Just because its summer doesn't mean we cant still learn! This summer we will be doing different projects based on shloks from Indian culture to help make culture and learning fun for our kids.
This week we are learning 2 different shloks. The first shlok is:
ગંગા સિંધુ સરસ્વતી ચ યમુના ગોદાવરી નર્મદા
કાવેરી સરયૂ મહેન્દ્રતનયા ચર્મણ્વતી વેદિકા
ક્ષિપ્રા વેત્રવતી મહાસુરનદી ખ્યાતા જયા ગણ્ડકી
પૂર્ણા: પૂણ્યજલે:સમુદ્રસહિતા: કુર્વન્તુ મે મંગલમ્
Gangaa Sindhu Saraswati Cha Yamunaa Godaavari Narmadaa
Kaaveri Sarayu Mahendratanayaa Charmanvati Vedika
Kshipraa Vetravati Mahaasurnadi Khyaataa Jayaa Gandaki
Purna Purnyajaleh Samudrasahitaah Kurvantu Me Mangalam
This shlok is similar to the shlok from last week. It names different sacred rivers in India and asks that the water flowing from these rivers brings welfare to us all. In a time when climate change is ramping up and droughts are prevelant throughout the world, it is an important reminder to be grateful for these bodies of water, without which we would not be able to survive.
Activity:
1. Click on the following link to print out the attached worksheets.
2. Have your kid trace over the Gujarati shlok so they can practice their Gujarati. Cut the shlok out and glue it onto the top of a piece of construction paper.
3. Cut along the blue line that contains the names of the different rivers. Color this blue to depict the ocean that all of the rivers flow into. Then glue this ocean to the bottom of the same piece of construction paper. When you glue it make sure you only apply glue to the sides and the bottom of the bodies of water. This way you will create a pocket at the top where you can place your person! (See the photo for more information).
4. Cut out the two people. Give them faces and clothes. Have your kid color both of them-- make one of them clean and one of them dirty. We just used a brown marker to put specks of "dirt" on the dirty person. When you are done, glue the two people together as depicted in the photos below.
5. Take a piece of string and connect one end to the people and the other to the middle of the construction paper. Dunk the "dirty" person in the water and recite the shlok. When the person comes out of the water, flip them over so they are now clean!
