Lesson 6 // Mountain Villages

Mountain Villages (Click here to see many pictures of the Khumbu Villages.)

Objective:

The student will explain what life would be like in a typical Himalayan village in Nepal. The student will compare their life with the life of a child living in a small village high up in the Himalaya Mountains.

Guided Practice:

1. The teacher will review with the class that the only major city in Nepal is Kathmandu. The rest of the people of Nepal live in small villages.
2. Tell the class that Mr. Cherilla and the Mount Everest team will be traveling through and staying in many tiny villages as they make their way to base camp.
3. Give the names of the following villages to the class as you locate them on the map of Mount Everest.

a. Lukla (click here to see a picture of Lukla)

b. Phakding
c. Namche Bazaar (click here to see a picture of Namche)
d. Phortse
e. Tengboche (click here to see a picture of Tengboche)
f. Pangboche
g. Dingboche
h. Lobuche

The map may spell these words differently. These village names are Sherpa (the people who reside in the area) words, and the Sherpa language is not a written language, so the villages are spelled phonetically.
4. Relay to the class that there is very little information regarding each of these villages, so the reading section is just an overview of what the village might be like.

Independent Practice:

1. Have the students read the information regarding a Himalayan village and answer the comprehension questions.
2. Have the students choose one of the villages listed above and search the Internet for pictures and information to share with the class.
3. Discuss the differences between these villages and the student's town. Be sure to include technological advances and entertainment in the discussion.

Optional Extensions:

1. Have the class replicate what a typical Himalayan village home would look like. The model can be either two-dimensional or three-dimensional.
2. Discuss what kind of effect the tourism attraction of Mount Everest might have on these small villages. Are expeditions to the summit beneficial to the area or detrimental?

Reading and Questions:

As one travels outside of Kathmandu toward the summit of Mount Everest, life becomes dramatically different. The small villages of this part of Nepal are the homes of Sherpas, most of whom are Buddhists and many of whom have proven to be quite adept in mountain climbing. There are no roads connecting these villages to one another which makes for a very isolated existence.
One typical site you could encounter in these desolate places is farming. Every possible inch of arable soil is used to grow potatoes, barley, or bitter buckwheat. These plots of vegetation have been terraced on the slopes of the mountains.
Since most Sherpas are devout Buddhists, you can expect to see stupas, prayer flags, and mani stones. A stupa is a religious monument that is most often made of stones. Prayer flags are often hung outside a homes and religious monument, and are said to bring happiness, long-life and prosperity to those who planted them. Finally, mani stones are flat rocks that are carved with religious symbols. Yaks are also a common site along the Himalaya Mountains. These animals are used for food, clothing, shelter, and transport. The yak can carry double the load of a person and is extremely adept at high altitudes between 10,000 and 18,000 feet.
The mountain region of Nepal is a world unto itself. The altitude, isolation, and tradition make the villages of this area unique.

1. Locate on a map three small villages near Mount Everest that Mr. Cherilla and the climbers will visit.
2. How does the topography of the land affect the life of the Sherpas?
3. What are some common sites found in your city that describe you adequately?

References:

1. Lisa Choegyal, Insight Guides Nepal, Langenscheidt Publishers Inc., New York, 11378, p. 79-85.
2. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Coyright 1994-1999, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

AZ State Standard - SS3 E4 Demonstrate understanding of the characteristics, purposes and use of geographic tools to located and analyze information about people, places and environments, with emphasis on:

PO 1 ways to display geographic information and characteristics and purposes of maps, globes, aerial photographs, charts and satellite images.

PO 2 constructing and interpreting maps, charts and geographic databases using geographic information.

PO 3 drawing an accurate map after being given a description of a place.

PO 4 identifying and locating physical and cultural features in their own and nearby communities in the United States, and in regions of the world, and the relationship between them.

SS3 E5 Describe natural and human characteristics of places and use this knowledge to define regions, their relationships with other regions and their patterns of change, with emphasis on:

PO 1 common characteristics of regions at local, national and international scales on the basis of climate, landforms, ecosystems and culture.

PO 2 patterns of climate, landforms and ecosystems in a region.

PO 4 the concept of region and how and why regions change.

PO 5 relationships and interactions among regions.