WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT INDIA?

I) The Meaning of the Indian Flag

The Indian flag is made of 3 stripes of different colours:  saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law. The saffron stands for courage and sacrifice; the white, for purity and truth; the green for growth and auspiciousness.

Read the information given above and in the website below to answer the following questions: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/in-flag.html

a. What does each colour of the flag symbolize ?

b. What is the name of the wheel in the middle of the white stripe?

II) Location  and government

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html#Govt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#Demographics

 Read the information given above and in the website below to answer the following questions.

a. What is the capital city of India ?

b. When did India become independent? From which country?

c. Name 2 Indian cities which are the most populated.

III) Gandhi

Questions:  http://www.indianchild.com/mahatma_gandhi.htm

Where and when was Gandhi born?

Who was he? How did the Indian people call him? What does it mean?

What method did he develop? Which campaign did he lead?

When and how did Gandhi die?

IV) Religion and people

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html#People

What are the main religions practised in India?

What is the national language of India?

What is Punjabi?

V) The Caste system

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/living/caste.shtml

a. Are all men created equal in India? According to which criteria is the Indian society organised?

b. What are the names given to the 4 large caste categories?

c.How do we call people -  who are at the top of the social pyramid?

                                     - who are too lowly to be within the varna sytem?

d.Does “Untouchability” still exist today?

e. Is marriage between 2 different castes well accepted?

VI) Indian Cuisine

Spices are so important to Indian cooking - especially to preparing curry. The world "curry" is the English word "kari". It is the subtle and delicate blending of spices such as turmeric, cardamom, ginger, coriander, nutmeg and poppy seed. The Indian cook has some twenty-five spices (freshly ground as required) with which to mix the recognized combinations or "massalas".

In the south rice is the staple food¹.  In the north, this is supplemented and sometimes substituted by a wide range of flat breads, such as Pooris, Chappatis and Nan. Common throughout India is Dhal (crushed lentil soup with various additional vegetables).

Another custom is to eat with your fingers but remember only of the right hand...

Tea is India’s favourite drink, and many of the varieties are famous the world over.

1. Staple food: aliment de base

Game:Rearrange the letters of the word given in French. Write the word in the blank provided

-> Read the text above and answer the following Questions: 

a. What does “Massala” mean?

b. Of which spices is Curry made of?

c. Regarding food, what is the main difference between the North and the South of India?

d. What are Chappatis?

e. What is Dhal?

f. How do people traditionally eat their meals?

VII) Indian expressions

 Adapted from www.my-english-courses.com by Mrs Panier