Myths and Legends: Rama and Sita 1 Teaching Resources

TM Storytime Myths and Legends: Rama and Sita 1 Teaching Resources

Rama and Sita is an Indian story about Rama’s quest to save Sita IN BRIEF when she is kidnapped by a wicked demon. 1 LITERACY LESSON IDEAS

Rama and Sita is the perfect story to share with your class to heighten their understanding of Diwali celebrations. Read it a couple of times and break it into smaller sections before questioning your pupils’ understanding of the story..

See our Word Wise Sheet for a helpful glossary, a short comprehension quiz and some simple writing challenges.

Put this famous legend in the correct order on our Story Sequencing Sheet.

Retell it in your own words using our Storytime Simple Storyboards.

Test comprehension using our True or False Quiz.

Imagine you are Sita, trapped in prison on the island fortress of Lanka. Write a letter to Rama describing life with the demon king. Describe the island and what she sees, hears and smells, as well as her feelings and thoughts. Use our Storytime Letter Writing Sheet.

Complete our Diwali Word Search, which uses words from the story in Storytime Issue 50.

Act out the story using the Rama and Sita Finger Puppets at the end of this pack.

2 RPE LESSON IDEAS

Refer to our Diwali Fact Sheet for interesting facts about this annual celebration to support your learning on different cultures and religions.

For fun, ask your pupils to complete our Diwali Puzzle and help Rama and Sita find their way home to Ayodhya on the path of lights.

3 GEOGRAPHY LESSON IDEAS

Search for India on a map and find out: – Which continent is India in? – What is the name of its capital city? – Which currency is used in India? – What languages spoken in India? – What does India’s national flag look like? – How many people live there? – What is the main religion in India?

Research and find out three more interesting facts about India. Write them on our My India Fact Sheet. 4 ART LESSON IDEAS

Design your own Happy Diwali poster on our Storytime Picture Frame.

Have a mindfulness colouring session using the rangoli pattern on our Rangoli Colouring Sheet. (Or use our Picture Frame to design your own.)

Make your own diya candles using air-dry clay or plasticine and battery-powered tea lights..

Alternatively, make a colourful paper display of diyas to decorate your classroom wall. All you need is a half-circle of paper or card (or fold a paper plate in half) for the candleholder and cut out a flame shape to stick on top. Once you have your basic shapes in place, ask your pupils to decorate them with crayons, glitter, shapes or sticky gems. You could use them in your poster designs too.

Print out and colour in our Happy Diwali Card to give to friends and family.

Banish –sendaway used magic to make Conjured –usedmagictomake Slay –kill Hideous –shocking,ugly Kidnap –capture,takeprisoner Foes –enemies Protective –shielding,offeringdefence Vowed –promised Lakshmana Character Hanuman Ravana Rama Sita from Storytime Issue50. the moreunusualwordsmeaninRama andSita Use ourhelpfulglossarytofindoutwhatsomeof Word from picture adjective todescribeeachcharactertoo. characters, thenlookatthestoryand findan one wordtodescribeeachofthefollowing Look atthepicturesin ourstoryandcomeupwith 4 5 3 2 1

away fromhome along byananimal

Citizens –people Exile –banishment,timeforcedtolive Rejoicing –delighted,joyful Vicious –fierce,ferocious Vast –huge Loyal –faithful,reliable Fortress –castle,stronghold Chariot –carriagewithwheelspulled Adjective from story Te Storytime a ching Resou rces TM © storytimemagazine.com 2018 5. WhydidthecitizensonAyodhya putlights intheirwindows? 4. WhohelpedRama findSita? 3. WherewasRavana hidingSita? 2. 1. WhydidRama’s stepmotherwant tobanishhim? QUICK COMPREHENSION CHECKER Rama andsita: Word WiseSheet2 WhydidRavana disguisehimselfasanoldpriest? WRITE IT! island fortress,Lanka. Write aone-paragraph settingdescriptionofRavana’s Te Storytime a ching Resou rces TM

Myths andLegends: RamaandSita

The demon king Ravana decided to kidnap Sita as revenge. as Sita kidnap to decided Ravana king demon The Ravana disguised himself as an old priest and asked Sita for food. food. for Sita asked and priest old an as himself disguised Ravana An armyofmonkeysandhearsbuilt abridgeacrosstotheisland.

kidnapped her. Sita helpedRavana. Hechangedintohistrue selfand

Rama andSitawerehappily reunited. Sita. for it catch to out set Ravana conjured a golden deer to run by their cottage. Rama Rama cottage. their by run to deer golden a conjured Ravana Ayodhya for14years. Rama’s stepmotherbanishedRama fromthekingdomof

to findher. When Rama foundSitamissing,hesetoff withLakshmana arrow.

Rama crossed the bridge, and shot Ravana with his bow and and bow his with Ravana shot and bridge, the crossed Rama SEQUENCING

Sita home. Sita Rama, Sita and Lakshmana lived in the forest, but were

The citizens of Ayodhya lit candles to guide Rama and and Rama guide to candles lit Ayodhya of citizens The attacked by demons.

