BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR: THE BOY WHO ASKED WHYLessons and Teaching Guide

Overview

This picture book is about a boy who asked why and dared to stand up to create change when he couldn’t find rational answers. A lesser-known hero of India’s freedom movement, Babasaheb Ambedkar is an inspiration for all of us.

He was born into a low-caste in a rigid society but his status and experiences informed his life choices. He worked hard to educate himself and fought for the rights of marginalized people. Babasaheb went on to become India’s first law minister and established ‘equality and justice for all’ as the founding principles of the Constitution of the world’s largest democracy.

Bhimrao Ambedkar: The Boy Who Asked Why provides a biographical account of his life with the hopes of igniting young minds and bringing discussions on race and discrimination to the fore. The book includes an informative timeline and a glossary for easy reference in this North American edition. This book also won an honorable mention by the South Asia Book Award committee in 2016.

1

Key Information

● Genre: Nonfiction, Biography● Interest Level: Gr. 1 to 8. ● Lexile Level:● Guided Reading Level: ● CCSS/ELA-Literacy: ● Subjects: Indian Independence, Discrimination, Caste System, Indian

History, Forms of Resistance, Role of Education, Power of Law, Conflict Resolution, Institutionalized Issues.

Teaching Connections for Primary and Secondary Teachers

1. Connections to Common Core State Standards:

A. Key Ideas and Details: ○ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.1 1. Read closely to determine what the

text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

○ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

○ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

B. Craft and Structure ○ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.1 Interpret words and phrases as they are

used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

○ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.2 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text

2

(e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

○ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.3 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

2. Lesson Ideas for Language Arts

Bhim’s story can integrate well into many Language Arts/English curriculum guides, and may be useful for topics related to People Who Made a Difference or Key Historical Figures, and could be an excellent biography for students to read.

Idea #1 - Global Connections (Language Arts)Ideal for Advanced 4th grade, all 5th and 6th gradeIn context of examining global connections, Bhim’s story can serve as an example of someone fighting for social justice and equality in India. May serve as a powerful connection for examining civil rights movement(s) in the U.S. This lesson idea can also be integrated into Social Studies curriculum.

3

Idea #2 - Biographies and People Who Made a Difference (English; Reading; Language Arts)Ideal for Advanced 5th grade, all 6th and 7th gradeIn context of exploring non-fiction literature, Bhim’s story can be an excellent touchpoint to examine how one person can have a powerful impact on society around them. May integrate well in a unit on examining individuals’ influence on social change (can pair with books on Dr. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Alexander Hamilton, etc).

3. Lesson Ideas for Social Studies

Bhim’s story can be integrated into a variety of Social Studies topics, themes or units. In particular, it may connect well with the following themes: Culture, People, Power & Governments, Global Connections, Civics, Governments, Political Systems, Cultures and Power. Please review these suggested ideas for integrating Bhim’s story into instructional plans.

Idea #1 - Turning Points in Contemporary History (Social Studies)Ideal for Advanced 5th grade, all 6th and 7th gradeIn context of examining key turning points in history, Bhim’s story can serve as a case study to examine how he was able to lead to a significant political and societal change in India.

Idea # 2 - Principles of Political Systems and Authority (Social Studies; History)Ideal for Advanced 6th grade, all 7th and 8th gradeIn context of examining principles of political systems and authority, Bhim’s story can serve as a case study to examine how a single member of a political system can exert influence on the larger system.

4

THEMES TO EXPLORE

1. History of India’s Independence: The book can be included in any discussion on Indian history and independence movement. Before reading the book, place it in the context of events occurring in India while Bhim was growing up.

○ Pair with A Taste of Freedom: Gandhi and the Great Salt March to have a more detailed discussion on British rule and the Indian Freedom Movement.

2. Nonfiction Biography : This book is an inspiring biography to use in the

classroom about a boy who questioned status quo and made a difference in the world around him.

○ Pair with relevant biographies from the Who Is/Who Was series such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

3. Drawing parallels with the Civil Rights movement : Use the book to draw analogies on how there has been a history of discrimination in numerous countries around the world regarding race, color, caste or creed. Discuss the apartheid in South Africa, and untouchability issues in India, and how time and again, people have had to fight back for justice and equality. Discuss the forms of resistance used by the people who’ve fought back, and what has been successful.

5

○ Pair with My Dream of Martin Luther King or Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X.

4. Power of Education : Use the story to lead a discussion on the role of education in Bhim’s life, and how it empowered him to stand up and fight for equality. Discuss the struggle for education by people around the world, and the benefits of education.

○ Pair with Razia’s Ray of Hope: One Girls Dream of an Education.

5. Role of Law : Discuss how laws in a country can perpetrate discrimination, but also promote justice and equality. Emphasize how Bhim embedded principles of liberty, equality and justice in the constitution of the world’s largest democracy, India, due to his own personal experiences of discrimination. Give examples of laws pertaining to the ‘right to vote’ and how they were discriminatory.

○ Pair with Fred Korematsu Speaks Up.

6

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

● Why do you think the title of the book is The Boy Who Asked Why? What did Bhim question?

● Do you think Bhim was ok with being treated as an Untouchable? When did he first start disliking it and why?

● How were Bhim’s experiences as a child different from his experiences as an adult in terms of his status as an Untouchable?

● What did Bhim learn when he went abroad to study? What events were occurring in the United States while Bhim was there to study? How was Bhim’s experience in the United States different from experiences of other races during that time in the United States?

● Why do you think Bhim started writing about the discrimination issues, and speaking on them?

● What was Bhim’s biggest contribution to India?● What did you learn from the book?

7

LESSON ACTIVITIES:

● Show children a video of a game of cricket and discuss how similarities to other sports and the popularity of cricket around the world.

● Break up the class into groups, and re-enact a scene from the book.● Ask students to pick an issue they are concerned about, and think about what

approaches they may follow to raise awareness and propose solutions for the issue. How are the approaches selected by the students similar to or different from the ones adopted by Bhim?

MATERIALS AND PREPARATION:

● Ambedkar’s biography: http://mocomi.com/dr-ambedkar-biography/● Slideshow on Ambedkar’s life: https://www.slideshare.net/PrinceBarpaga/dr-

br-ambedkar ● Lesson plans on U.S. Voting Rights and other parts of U.S. Constitution:

https://www.acslaw.org/conclass?mgs1=6719kVNnB8 - ● Behind-the-scenes interview with the author and illustrator of the book:

https://kitaabworld.com/blogs/in-focus/boy-who-asked-why

8

9