NATURE

Bandhavgarh: The Tiger's Domain
Subject: Science, Language Arts, The Arts
Grade Level: 6-8

In the heart of India, Bandhavgarh, a once powerful dynasty, is now a protected wilderness area. It is a place where royal Bengal tigers roam freely amongst the ruins of abandoned palaces and temples. In this lesson, students will design a project to educate people about the area and to entice them to visit Bandhavgarh. They will also write a script for a play that combines the human and natural history elements of Bandhavgarh.

OVERVIEW

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:
  • synthesize information from a variety of sources.
  • exhibit an understanding of the factors that compose an ecosystem.
  • interpret facts and express meaning through scripted scenes.
Bookmark the following sites:



Materials

The TEMPLE OF TIGERS program
Internet access
Art supplies

Standards

http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/search.asp

Science

Standard 6
Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment

Language Arts / Writing

Standard 1
Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process

Reading

Standard 5
Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

Theatre

Standard 1
Demonstrates competence in writing scripts

Standard 3
Designs and produces informal and formal productions


PROCEDURES FOR TEACHERS

Background Activities

Activity One

The purpose of this activity is for students to build background knowledge on tigers and India.

 1. Send students to the Wildlife Protection Society of India Web site to read "Tiger Facts" and "Current Status of the Tiger in India."

http://www.wpsi-india.org/tiger/tiger_facts.php
http://www.wpsi-india.org/tiger/tiger_status.php

2. Discuss the articles.

3. Ask students to choose and read one of the interviews on the "Sanctuary Asia" Web site and share the information with the class. http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/interviews/
Viewing Activity

This activity may be used during the viewing of the program.

1. Ask students to draw a triangle on a large sheet of paper, and write the names of the Hindu trinity of gods on the points of the triangle.
  • Vishnu the Preserver of Life
  • Brahma the god of Birth
  • Shiva the Destroyer

2. Discuss how all existence is recycled within this eternal triangle.

3. Ask students to record events from LIVING EDENS: TEMPLE OF THE TIGERS: INDIA'S BANDHAVGARH WILDERNESS program under the corresponding categories on the triangle.

4. Following the program, discuss the film and the charts.

Steps

In this activity students will create a travel brochure for Bandhavgarh National Park.

Activity One

1. Divide students into small groups.

2. Tell students that they work at a travel agency that has recently decided to add Bandhavgarh National Park to their list of destinations. Their job is to educate people about the area and to entice them to visit Bandhavgarh.

3. Students may choose one of these options for this project.

  • Brochure
  • Video
  • Power Point presentation
  • Posters
  • Radio advertisement
  • Web site
4. The project should include the following elements:
  • Location
  • Transportation
  • Best time to visit
  • Entry requirements
  • Main attractions
  • Travel tips
  • Temperatures
  • History and culture
  • Terrain
  • Vegetation/flora
  • Animals
  • Bird life
5. Encourage students to use a variety of sources for this project. These sites provide a good place to begin Internet research.

http://www.nationalgeographic.co.in/explore/otbt/bandhavgarh.asp
National Geographic Web site

http://202.54.119.101/travel/detailtravel.php?id=17
Sanctuary Asia Web site

Note: http://www.google.com is a good resource for photographs and images of Bandhavgarh. To access these photographs, visit Google at www.google.com. When you are on the site, type "Bandhavgarh" into the search section of the site and then click on the "images" button.

6. Provide time for students to share their projects with the class.


Activity Two

In this activity students will complete research on Bandhavgarh and write and perform a play based on this information.

1. Tell students that they are going to write a play based on life in Bandhavgarh. Students may refer to their charts from the Viewing Activity section of this lesson. If you haven't viewed the program, the following Web site will provide some background information on Bandhavgarh:
http://www.iaingreen.co.uk/bandhav.htm

2. Divide the class into small groups and ask them to write a script for a play that depicts life in Bandhavgarh. The play should include as many of these elements from the program TEMPLE OF THE TIGERS as possible.

  • A description of the setting (Bandhavgarh plateau)
  • Tigers
  • Chital/spotted deer
  • Jackals
  • Crows
  • Vultures
  • Peacocks
  • Monkeys
  • Dung beetles
  • Foxes
  • Leopards
  • A solitary priest
  • Hindu pilgrims
  • Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva
3. The following quotations from TEMPLE OF THE TIGERS may be particularly helpful for students who have not seen the program.
  • This is the story of how tigers reclaimed this kingdom, and how, amid the ruins of past civilizations, nature rebuilt a Living Eden in the heart of India.

  • This is the Bandhavgarh plateau, a massive block of sandstone with sheer walls rising a thousand feet from the jungles of central India. It is one of the last strongholds of the Royal Bengal Tiger.

  • Today, after twenty centuries of civilization, Bandhavgarh is abandoned by all, except one solitary priest. The old priest marks the end of a long line of holy men who once tended the sacred shrines here on the plateau. Today, his most frequent visitors are tigers.

  • Once a year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims converge on Bandhavgarh to visit the temple on top of the plateau. They make their way through the forests to pray at the ancient shrines, carrying with them offerings.

  • This is Charger, who has ruled here for over 10 years, but, like the Maharaja's before him, Charger's reign is coming to an end. It is only a matter of time, now, before he must meet a powerful new rival.

  • This tigress has killed a chital stag.

  • In the Hindu trinity of gods, Vishnu the preserver of life stands between Brahma, the god of birth, and Shiva, the destroyer. All existence is recycled within this eternal triangle. The temple, which the old priest still tends, will one day be consumed by the jungle.

  • Dominant male tigers will kill the cubs of any female that are not his own.

  • By the end of May, the temperatures of Bandhavgarh reach a searing 120 degrees.

  • Each day in Bandhavgarh begins with a million new possibilities.
4. The following sites provide useful information to help students develop their characters and setting.

http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/mammals/Tiger.HTM
Smithsonian Web site

http://www.animalinfo.org/
Animal Information site

http://www.crowcollection.com/html/000000000015.html
Hinduism

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/meeting_god/
American Museum of Natural History: Elements of Hindu Devotion

http://www.nationalgeographic.co.in/explore/otbt/bandhavgarh.asp
National Geographic Web site

http://www.5tigers.org/AllAboutTigers/Basics/Travel/Carroll_1.htm
Wild Tigers: A Visit to Bandhavgarh

5. After students have completed their scripts, ask them to share their work with the class.

6. As a class, choose one of the scripts, or combine ideas from different scripts, to create a new play.

7. Assign students to the following groups to create the play:
  • Cast members
  • Set design
  • Costumes
  • Music
  • Program

8. Invite another class in to watch the performance.

Extension Activities

1. Create a "Save the Tiger" program in your school or community.

2. Write an information booklet to educate people on the topic of saving tigers.

3. Raise money and adopt a Siberian tiger from the Friends of the Forest or any number of other sites on the Web.
http://www.friendsoftheforest.org/
http://www.friendsoftheforest.org/si_tiger.htm


Thirteen/WNETPBS
© 2005 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.		 close window