Teacher Resources
Student Resources

Indian Cultural Festival


Research Scenario



The Baltimore Showcase of Nations Ethnic Festivals are cultural attractions enjoyed annually by both tourists and local residents. Since the early 1970s, the festivals have honored the heritage, customs, and traditions of Baltimore's diverse cultures. These festivals feature traditional foods, arts & crafts, music, dances and fun for everyone. In response to the growing Asian Indian population in the Baltimore area, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts has decided to add an Indian Cultural Festival to the festival showcase this year. Because of your extensive background knowledge on India, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts has hired your class to plan and present this year's Indian Cultural Festival. You and your classmates will need to do some in-depth research in order to become experts on the characteristics and importance of Indian traditions.

How have traditions shaped Indian culture?

Task and Product

You will work with a Festival Team of 3-4 students to research one aspect of traditional Indian culture.

  • View the topic choices and briefly preview some Websites with information about these topics; then use your back button to return to this page.
  • Use this research organizer to record three topic choices in order of preference. Your teacher will approve the final topic selections and assign team members for each topic.

Your team will use the information from your individual research to create an exhibit for the Indian Cultural Festival. Each team exhibit should include the following elements:

  • Tri-fold display board or large poster board with exhibit title, team members' names, and main ideas about your topic
  • Exhibitor's Comments sheet
  • Works Cited sheet
  • Visual Aids and/or Demonstration Props
  • Handout (optional)

All Festival Team members must do individual research and participate in team planning, production, and presentation of the information for exhibit. You will need to plan as a team how to divide the responsibilities for creating and presenting your exhibit.

Assessment

You will be graded on your daily work on the research process and your individual and group work for the Team Festival Exhibit.

Research Process Assessments:

Questions

 

 Essential Question guiding your research:

How have traditions shaped Indian culture?

Subsidiary questions:

  • What is the history of this tradition in Indian culture?
  • How is this tradition practiced in India today?
  • How is this tradition important to Indian culture?
  • Use your research organizer to brainstorm additional questions and organize your research notes.

Gather and Sort


Gather information from a variety of sources.

Sort your findings by taking notes on your research organizer. If you prefer to take notes on lined paper, write each of your subsidiary questions at the top of a separate sheet of notebook paper.

  • Avoid plagiarism by properly paraphrasing and quoting in your writing.
  • Cite all information sources you use for your team's list of Works Cited. Refer to these guidelines and examples for How to Cite Your Sources; click on the source format (book, Internet site, etc.) to print out a citation worksheet.

Organize

 

Analyze your research notes to determine which details will best address the needs of your audience and the demands of your research task.

  • Meet with your team-members to share research notes, bibliography entries, pictures, etc
  • What new insights have emerged about your topic?
  • Which facts are the most important and would be most interesting for visitors to your exhibit to know?
  • Which facts are irrelevant or unimportant and could be eliminated?
  • As you go through your notes, each team member should highlight the information you decide to include in your exhibit; if team members have any identical information, only one person should highlight those notes.

Synthesize your findings by working with your team members to plan and create your Festival Exhibit.

  • Refer to these Exhibitor's Guidelines as you plan and create your exhibit; divide responsibility for tasks among team members.
  • Discuss and brainstorm some ideas for exhibit visual aids or demonstrations that could be included to enhance your information.
  • Meet with your teacher to discuss your plans and the materials needed to create your visual aids and conduct your demonstration (if any).

Evaluate the effectiveness of your team's research.

  • Has your team gathered sufficient details about your topic to answer each of your subsidiary research questions?
  • Are you prepared to share information (exhibitor's comments) and answer festival visitors' questions about your topic?
  • Are your details organized in a way that will make sense for your audience?
  • Have you planned how you will display visual aids and conduct your demonstration (if any)?
  • Refer to the Festival Exhibitor's Guidelines and the Festival Exhibit scoring tool to make sure you have met all requirements.

Conclusion

Presentation:

Your teacher will notify you of the time and place for the Indian Cultural Festival. Your team should be prepared on that day with all the materials necessary to set up and present your exhibit. You will also have an opportunity to visit your fellow students' festival exhibits. Take notes on this Exhibit Visitor's Notes chart as you visit the other festival exhibits.

Reflection:

After visiting the Festival exhibits, compose a Brief Constructed Response to explain how traditions are important to Indian culture. Include examples and supporting details from your Exhibit Visitor's Notes.