Peter N. Herndon
LESSON PLAN ONE: The Silent Object (One Class Period)
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1. To introduce students to Jules Prown’s unique methods of Object Analysis;
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2. To encourage students to observe details in an object they would normally tend to overlook;
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3. To encourage students to use and improve their speaking and writing skills;
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4. To introduce them to an object that in many ways is a metaphor for another time and discuss the object in those terms.
Procedures:
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1. Warmup Activity. Introduce the lesson by telling them they are going to observe a “Silent Object.” After looking at the object (a wooden model of a spinning wheel) for a short time, the teacher tells the students to imagine that this object can tell us about itself. Students will write down three interview questions of the object. Then, the teacher proceeds to ask several students to share one of their questions with the rest of the class. The teacher then writes these questions on the chalkboard. Students should come up with the basic “What (is it for)? Where (does it come from)? When (was it made)? How (does it work)? and even Who (would use it)?
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2. Observation and Description of the Object. The teacher then passes a picture- diagram of the object which includes dimensions of all the parts. (see Appendix Section) The diagrams will help shorten the time spent in having to measure the parts. The teacher then asks students to describe the object in a certain manner and follow a suggested order. Normally Observation follows a pattern of larger to smaller elements.
Geometric lines. Students should be able to identify the horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines that help to define the object. (vertical posts, horizontal cylinder, diagonal from top of taller post to top of smaller post, etc.) Also, they should see lines that are parallel to one another (the larger and smaller base boards)
Shapes (two-dimensional). This would include circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares; and (three-dimensional) cylinders, spheres, rectangular solids and pyramids.
Numbers. This would include any parts of the object that are repeated in two’s (there are many paired items), three’s (the pair of carved sticks that turn on the horizontal bar), and multiples of twos and threes.
Fixed and Moveable parts. It is important that students become aware that there are two horizontal axles which allow for movement of pieces at both ends of the object.
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3. Deduction: What can students “deduce” from what we have observed about the object? The teacher needs to be clear in his or her mind of the difference between this stage and the final “Speculation” stage of the exercise (see above Narrative). Typical deductions have to do with the materials used (mostly wood, also leather and string) and how they are put together for use. How much time and care was needed to build, assemble and decorate the object? How are the various parts kept in place? Why do some parts seem to be newer (leather pieces) than others? Why are holes cut in different parts of the object? How are the pieces kept in place? If parts of this object move, in which direction, and how fast? How are the smaller and the larger extremities joined? Would this object survive use by a child or is it a machine for use by trained adults?
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4. Speculation. This is where the students’ imaginations take over. Postulated on various hypotheses developed during the Deduction phase of the discussion, students should be able to imagine how an ancient craftsman or medical healer or priest might have put such a “machine” to use. Were the people who used these objects from the desert? from farming areas? from cities? from small villages? What about the many geometric designs carved into the base: what does their repetitiveness and symmetry suggest? What could the symbols represent? Imagine using this machine to continue some tradition of value to an African or Asian or European civilization.
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After students have discussed several of their ideas, they are told it is time to write.
Their assignment: Write an original story about a person from a faraway culture who owns one of the objects we have described, and how he or she uses for either good or evil.
Conclusion. The object in discussion is a spinning wheel which originated in India. Its design dates back several centuries, although the one in the picture is most likely one hundred to one hundred and fifty years old. The design is identical to that of the earliest spinning wheels known to mankind. The two shorter posts hold a cylinder which acted as a spindle, hence the need for the small grooves. The spinning “wheel” is rimless. Instead of a rim, as on traditional wheels, string is laced across the six sticks and the fiber is then spun across the string. The drive band rests on the lacing and passes to the multi-grooved spindle. The hole in the handle is for the spinner to either insert a finger or a handle to turn the wheel. The spinning wheel that Gandhi first used was similar in design to this wheel.
LESSON PLAN TWO: Use of the Motion Picture, “Gandhi”
(Minimum of three class periods, using selections from the three-hour film)
Objectives:
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1. To acquaint students with the life and philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi;
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2. To raise certain ethical and philosophical questions that pertain to treatment of poor people throughout history and conditions that still exist today;
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3. To evaluate the practicality of Gandhi’s peaceful non-cooperation methods to other times and places in history and in the world today.
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4. To appreciate the impact that one person can make in a lifetime of struggle.
