Understanding Diversity

India is a land of great diversity. People here speak many languages, follow different religions, eat different foods, wear different clothes and celebrate many festivals. In this chapter you will learn that diversity adds richness to our lives and that making friends with people from different backgrounds widens our understanding. You will see how diversity develops through history and geography: people who moved from one region to another in search of new lands or trade carried their customs with them, and the land, climate and resources of a region shape how people live, eat and dress. The chapter compares two regions. Ladakh, a cold desert in the mountains, has little rainfall; people keep sheep and goats that give pashmina wool, and both Buddhism and Islam are followed there. Kerala, on the south-western coast, has plenty of rain and is famous for its spices, which attracted Arab, Chinese, Jewish and European traders. Finally, you will learn how India's people stayed united during the freedom struggle, a spirit Jawaharlal Nehru called "unity in diversity".

Detailed Worksheet: Understanding Diversity Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What is meant by diversity? Give two examples of diversity in India. (2 marks) 2. What does "unity in diversity" mean? Who used this phrase? (2 marks) 3. How do historical factors lead to diversity? Give one example. (2 marks) 4. How do geographical factors lead to diversity? Give one example. (2 marks) 5. What is pashmina? Why is it valuable? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. The Constitution of India lists 22 scheduled languages. If a school offers 4 of them, (i) how many languages are not offered? (ii) What fraction of the scheduled languages is offered? (iii) Why is it useful to learn more than one language? (3 marks) 7. In a class of 40 students, 12 speak Hindi at home, 8 speak Bengali, 6 speak Tamil, 5 speak Marathi and the rest speak other languages. (i) How many speak other languages? (ii) What percentage speak Hindi? (iii) What does this tell us about diversity in a classroom? (3 marks) 8. Arrange in chronological order: Vasco da Gama reaches Kerala (1498), the Constitution of India comes into force (1950), Ibn Battuta visits Kerala (fourteenth century), India gains independence (1947). (3 marks) 9. Ladakh receives very little rainfall, about 10 cm a year, while parts of Kerala receive about 300 cm. (i) How many times more rain does Kerala get? (ii) How does this affect farming in the two regions? (iii) Name one crop or product of each region. (3 marks) 10. Match the trader groups with what they did in Kerala: (i) Arab traders (ii) Chinese traders (iii) Jewish traders (iv) Portuguese, led by Vasco da Gama. Give one detail for each. (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. On an outline map of India, mark and label Ladakh and Kerala. Shade the region with cold desert conditions in one colour and the region with heavy rainfall in another. (4 marks) 12. Draw a labelled sketch of a Chinese fishing net as seen in Kerala and write one line about its origin. (3 marks) 13. Draw a flowchart showing how trade led to cultural diversity in Kerala: spices -> traders -> settlement -> religious and cultural influences. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. Compare Ladakh and Kerala under the headings climate, livelihood, food and religions. Explain how both history and geography have shaped life in each region. (5 marks) 15. During the freedom struggle, people from different regions, religions and languages came together. (i) What united them? (ii) Name two symbols of unity that came from the freedom struggle. (iii) Who wrote the National Anthem? (iv) Why is unity important for a diverse country? (5 marks) 16. A new student from Manipur joins your class in Delhi. (i) What differences might she notice in food, language and dress? (ii) How can classmates help her feel welcome? (iii) What can the class learn from her? (iv) Why should we respect people who are different from us? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Show all working for data questions and draw maps neatly.