finished reading, the teacher will discuss the main themes of the document, stressing political unrest and nationalism. Teacher will write nationalism and political unrest on the board, having students share what they feel those terms mean. Each idea will be written below the word on the board.Small Group Activity: After reading and going over the Ceylon Constitution (1941) students, in groups of 4-5, will compare and contrast the document with the Declaration of Independence. Students will be looking for similarities and differences between the tones of both documents (i.e. Do the writers seem happy, angry, sad, etc.). Individual Activity: Using Internet sources, the students will research part of Ceylon culture (e.g. language or dress) before and after gaining independence from British rule. They will compare and contrast what changed and stayed the same upon gaining independence.

References: 1. Secretary of State for the Colonies. (1941). War cabinet: Ceylon constitution. Unpublished 2. Info Please. (2008). Sri Lanka. Retrieved October 14, 2008 from, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107992.html

Sri Lanka National Anthem

“Namo Namo Martha” by Ananda Samarakoon

The main theme of the Anthem is designed to install honor and respect to the Motherland and create national development through unity.

Sri Lanka National Bird

Wali Kukula

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This type of bird is very common in Sri Lanka’s National Parks and forests.

Sri Lanka National Flower

Blue Water Lily

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The blue water lily is in all parts of Sri Lanka. It is a symbol of purity and truth.

Multiple Choice Questions: Primary

1. Which flag represents Sri Lanka?

a) b) c)

2. When did Ceylon develop a national flag?

a) After it gained independence from British ruleb) When its name changed to Sri Lankac) Before it gained independence from British rule

Multiple Choice Questions: Intermediate

1. The Ceylon Constitution’s main themes are:

a) Political unrest and nationalism

b) The rights and responsibility of people in the Ceylon Colony

c) The election of public officials

d) Voting rules and regulations

Artifact 4: Sri Lanka InterviewPrepared by: Jen LittsSri Lanka: Foods and Eating

Primary ActivityBackground Information: Elizabeth Brown lived in Kandy, Sri Lanka for just under 5 months in 2004. After her study abroad experience, she returned to America with first-hand knowledge of life in the culture. During an interview on October 16, 2008, Ms. Brown described some of the foods she commonly ate. As she described, traditional cultural foods of Sri Lanka are a mix of different curries, rice dishes, teas, and many kinds of fruits. The average diet does not consist of meats for reasons of wealth and personal philosophy, but much of the food is very spicy!

Small Group Activity: After students have heard the edited recording of Ms. Brown’s account of foods in Sri Lanka, the teacher will divide the students into small groups of about 3 and provide them with one of these fruit names: Rambutan, Durian, Annona, Pummelo, Beli, and Carambola. Students will then use the Internet to learn information about their fruit. Points of interest should be where it grows in Sri Lanka, if it is exported, and how Sri Lankans use it.Whole Group Activity: Working together with their teacher, students will make kiribath following the recipe found at http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Cooking%20by%20Country/Sri%20Lanka%20Speciality%20Dish%20%20Kiribath.htm or another available source. This is a traditional dish with a very simple recipe. Have the students take turns cutting the kiribath into diamond shapes. *Please do not let students eat too much kiribath. It will make them sleepy.* If possible, students can bring home a few pieces to share with their families.Individual Activity: The students will experience the traditional way of eating like a Sri Lankan…with their hands! After students have carefully washed their hands, the teacher will provide each student with rice and mild curry. Students may then experiment with making curry rice balls and eating as described by Ms. Brown in her interview.

References: 1. Interview of Elizabeth Brown about her study abroad experience in Sri Lanka conducted on October 16, 2008 by Jennifer Litts.Laktunes. (2008). Bera(drums) prior to maha pirith. Retrieved October 9, 2008, from http://www.laktunes.com/MusicSearch/servlet/findSongs?findByCategory=Go&catid=30&category=Free%20Downloads.2. How to make milk rice. (no date). wikiHow. Retreived October 17, 2008, from http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Milk-Rice 3. Kiribath. (2008). Specialty Dish- Sri Lanka. Retreived October 17, 2008, from http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Cooking%20by%20Country/Sri%20Lanka%20Speciality%20Dish%20%20Kiribath.htm