Procedures: First Day
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1. Begin the film (see Narrative section above) with no introduction to the students except to tell them to observe the events carefully, because they are going to have to write an accurate account of the incidents they are about to see. Show them the assassination and funeral scene only, preferably with no title credits, then stop the video, ask them for their reactions and questions, and then replay the film segment. Then have them write what they saw. Discuss their paragraphs for accuracy.
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2. Hand out “Film Questions”Gandhi” (see APPENDIX) and begin watching the film, stopping to discuss the questions when it seems appropriate. The first film segment deals with Gandhi’s twenty-year stay in South Africa. Terms you may have to help students define:
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apartheid laws
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Untouchables
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nonviolent non-cooperation
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ashram
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satyagraha (“truth force”)
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caste system
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miners’ strike
Procedures: Second and Third Days
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1. Hand out second set of film questions “Gandhi Film, Part 2” (see APPENDIX) and “Gandhi Film, Part 3”). Continue to stop film at strategic spots. Help students understand the following events or concepts:
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boycott of British-made cloth
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home rule
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homespun cloth
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Salt March
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Amritsar massacre
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Partition of India
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Hindu-Muslim question
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Indian Independence Act
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2. Assignments during the film can include outside readings on Gandhi or situations that arise from the film relating to “turning the other cheek,” how it would feel being beaten or jailed after you had been arrested for protesting an unfair law, how easy or difficult it would have been to be a follower of Gandhi’s, or what would life be like on an ashram.
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LESSON PLAN THREE: Gandhi’s Life and Ideas, an Assessment (One Class Period)
Objectives:
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1. To review some of the significant ideas and concepts that have arisen from watching the film, “Gandhi”;
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2. To put the events of Gandhi’s life in a chronological order;
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3. To get students discussing and working in small groups.
Procedures:
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1. Warmup Activity: Students are given a series of jumbled terms (see above lessons) to unscramble as a way of reviewing key concepts from the film, “Gandhi.” For Example: “RASHMA” (ashram), “BOSSKAPO” (passbook), “TOTYBOC” (boycott), etc.
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2. Small Group Activity. Arrange students into groups of four or five and hand them a list of quotations Gandhi made in the film:
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“Poverty is the worst form of violence.”
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“An eye for an eye results in the whole world going blind.”
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“Satisfaction comes from hard work and pride in what you do.”
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“Happiness does not come from possessions but from spiritual peace.”
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“We must free women and Untouchables from second-class citizenship.”
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“Do not accept injustice in any form. Make the injustice visible. Be prepared to die for it.”
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Instruct students to read the quotations and discuss them. Do they agree or disagree with the quote? Explain. Give an example from the film that illustrates the quote. Can they think of other sayings or actions by Gandhi that were worth remembering? List them.
Pick one or two and discuss with the rest of the class.
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3. Assignment. Complete a Timeline. Using notes and your textbook, fill in the following list of dates* (student worksheet should have blanks not the dates already filled in) and then create a timeline on a separate sheet of paper.
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DATES*
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EVENT
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(1917)
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Amritsar Massacreover 1,400 Indians killed or wounded
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(1947)
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Indian Independence Act passed by British
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(1915)
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Gandhi returns to India after spending 20 years in S. Africa
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(1870)
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Mohandas Gandhi born in India
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(1948)
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Gandhi assassinated at age 78
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(1930)
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Protest on British-made salt begins with the Salt March
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(1948)
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People of India elect Jawaharlal Nehru prime minister
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(1893)
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Gandhi travels to South Africa to do legal work
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(1939)
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World War II breaks out
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(1945)
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World War II ends
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Note: Teacher can plan to use this timeline to have students compare events in other parts of the world which occurred in the early twentieth century. For example: Where does an event like Pearl Harbor fit on the timeline?
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Or the Great Depression? The Harlem Renaissance? The inventions of the telephone, electric light bulb and the automobile? The flights of the Wright brothers, Charles Lindburgh and Amelia Earnhart? These events may help give the timeline exercise some perspective.
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LESSON PLAN FOUR: What is truth (force)? (One Class Period)
Objectives:
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1. To have students grapple with the concepts of objective (absolute) and subjective (relative) truth;
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2. To discover why “the truth” can often be elusive;
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3. To engage in an activity that will enhance their cognitive, listening and writing skills.
