Lower Key Stage 2 Mountains, Rivers and Coasts
Living in the Mountains

Journey to the Kumaon region of India and learn about the life of a Kumaon child. Find out about the fascinating Kumaon region and the tallest peaks of the Himalayas. Compare this region to your own as you develop learning.

Session 1 Kumaon story

Objectives

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom and another region.

English

  • To write for a range of real purposes and audiences as part of their work across the curriculum.

Lesson Planning

Learn about the life of a Kumaon child; how is it similar and different to yours? Write a personal account of a typical day.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To begin to consider similarities and differences between your life and the lives of children living in the Kumaon.
  • To write an account of a day in the life.

Children will:

  • Begin to think about similarities and differences between their lives and life in the Kumaon Himalaya.
  • Write an honest account of a typical day.

You Will Need

  • Map of the World

Session 2 Location of Kumaon

Objectives

Geography

  • Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate and describe features studied.
  • Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics and major cities.

Lesson Planning

Find out about the fascinating Kumaon region and the tallest peaks of the Himalayas.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To use an atlas to identify the Kumaon region on maps, locating surrounding countries and important towns & cities.

Children will:

  • Use maps and atlases to find the Kumaon region of the Himalayas.
  • Use an atlas to identify the countries within which the Himalayan mountain range runs.
  • Begin to identify some of the tallest peaks of the Himalayas, and in which country they belong.

You Will Need

  • Atlases

Session 3 A day in the life of a Kumaoni child

Objectives

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom and another region.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

Lesson Planning

Learn more about the challenging life of a child living in the upper reaches of the Himalayas.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To further consider similarities and differences between your life and the lives of children living in the Kumaon region, and begin to consider why some things are so different.

Children will:

  • Learn about life in the upper reaches of the Himalayas.
  • Think about isolation and employment and access to water and electricity.
  • Consider a day in the life of a Kumaoni child and compare it to their lives.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 4 Himalayan climate

Objectives

Science

  • To observe changes across the four season.
  • To observe and describe weather associated with the seasons and how day length varies.
  • To describe and understand key aspects of physical geography including climate zones.

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom and another region.

Lesson Planning

Research the seasons in the Kumaon region and their effects on the people.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To know the seasons and weather experienced in the UK and begin to consider the difference with the weather in the Kumaon region.
  • To consider the effect of the weather on life in the UK and compare this to life in the Kumaon region.

Children will:

  • Develop an understanding about life in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas.
  • Learn about the seasons in the Kumaon & their effects on the lives of those living there.

Provided Resources

  • Himalayan climate info
  • Map of the Kumaon region

You Will Need

Flip-cams or similar

Session 5 Kumaoni homes

Objectives

Design and Technology

  • To develop a critical understanding of the impact of design and technology on daily life and the wider world.

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom and another region.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

Science

  • To identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses. (This is a year 2 objective, so session could be used as a revision/assessment session)

Lesson Planning

Compare the materials used to build homes in the Kumaon region with those used for your own house.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To begin to consider the impact of new technologies on the homes we live in and to think about why they haven’t impacted the homes in a remote Kumaoni village.
  • To understand why different materials are used to build houses in different regions, considering climate, availability and value.
  • To identify and compare the materials used for building homes in different regions of the world from photos of different homes, and from their own home.

Children will:

  • Look at typical Kumaoni homes and compare them to their own homes.
  • Consider materials available for building houses and begin to understand that some are better than others for homes in different regions.
  • Begin to consider the impact of new technologies on the homes we live in and will think about why they haven’t impacted the homes in a remote Kumaoni village.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 6 Kumaoni school

Objectives

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom and another region.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

Lesson Planning

Experience Kumaoni school lessons; compare them with your own school and debate the differences.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To think about school life for children who live in less economically developed countries and relate this to our own behaviour and attitudes.

Children will:

  • Experience Kumaoni school lessons and make comparisons with their school.
  • Think about life for children who live in less economically developed countries and relate this to our own behaviour and attitudes.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 7 Access to water in the Kumaon

Objectives

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom and another region.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

Science

  • To find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air). (Year 2.)

Lesson Planning

Role-play fetching water for every day tasks and begin to understand water issues for people in the Kumaon.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand that the availability of clean water is not the same for everyone around the world.
  • To know that access to clean water is vital for survival.

Children will:

  • Understand the need for access to clean water for humans and animals.
  • Begin to understand water access issues for people in the Kumaon and around the world.
  • Consider their daily water usage and compare it to those living in the Kumaon.

You Will Need

  • Plastic cups
  • Buckets
  • Access to water

Session 8 Kumaoni food

Objectives

Design and Technology

  • To understand and apply the principals of a healthy and varied diet.
  • To prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
  • To understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Science

  • To find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air).
  • To describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene

Lesson Planning

Think about the diet of the Kumaon people; prepare a typical Kumaoni breakfast of rice and dhal.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To prepare and cook a traditional Kumaoni breakfast and to understand that not all food is available to everyone all year round.
  • To know that food is essential for survival and to begin to understand that a varied diet helps to keep us healthy.

Children will:

  • Look at food in the Kumaon and compare it to our diet.
  • Understand about the importance of an adequate and varied diet for health.
  • Prepare a typical Kumaoni breakfast of rice and dhal.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 9 Hindu celebration

Objectives

RE

  • Children investigate and consider the impact of religion and belief locally, nationally and globally.
  • They make connections between different aspects of religion and belief and consider different forms of religious expression.
  • They consider the beliefs, teachings, practices and ways of life central to religion.
  • They extend the range and use of specialist vocabulary. (check your locally agreed RE syllabus)

Geography

  • Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics and major cities.

Lesson Planning

Consider the Hindu religion and the significance of the Himalayas and the rivers running from them; celebrate the Hindu festival of Rhaki and make friendship bracelets.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To begin to understand the significance of the Himalayas and the rivers running from them in the Hindu religion.
  • To know about the Hindu festival of Rhaki and how it is celebrated by the Kumaoni people.
  • To understand that the main religion in India is Hinduism and begin to consider the effect this has on the lives of people living there.

Children will:

  • Understand that India is predominantly Hindu and that most people in the Kumaon are Hindu.
  • Begin to consider the effect this has on their lives.
  • Begin to understand the significance of the Himalayas and the rivers running from them in the Hindu religion.
  • Know about the Hindu festival of Rhaki and how it is celebrated by the Kumaoni people.

Provided Resources

  • Images of the Hindu god Durga/Nanda Devi
  • Nanda Devi information
  • Temple images
  • Goddess Durga information
  • Festival of Rakhi information
  • Friendship bracelet instructions

You Will Need

  • Cotton thread in a range of colours

Session 10 A celebration of similarities and differences

Objectives

Computing

  • To select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.

Geography

  • Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom and another region.
  • To understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

Lesson Planning

Summarise all you have learned about the similarities and differences between living in the Kumaon and living in the UK; create an informative PowerPoint presentation and then plan a celebration with friends and family.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To use PowerPoint to present information about life in the Kumaon region of the Himalayas.
  • To demonstrate a secure understanding of the similarities and differences between their life and the lives of the Kumaoni people.
  • To understand and explain why some of these differences arise.

Children will:

  • Plan a talk about the similarities and differences between living in the Kumaon and living in the UK.
  • Explore PowerPoint and try to identify how to change the slide transitions, background design and include images, text boxes and hyperlinks.
  • Design and create a PowerPoint to use during the presentation.
  • Celebrate the similarities and differences between living in the UK and in the Kumaon region.

Provided Resources

  • Create a PowerPoint presentation instructions

You Will Need

  • All work from the previous sessions
  • Computer for each child