Discovering Diwali in the Primary Classroom
The Festival of Lights is fast approaching! And we have had the joy of touring schools across the country this month to help primary school children explore one of the most important stories behind Diwali - The Ramayana. An epic tale of good triumphing over evil, it is a story that can be traced back to 500 BCE (that’s a LONG time ago!) and it’s as much loved today as it was back then.
The original text is around 24,000 verses, but we like to start with the basic structure of the story. We love this version from BBC teach for explaining the key plot points to young learners.
The Ramayana is just one of the stories that has influenced Diwali celebrations. Want to know more? Here are a few key facts for introducing Diwali to your class:
Diwali honours the victory of good over evil and the coming home of Rama and Sita after the defeat of the demon Ravana.
Diwali is also know as 'The Festival of Lights'. When translated from Sanskrit the word 'Diwali' means 'row of lights.'
The festival honours the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.
The many lights and lamps associated with Diwali are said to help guide the goddess Lakshmi into people's homes, to bring them wealth and good fortune for the upcoming year.
Diwali lasts for 5 days. The dates of the festival change slightly each year as they are determined by the lunar calendar.
To help you delve a little deeper into The Ramayana and Diwali, we’ve put together a few activities to have a go at in your classroom.
Firecrackers
Diwali is a huge celebration and many people use fireworks and firecrackers as part of their celebration.
Begin with everyone crouched on the floor.
After the count of three everyone should jump up and create an interesting shape with their body.
Try this a couple of times, changing shapes each time.
Select 4 of the most interesting shapes created.
Label everyone in the room 1-4, assigning each number one of the 4 selected shapes.
Create a sequence by the leader calling out numbers and the members of that group jumping up to create their shape.
Add music!
The way home
Rama and Sita are guided home by the lamps lit in Ayodyha. In this activity you should work in pairs to guide one another 'home'.
Assign one area of your space (a school hall is best!) as ‘the forest’ and another area (a distance away) as ‘home’.
In pairs devise your own secret code for directions using sounds. E.g. turn left = beep beep!, turn right = clap!, walk forward = sssssh!, stop = eeek!
One person in the pair should be blindfolded (or trusted to keep their eyes closed!) while the other navigates the way home, using the secret code.
Create different pathways using bits of material, coloured tape, cones etc.
Extension: Use some apparatus and incorporate directions like over, under and around.
Read all about it!
Write a newspaper report for the day after Rama and Sita return to Ayodha. You will need to report the main action of the story in an exciting and engaging way.
You may want to think about different features of a news report:
A short snappy headline - try using alliteration.
An opening sentence which sums up what the report is about.
Interviews using quotes from witnesses or participants.
A photo with a caption which describes what the picture is, or its relevance to the article.
Text divided into organised paragraphs.
A good mixture of both opinion and fact.
Like many major festivals and celebrations, everyone celebrates Diwali in different ways. Whether it is through storytelling, fireworks or perhaps even dance, we hope that you and your class find the perfect way to enjoy the Festival of Lights this October!
- Katie & Sarah