Procedures:
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1. Warmup Activity. The teacher introduces the lesson by calling students’ attention to several quotes about truth she has written on the chalkboard:
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1.”Truth is stranger than fiction.” 2.”The truth shall set you free.” 3.”Say not, ‘I have found the truth,’ but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’”
The teacher asks what all these quotations have in common. (They all have to do with truth). In court witnesses are told to tell the “truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. . . .”) Why? (Juries and judges need to know what happened in order to make a just decision) Is it reasonable to expect that witnesses will always agree on ‘what happened?’ (Not necessarily) Why? (Memories fade, inattention to detail, some people have better powers of observation than others).
The final question to students is about the nature of people. “If the truth seems so important, why do people often cover up or deny the truth?” (Answers will range from: to save embarrassment, to avoid blame or punishment, and to enhance ourselves by exaggerating or changing the truth.) So the truth may be hard to get at, given our human tendencies to cover up or deny or exaggerate.
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2. Transitional Activity. The teacher tells the students that one of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi’s beliefs was in satyagraha, or “truth force.” What we are going to try to discover (or review) is: (1) what did he mean by “truth force?” and (2) what was necessary for this force to be effective in changing the lives of millions of impoverished Indians in India?
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3. Main Lesson. The teacher asks the students, “How good are you at determining what the truth really is?” Today you will have a chance to play detective. You are going to participate in a simulation where you will have to expose the impostors and identify the person instructed to answer all questions truthfully.”
(In preparation for this lesson, the teacher has pre-selected three students to impersonate Gandhi by answering a series of questions posed by the teacher in front of the other students). Only one will answer all the questions correctly. The other two will exaggerate or embellish or give wrong answers in an attempt to mislead the students in the class.)
The teacher introduces the activity by saying this is a panel of three persons all whom claim to be Mohandas K. Gandhi. Your job is to reveal who the “real” Gandhi is. Remember, the “real Gandhi” will answers all questions truthfully; the impostors will answer some questions correctly, but others will be false answers. Who is the “real” Gandhi?
Each “Gandhi” enters the room (preferably with towel turbans on their heads) and is asked the first question: “Who are you?” Each in turn answers, “Mohandas K. Gandhi.” With that the questions begin; the students in the class taking notes; the Role Players referring to their Fact Sheets which they have been given the day before.
The activity continues for about 15 to 20 minutes. The teacher should leave 10 to 15 minutes at the end of the class period in order to allow students to vote, and tell why they voted as they did. Finally the “real” Gandhi stands up, to the surprise of some students, if the activity works correctly. The teacher asks the class why some of them had difficulty deciding which person to vote for.
At the end of the class period the teacher hands each student a Fact Sheet summarizing important events in Gandhi’s life. What did the Role Players say that did not agree with this Fact Sheet? If you had this Fact Sheet, would it have been easier to spot the Phonies? (Of course) So what have we learned about truth today? (You can’t always believe everything people tell you; you need facts to determine what is really true, etc.)
The follow up assignment is that students try to answer two questions: 1. What do you think Gandhi meant by “truth force”? 2. How can truth be transformed into a force that could change people’s lives for the better? You can apply this second question to Gandhi’s India or the present day.
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AUTHOR’S NOTE: This activity is designed as a review activity, but it can be modified and used at any time during the unit.
ADDENDUM: SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED DURING THE SIMULATION, “TO TELL THE TRUTH.” (20 questions)
1. When and where were you born? 2. Are you still alive? 3. How did you die? 4. What was your occupation? 5. What countries did you live in? 6. What religion were you? 7. Did you ever read the Bible? What parts of the Bible did you like or dislike? 8. How did you and your wife meet? 9. Why did you go to South Africa in 1893? 10. Describe an “Ashram” for us. 11. Were you ever arrested and spend time in jail? (for what reasons?) 12. Did you ever accept help from white people in your movement? (why or why not?) 13. Did you and your wife ever disagree about anything? 14. Why did you decide to go back to India in 1914? 15. Why did you decide to teach people to use the hand spinning wheel? 16. Did you ever try to change the Hindu Caste System? (why?) 17. Why did you organize a “Salt March?” 18. Why did you go on a fast on different occasions? 19. Were you in favor or against the division of India into a part Hindu and a separate Muslim state? (why) 20. Why do you think your killer assassinated you? What are your feelings towards him?
APPENDIX A:
Gandhi Film Questions, Part One (To be used with Lesson Plan 2 above)
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In the introduction to the film, Gandhi says to his people, “We will not strike a blow, but we will receive them.” This was an important part of his philosophy. His people were oppressed by a foreign colonial government, England. He proposed a practical program of nonviolent resistance. He claimed victory was a certainty. “One hundred thousand Englishmen simply cannot control 350 million Indians if they do not want to cooperate.”
