Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras and chandalas.

You are a young adult member of one of these castes in Indian society. Your teacher will assign you to a caste. For the assignment you will write about seven days of your life as a member of your designated caste.

That does not mean that you will take seven days to complete the assignment. (Even though the chandalas most likely do not know how to write, for the sake of the assignment, you will write your journal entries.)

What will you write in your journal? What do you do all day for each of 7 days? How is Monday different from Wednesday? What is your family like, your hobbies, what are the heartaches and dreams of your life? What is the best time of day? How do you interact with members from other castes? How will this look in a journal entry? Be creative. Weave the facts you find in the research into the journal entries so that you sound authentic.

In groups during class you will brainstorm a list of questions you will need to research, as well as a list of ideas to include in your journal. In whole group discussion, you will add to your list.

The more you read about Hinduism and your caste, the more rich and detailed your journal entries.

(©Getty Images. "circa 1935: A signed portrait of Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 1869 - 1948), leader of the Indian National Congress. He campaigned for tolerance and social reform and an end to discrimination against the so-called untouchable caste. He was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist in the violence that followed the partition of British India into India and Pakistan.

(Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)"EbscoHost Student Research CenterTM,http://search.ebscohost.com/

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