Research into Hinduism

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These images are used in an activity that helps to refine research skills.

The students will be expected to extract information about a religion through looking closely at the pictures and answering three questions to help focus their thoughts and opinions.

Teachers' notes and activity - What does it tell you?

This activity is a prelude to formal research. It will help the children focus on what they want to find out, discover what they already know and make their research personal to themselves. It will encourage children to feel confident with their research skills.

Activity

1.	Click here to open the template in Microsoft Word format. Print the page, and then enlarge it by 200% on the photocopier so that there is enough space for the students to write in their answers.
2.	Click on each image above for the large version. Print the large copies of the pictures provided.
3.	Glue the pictures in the middle boxes.
4.	Demonstrate how to fill in the frame, then give the sheet to the students for them to fill in.
	(This activity is ideal for any of the images provided in this topic on Words Alive!)

Give the children the page frame with the two pictues and ask them to answer the following questions in the appropriate spaces.

>> Question One (Squares)
What does the picture tell me? (Do not put any assumptions)
For example what are the people in the pictures doing? What they are wearing? What are they holding? What do they look like?

>> Question Two (Circles)
What do I think it tells me? (Write down assumptions)
For example where are they exactly, Who do you think they are?

>> Question Three (Write a list at the bottom of the page)
What doesn't the picture tell me?
For example questions such as who they are, what they are doing, what are they holding and why?

It is advisable to demonstrate how to fill it in before they do this in groups. Here are some of the things that answer the questions and can be written into the circles and squares.

Q1 Squares
There is a man who is sitting on a stool, and there is a rat.
The man has the head of an elephant and has four arms.
He is holding four things.
A woman and man are on the lake.
There are lots of flowers.
There is a five-headed snake.

Q2 Circles
I think they are all gods.
I think he is holding powerful objects.
I think they are in a special place.
I think they are in love.
I think the man lying down is a prince.

Q3
It doesn't tell me who the people are.
It doesn't tell me why they have many hands and why he is an elephant.
It doesn't tell me where they are.
It doesn't tell me what they are holding and why.

Question three is to help the children focus their research. It will help them formulate two or three questions that they will want the answers for and which will be the basis of their research. Encourage them to use books, newspapers and other technology to find the answers to their questions.

For example, the two questions that they want to find out about this religion could be:

1. Who are they? Are they Hindu gods?
2. Why are they holding things? Do the objects mean something symbolic?