The film opens in January, 1948, in India at the end of World War II. After Gandhi’s funeral, the film flashes back to 1893, as the young lawyer Gandhi enters South Africa by train.
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1. What happens to Gandhi to introduce him to racial separation (“apartheid”) in South Africa?
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2. What were Gandhi and his Indian followers protesting at the rally?
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3. Why is one man arrested and Gandhi beaten?
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4. What is Gandhi (along with his friend Charlie) trying to prove by “turning the other cheek” to the street bullies? Does it work? Explain.
5. We observe Gandhi at his “ashram” village with an American news reporter. What does Gandhi tell the reporter he hopes to accomplish there?
6. Gandhi and his wife, Kasturba, argue. Why does he lose his temper with her?
7. How do they resolve their disagreement?
8. New laws are passed in South Africa which further discriminate against Indian immigrants. What actions does Gandhi propose in order to change these unfair laws? How does Gandhi win their support?
9. What happens at the mines to prevent many of the marchers from being injured or killed?
10. We see many of the Indian people in jail along with Gandhi. What purpose does going to jail accomplish in the fight against the British?
11. Gandhi, still in his jail uniform, is offered a compromise agreement by South Africa’s Governor Jan Smuts. What do Gandhi and his people gain from these new laws?
12. How does Gandhi manage to keep the upper hand as he concludes his business with the Governor?
Gandhi Film Questions, Part Two
Gandhi, after he is released from prison in South Africa, wins a victory for his people. The laws that required fingerprinting and unlimited searches have been cancelled, as long as Gandhi agrees to stop further protests.
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Gandhi returns to India. He is greeted as a hero. The colonial British government there is opposed to Indian “home rule,” which would allow Indian citizens to have a voice in running their own country. Gandhi realizes that many of his people live in poverty because of British laws that exploit the people in favor of British business interests.
1. What is Gandhi’s plan to help win rights for the Indian tenant farmers?
2. How does he gain a release from prison after refusing to pay bail?
3. What plan of Gandhi’s do the other Indian political leaders agree to put into effect?
4. Does the plan work? Explain the British reaction.
5. Describe what happens at Amritsar after the people gathered to listen to speeches.
6. What does General Dyer say in defense of his actions at Amritsar?
7. What is Gandhi’s response to the massacre of innocent civilians? What does Gandhi propose to do about this tragedy?
*8. Gandhi makes a radio speech heard by millions. He makes 3 main points: (1) Promote Hindu-Muslim unity; (2) Get rid of personal anger; (3) Defy the British. Explain why each of these points was important to Gandhi’s goals.
Gandhi Film Questions, Part Three
Gandhi has had several legal and political victories in India. The British realize that they are helpless to stop his popularity. People in other parts of the world are reading about Gandhi and the people’s struggle. The Amritsar tragedy in which over 1,100 Indians were either killed or wounded, added to England’s ugly image in the world’s opinion polls. Gandhi wants to call the people’s attention to their overall goal: Indian independence with dignity. He proposes different ways to hurt British interests.
1. Why does he propose that the people burn articles of clothing? How will this hurt the British economy?
2. What does he ask the people to do to prove they can survive without British products?
3. What sacrifices does he ask the people to make in the cause of freedom?
4. Why do the marchers riot in front of the police station at Chauri? What happens?
5. What is Gandhi prepared to do to end the violence? What is the result?
6. Gandhi makes a 200-mile “Salt March” with many of his supporters to symbolize India’s defiance of British laws. What do his supporters do in large numbers?
7. Why do the British decide to arrest Gandhi and his supporters? Why is this event called a “turning point” in the people’s struggle for independence?
8. While in prison in the Aga Khan’s palace, Gandhi’s wife, Kasturba dies. How does Gandhi handle this?
9. Gandhi is invited to go to England to represent India for discussions about independence. Why is Gandhi disappointed at the results?
10. What does Gandhi do to try to stop the Hindu-Muslim violence? What advice does he give to people who have been hurt by the violence?
*11. The day of India’s independence finally comes. Why is Gandhi troubled and sad? Gandhi was a great leader but seems to have made little progress in some areas. After he is killed, what issues are left for the new democratic government to deal with? How successful has the government of India been?
APPENDIX B
Object Analysis(To be used with Lesson Plan 1)
Lesson: The Silent Object
Source: A Book of Spinning Wheels, p. 15