Sri Lanka: Geta Bera drum musicIntermediate Activity

Background Information: Elizabeth Brown lived in Kandy, Sri Lanka for just under 5 months in 2004. After her study abroad experience, she returned to America with first-hand knowledge of life in the culture. During an interview on October 16, 2008, Ms. Brown described the kinds of clothing she usually say Sri Lankan people wearing. Clothing for men and women were different, but both involved long, wrapped garments. Men commonly had bare feet and wore loose shirts, and women were commonly wore skirts or pants. Both men and women kept much of their skin covered, even in hot weather.

Small Group Activity: After students have heard the edited recording of Ms. Brown’s account of clothing in Sri Lanka, students will divide into groups of 4 or 5 to research information about one of the following garments: sari, redda, sarama, sorang, and hatte. Students will create posters to illustrate their findings.Whole Group Activity: Students will present their findings about their small group’s traditional clothing to the whole class. Students in all groups will take notes on other groups’ presentations for work on their independent activity. Individual Activity: The teacher should discuss with students the idea of a country having traditional clothing and ask them what they feel would be America’s traditional clothing. What do they feel is common American clothing? Is there a difference? Students will reflect on the cultural aspect of clothing by writing a short essay comparing common, traditional clothing of Sri Lankan women and men with their class understanding of common clothing of American women and men.

References: 1. Interview of Elizabeth Brown about her study abroad experience in Sri Lanka conducted on October 16, 2008 by Jennifer Litts.2. Sri Lanka. (2008). MNS Encarta. Retrieved October 17, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568352_3/sri_lanka.html Name:___________________

Sri Lanka: FoodPrimary Assessment

1. All of these are common foods in Sri Lanka EXCEPT:d. Fruite. Curryf. Meat

2. People in Sri Lanka commonly eat with… a. their hands. b. a fork and knife. c. chop-sticks.

Sri Lanka: ClothingIntermediate Assessment

1. If you were to meet a woman in Sri Lanka, she would likely be wearing which of the following? e. Jeans and a T-shirtf. Shorts and a tank topg. A long skirt or a long shirt and pantsh. A kimono

2. Which of the following is NOT a common piece of Sri Lankan clothing? a. sari b. gi c. sarama d. sorang

Answer Key

Name:__________________

Sri Lanka: FoodPrimary Assessment

1. All of these are common foods in Sri Lanka EXCEPT:a. Fruitb. Curryc. Meat

2. People in Sri Lanka commonly eat with… a. their hands. b. a fork and knife.

c. chop-sticks.

Sri Lanka: ClothingIntermediate Assessment

1. If you were to meet a woman in Sri Lanka, she would likely be wearing which of the following? a. Jeans and a T-shirtb. Shorts and a tank topc. A long skirt or a long shirt and pantsd. A kimono

2. Which of the following is NOT a common piece of Sri Lankan clothing? a. sari b. gi c. sarama d. sorang

About Food

Selection from interview of Elizabeth Brown about her study abroad experience in Sri Lanka conducted on October 16, 2008 by Jennifer Litts.

Jen Litts: “What kind of cultural foods did you experience; like what was the average sort of diet for people there (in Sri Lanka)?”

Elizabeth Brown: “Um, there’s a lot of humus. Um, a lot of curries, um, but the curries are a little bit different than curries in India. They’re, they’re more, I don’t wanna say chunky, but it’s kinda like it looked, it’ll look more like a potato soup, so they have a very, a curry base with pieces of potato or pieces of pumpkin or pieces of pineapple or eggplant. And so they’d used green curry and red curry and white curry and all the different kinds of curry. And it was very spicy food. And you ate the spicy stuff all day. “There’s a lot of fruit in Sri Lanka, so we had a lot of fruit. Like I think there’s durian and rambutan and a couple fruits I had never heard of just because it’s just so tropical that they grew, grew a lot of. There’d be coconuts. There’s a lot of coconut milk in their curry, which I love coconuts; coconut milk. And breakfast they had this thing called kiribath, which was, it’s a milk rice. And so it’s kind of, it’s almost like a rice pudding except it’s not, it’s not a pudding consistency. It’s more of just like, like packed rice with a little bit of milk. It’s a little bit sweet and you could have it with not, not as sweet, or depending on how you wanted to have it, but that was kind of a traditional breakfast. “And they have a lot of tea; a lot of tea all day long. Um, and they do the, a lot of them do the milk tea, like the British style ‘cause that was, tea wasn’t a big thing, I guess, before the British came. I don’t know. You might want to check on that.”