Lakshmana went off to help him. help to off went Lakshmana Sita thought Rama was in danger catching the deer, the so catching danger in was Rama thought Sita STORY

Rama got help from Hanuman in the kingdom of monkeys, who found Ravana’s island hideaway. CLASS NAME order. Numberthesentencesfrom1to14. Put theRama andSitastoryinthecorrect Te Storytime a ching Resou rces TM TM Storytime Rama and Sita: Storyboard sheet Teaching Resources NAME CLASS Use these pictures to help you write Rama and Sita in your own words. 1 2

______

3 4

______

What can you remember TRUE OR from the story? Circle the FALSE QUIZ correct answers.

2 Rama was banished to the 1 Princess Sita married forest for 15 years. Lakshmana. True True False False

4 Rama left Sita to go and 3 Ravana the demon king had catch a golden hare. ten heads.

True False True False

5 Ravana couldn’t catch Sita 6 Sita threw all of her jewellery when she was inside the out of the carriage, except for protective circle. one necklace. True False True False

Rama couldn’t swim. 7 The monkey king was called 8 Sugriva. True False True False 9 The gods gave Rama’s bow 10 Rama and Sita decided not and arrow to him. to return to Ayodhya.

True False True False 1. b, 2. b, 3. a, 4. b, 5. a, 6. b, 7. a, 8. a, 9. a, 10. b. 10. a, 9. a, 8. a, 7. b, 6. a, 5. b, 4. a, 3. b, 2. b, 1.

Answer: Answer: © storytimemagazine.com 2018 TM Storytime myths and legends: rama and sita Teaching Resources Cast of characters Rama is believed to be the powerful god Vishnu in human form. In other stories, Lord Vishnu took on the form of animals, including a fish, a tortoise and a boar. rama Rama won Sita’s hand in marriage in a strength contest when he managed to bend and snap the bow of the god Shiva.

Sita had an interesting birth – she sprang from a furrow in the soil when King Janaka was ploughing a field. He took her in as his own daughter and her mother was sita always the Earth. Sita showed her bravery by walking through fire and she later had two sons – Kusha and Lava.

Lakshmana was Rama’s younger and favourite half brother. Lakshmana was always loyal to his older brother. Some believe that Lakshmana was truly the Lakshmana many-headed king of snakes in disguise, who let Lord Vishnu rest on his curled body.

The ten-headed demon king with twenty arms too! Ravana liked to cause trouble. One time, he annoyed the Hindu god Shiva so much by shaking a mountain, Shiva Ravana stepped on it with his toe and trapped Ravana beneath it for 1,000 years!

Sugriva became king of the monkeys after an argument with his brother. Rama helped him to get rid of his Sugriva brother. Sugriva helped Rama to fight the demons.

Hanuman was the commander of the monkey army. He had magical powers and could fly or grow to a huge size Hanuman – this meant he could cross the sea to the demon isle of Lanka in one big leap.

In another story, the monkey commander Hanuman mistook DID YOU the sun for a giant fruit when he was young and flew up into KNOW? the sky to try to pluck it! © storytimemagazine.com 2018 TM Storytime Myths and Legends: rama and sita Teaching Resources

WRITING NAME SHEET CLASS

Write a letter from Sita to Rama describing her life as Ravana’s prisoner.

E G D WORD SEARCH

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N L rces TM TM Storytime Myths and legends: Rama and sita Teaching Resources DIWALI FACT NAME SHEET CLASS Share these 10 fun facts about Diwali – the festival of light. 1. Diwali happens every autumn in October or November. 2. It lasts for five days. The festival of light is on the third day.

3. It is celebrated all over the world by Hindus, but also by Sikhs and Jains.

4. Diwali is pronounced ‘Dee-war-lee’. Another name for it is Deepavali, which means ‘row of lights’.

5. For Hindus, Diwali also celebrates Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth.

6. Diyas – little oil lamps or candles – are lit to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, and to help Lakshmi find her way into homes and bring luck or small gifts to the family.

7. In India, many people float their diyas across the River Ganges. It is thought to bring good luck if it reaches the other side.

8. At Diwali, it is also traditional to clean your house, buy new clothes, give sweets, dried fruits or snacks to each other, pray, and have big firework displays. It is a time to be with your family.

9. Many Hindus decorate their floors with rangoli patterns made from colourful powders, sand, rice and petals. They are thought to bring luck.

10. Many men also play card games at Diwali in the hope that they will be lucky and win some money.

ANSWER: ANSWER: © storytimemagazine.com 2018 F TRAIL TM Storytime Myths and Legends: rama and sita Teaching Resources MY INDIA NAME FACT SHEET CLASS

Write your interesting facts about India in the boxes.

PICTURE NAME FRAME CLASS Design a colourful Happy Diwali poster here!