[Hinduism] [Buddhism] [Ancient Israelites] [Greek Mythology] [Middle Ages and Beowulf] [Romeo and Juliet] [Islam]

Ancient India
Don't remember much (or anything) about the history of India? Try reading John Keay's India: A History. We'll be devoting much class time to understanding Hinduism and Buddhism, particularly as expressed in India's literature. A varied list of resources are below, from the fun and frivolous to a few of the more serious texts we'll visit in class.

Hinduism
Brushing up on the basics of the faith? Try the BBC.
A quick summary of The Ramayana
The Mahabharata and its famous book six, The Bhagavad-Gita (Steven Mitchell's translation is great)
The Upanishads, a collection of recovered texts are available in print and on the web
 

Ideas for home activities:

Buddhism
For the basics, again, the BBC is a great resource.
BuddhaNet provides good resources in its Buddhist studies section.
The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha, edited by E.A. Burtt is helpful.
Herman Hesse's Sidhartha offers a fictional account of the first Buddha in a most entertaining way.

Ideas for home activities:


Ancient Greece
As Shelley once said, "We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts, have their root in Greece."

History: PBS is always a good starting point.

The Odyssey: Don't remember it? Check out the cartoon version with which we preface our reading in class.

Art: We'll be focusing on the contrast between the Classical and Hellenistic periods.

Ideas for home activities:

Mythology: The best way to help your students with Greek mythology is to point out every reference you see. (Need to bone up? Try Mythweb or read good, old Edith Hamilton's Mythology.) Our lives owe so much to this literary base, that the possibility for reinforcement is endless:

Ancient Israelites
If your student has trouble with Biblical language, I highly recommend trying the Bible Gateway, for the more palatable New International Version and the opportunity to listen to the text rather than just read it. We will spend time in class discussing the connotation of inferiority when utilizing the Christian Bible to discuss ancient Israelites; please forgive the resource on that issue. The resource is simply the most helpful I've found in comparing translations, looking up passages, and offering the audio piece.

Ideas for home activities:

 

Middle Ages and Beowulf
Some say chivalry is dead, but not so in the 9th grade. If you're interested in boosting your student's understanding of the class materials, try these resources.

Ideas for home activities:

Islam
The most helpful way to support your student's exploration of Islam is to keep the news on at home or in the car. Nary a day goes by that the religion does not figure largely in the day's events.

Romeo and Juliet
There's little I'd want more than for the ninth graders to find a passion for Shakespeare. Breaking down the impediment of language can be the most helpful aid. Consider the following to give your student an ear for the Bard.