DIWALI: Festival of Lights and
The ancient art of snake charming!
Today we enjoyed learning all about the Hindu festival of Diwali (several places around the world have already celebrated, and India is due to celebrate the first week of November)! Thought to traditionally be a harvest festival and expression of light towards darkness (good towards evil) it is also speculated that the millions of lights, lamps and fireworks serve a very useful purpose as well. The rainy season and flooding in India brings many insects and bugs, and the smoke from snuffed ceramic pot lamps, candles and firecrackers are thought to help alleviate the pests!
We also explored the ancient art of snake charming today in music (also thought to have originated in India). I showed the kids several videos of snake charmers using circular breathing and flutes to "hypnotize" cobra snakes in baskets, and we mimicked this motion as I played a recorder and I encouraged the children to sway in the same direction I was moving.
I explained to the children that cobras aren't actually able to hear the music, but are mimicking the snake charmer's movements with the flute as a means of their own protection, anticipating the threat of danger. We also talked about the snake's posture, and what it means when the "hood" appears on the cobra. Find questions below to ask your child about class today to encourage an extending conversation at home! :)
Speaking of questions, our older children worked on asking questions at the end of today's class. Quite often, when you ask a young child if they have questions, they will raise their hand in anticipation and offer a statement. (And many times, it is a statement that doesn't relate to the conversation at hand! HAHA!)
Today, we worked on staying on the relevant topic (snakes, snakecharming, India) and we focused on the beginning statements of questions:
"WHY...?"
"WHO...?"
"HOW...?"
"WHERE...?"
This kept the kids on task and they were congratulated when they were able to think of a relevant question! Speaking of questions, see today's "Extension Conversation" questions below!
Speaking of questions, our older children worked on asking questions at the end of today's class. Quite often, when you ask a young child if they have questions, they will raise their hand in anticipation and offer a statement. (And many times, it is a statement that doesn't relate to the conversation at hand! HAHA!)
Today, we worked on staying on the relevant topic (snakes, snakecharming, India) and we focused on the beginning statements of questions:
"WHY...?"
"WHO...?"
"HOW...?"
"WHERE...?"
This kept the kids on task and they were congratulated when they were able to think of a relevant question! Speaking of questions, see today's "Extension Conversation" questions below!
The infants Listen to "Thumri", a traditional Indian love song, while exploring
wooden instruments!
wooden instruments!
1. What was the festival of lights called? Diwali Festival of Lights
2. Where does it take place? India
3. What do they do for festival of lights? Harvest, sing, dance, light candles, clay pot lights, fireworks, etc.
4. When it floods in India, what happens to the insects? There are too many of them! (The smoke helps keep them away!)
5. What animal does the charmer keep in the basket? A snake! Specifically--a cobra. Extra points: when the sides of the cobra's neck stand out, they are showing their "hood". And that is when they feel threatened!
6. Why does the snake move when the snake charmer plays? The snake is following the movement of the flute. The snake can not actually hear music, but can feel vibrations.