Jen Litts: “Ok.”

Elizabeth Brown: “They, they definitely adopted the milk tea, putting a lot of sugar in it, a lot of milk in the black teas.

“Um, yeah, it was just a lot fruit, a lot of…there’s not a lot of meat. Very vegetable based which is partially because of wealth and also partially because of, certainly because the Buddhist philosophy is you shouldn’t eat meat. (Small tangent about Buddhist belief about giving food away for good next life.)

“But, yeah, it was mostly, yeah a lot of vegetables and a lot of, a lot of fruit. And I guess the way we carried our lunch to school, which was, which was kind of neat. It would be this, almost looked like this piece of Saran Wrap, and then they’d put the rice in and put a couple different curries in and maybe like a chutney or something. And then they’d wrap it up and it’d just be like this…wad. I guess that works. And so you’d unfold it when you got to school, and you eat with your hands. So you’d take some rice and you’d take some curry and you’d kind of mix it together and make it in kind of a ball. Like a little, like a meatball size or so. And you’d pop it into your mouth that way. And so you’d, there’s no forks and no spoons. Even the mothers when they’d feed the babies, they’d, they make, they make the little balls and put the balls of food in the baby’s mouth.”

About Clothing

Selection from interview of Elizabeth Brown about her study abroad experience in Sri Lanka conducted on October 16, 2008 by Jennifer Litts.

Elizabeth Brown: “I was just gonna say that the clothes; a lot of the men wouldn’t wear pants. They’d wear, um, kinda what we’d here call a sarong. It was just kind of a wrap. And there was this way to wrap it that it wouldn’t fall off, it wouldn’t fall down, and it wouldn’t blow up or anything like. I mean like, you wouldn’t, like nothing would get flashed or anything. But it was

this neat; so they’d kind of get up, they’d almost like people put a towel around their waist. They’d fold it up tight and then they’d go. So they’d wear it and the really loose fitting shirt and bare feet. That was kind of the average Sri Lankan per- male would wear that.

“The women, a lot of times, would wear some sari, especially the older, more traditional women. Um, but otherwise they were fairly covered. Like everybody’s legs were always covered, so even though it was 80, 90 degrees out, we were always wearing pants or long skirts. Just, uh, for modesty’s sake. And then, there’s also, I forget what it’s called but, um, that the, that’s more Hindu kinda dress. It’s a big, over-sized shirt that’s pretty long. It goes down to about your, between your thighs and your knees and then it has a pair of pants under ‘em that they wear a lot in India as well. And that’s kind of a more, a more common dress in Sri Lanka for the women as well. There were some people who wore Western clothing, especially the students at the college we went to, but by and large people were wearing the traditional outfits, especially the men ‘cause the, the skirts were just so comfortable. A lot of the students, our students tried ‘em, tried ‘em too, but it was kind of like a kilt and I don’t know how comfortable they felt in them.”

Sri Lanka Primary Pre-/Post-Test

1. Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka. This important port city is located at ___________ on the map.

A. B2B. A4 C. A3

2. If you would like to climb the wall of Polonnaruwa’s lotus pond, to where would you travel on the map?

A. B4B. D3C. C3

3. Which of the following is a NEED to Sri Lankans when they want to get rid of red bumps or boils?

A. B. C.

4. Which of the following is a NEED to Sri Lankans when they want to get rid of stomach disease?

A. B. C.

5. Sri Lankan music came from:A. music from other countriesB. natureC. art

6. Which of the following places could the character in The Umbrella Thief have gone to buy umbrellas?A. ColomboB. his villageC. the coffee shop

