Shepa Schoolchildren, Photos by Didrik Johnck © 1997 and 2000.
Lesson 9 // People
of Nepal
People of Nepal (Click here
for more information about the people of Nepal.)
Objective:
The students will identify some different ethnic groups of Nepal. The students
will describe unique characteristics of these ethnic groups.
Guided Practice:
1. Have the students identify different ethnic backgrounds that are in the
classroom. Discuss the differences between these groups. Explain that Nepal
is very similar to the United States in terms of the diversity of its people.
2. Read the information on the people of Nepal either orally to the class
or have each student read it independently.
3. Share some pictures of the people of Nepal. Try to have some pictures of
the different ethnic groups.
4. Tell the class that in the following three days we will be looking at each
of these ethnic groups in greater detail.
Independent Practice:
1. The students will read the information of Nepal and answer the questions.
Be sure to have the students save the map because they will be adding information
to it over the next two days.
2. The student will prepare a five-minute report on the ethnic background
of his/her own family. Share these reports with the class the following day.
Optional Extensions:
1. Choose one of the ethnic groups found in Nepal and prepare a visual depicting
typical characteristics of this group.
2. Discuss with the class the problems that arise within a country that is
composed of many ethnic cultures.
Reading and Questions:
The term "melting pot" is often used to describe the United States
of America. The country of Nepal could easily be called a "melting pot"
as well. Nepal has a unique blend of races and religions that add tremendous
flavor to the atmosphere. One ethnic group is the Newars, who primarily live
in the Kathmandu valley. The Tamangs live outside of the Kathmandu Valley,
often near fertile land. In the mountain region of Nepal lives another group
of people referred to as the Sherpas.
The Thakalis people live in northern Nepal near the Kali Gandaki river. The
ethnic group referred to as Gurkas live in the middle section of Nepal. In
the middle hills of Nepal live the people called Brahmans and Cchetris. Finally,
in the Terai region of Nepal live the Tharu people.
Among all of these various groups, the main religions of Nepal are Hinduism
and Buddhism. Many of these ethnic groups combine both Hinduism and Buddhism
into their religious ceremonies.
The main language of Nepal is Nepali, and it is spoken by over half of the
population. There are however, more than sixty languages with dozens of dialects
spoken in Nepal. In the Kathmandu valley the Newari language is predominant,
while in the mountains, one might hear Tibetan languages being spoken.
1. What does the term "melting pot" mean?
2. What are some of the languages spoken in this country? What is the predominant
language spoken in your city?
References:
1. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Copyright 1994-1999, Encyclopedia Britannica
Inc.
2. Lisa Choegyal, Insight Guides Nepal, Langenscheidt Publishers Inc., New
York, 11378, p. 28-29.
AZ State Standard - 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.