7. Which flag represents Sri Lanka?

A. B. C.

8. When did Ceylon develop a national flag?

A. After it gained independence from British ruleB. When its name changed to Sri LankaC. Before it gained independence from British rule

9. All of these are common foods in Sri Lanka EXCEPT:

A. Fruit B. Curry

C. Meat

10. People in Sri Lanka commonly eat with… A. their hands. B. a fork and knife.

C. chop-sticks.

Sri Lanka

Intermediate Pre-/Post-TestPrepared by: Laurie Goode, Jen Litts, and Megan McFadden

1. What are the two openings on the Geta Bera drum covered with? A. monkey skin and donkey skinB. monkey skin and cattle skinC. cattle skin and snake skinD. cattle skin for both openings

2. The Sinhalese alphabet is made up of:

A. 26 lettersB. 26 syllabsC. 56 lettersD. 56 syllabs

3. The Ceylon Constitution’s main themes are:

A. Political unrest and nationalismB. The rights and responsibility of people in the Ceylon ColonyC. The election of public officialsD. Voting rules and regulations

4. If you were to meet a woman in Sri Lanka, she would likely be wearing which of the following?

A. Jeans and a T-shirtB. Shorts and a tank topC. A long skirt or a long shirt and pantsD. A kimono

5. Which of the following is NOT a common piece of Sri Lankan clothing?A. sariB. giC. saramaD. sorang

6. Sybil Wettasinghe demonstrated positive civic engagement in many ways. She did all of the following EXCEPT:

A. She used newspaper as a way to communicate views with others.B. She toured many countries, singing at big concert halls. C. She wrote children’s books that included life lessons for being good citizens.D. She was recognized with a prize in Japan for her talent and emphasis on ethical behavior.

7. Describe two aspects of life that changed on the island after European settlement (6 points) and provide two specific details about these two aspects. (4 points) Use your knowledge about British colonialism in Sri Lanka and your background knowledge of British colonialism in America from 1607-1789 to name two generalizations about British colonialism. (4 points) Pull ideas from at least three different sources.

Appendix A: Standards

Commonwealth of Virginia Standards of Learning3.5 The student will develop map skills by:

e) locating specific places on a simple letter-number grid system K.7 The student will

a) identify the difference between basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) and wants (things people would like to have)

CE.1 The student will develop the social studies skills citizenship requires, including the ability to:a) examine and interpret primary and secondary source documentsd) distinguish between relevant and irrelevant informatione) review information for accuracy, separating fact from opinion f) identify a problem and recommend solutions g) select and defend positions in writing, discussion, and debate.

CE.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of personal character traits that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in civic life by:a) practicing trustworthiness and honestyb) practicing courtesy and respect for the rights of othersc) practicing responsibility, accountability, and self-reliance

US II.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis, including the ability to b)make connections between past and present.

National Social Studies Standards (Early Grades)People, Places, and Environment

c) use appropriate resources, and geographic tools such as atlases, databases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information

National Standards for Art Education (Visual Arts)K-4 Content Standard 3

Choosing and Evaluating a Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and IdeasB: Students select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning

K-4 Content Standard 4Understanding the Visual Arts in Relation to History and Cultures

A: know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures

National Social Studies Standards (Middle Grades)

Time, Continuity, and ChangeC: [The student will] identify and describe selected historical periods and patterns of change within and across culture, such as the rise of civilization, the development of transportation systems, the growth and breakdown of colonial systems and others.

Expenses

Lesson Plan/Artifact Item Cost (approx.)Artifact 1 Ribbon $6.50

Balloons $10.00Wax Paper $2.00

Artifact 4 Kiribath60 oz. Long Grain White Rice $7.0036 fl. oz. Thick Coconut Milk $12.00

Curry60 oz. Long Grain White Rice $7.00

20 oz. Mild Curry Paste $10.00Lesson 2 Paper Plates $2.50

String $3.50

Total Expenses: $60.50

***We recommend that a notice be sent home before this unit begins, asking for coffee cans. They can be expensive and for each child to have one, it is a better idea to have donations from parents.

***Other materials (e.g. markers, construction paper) are expected to be able to be found at the school.