[Assawompset School, Lakeville, Massachusetts]
Himalaya Thematic Unit for Second Grade]
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Jataka Tales
The wisdom of right thinking and right living is preserved in the Jataka Tales. They are tales of the lives of the Boddhisattva, who later became the Buddha. In these tales the Bodhisattva takes many forms on the road to Enlightenment. These characters and their adventures teach lessons of compassion, truthfulness, generosity, wisdom, and justice. Some are humorous and perfect vehicles to spread instruction and knowledge.
I’ve transcribed some of the Jatakas in Reader’s Theater form so that second graders can practice reading fluency and comprehension. By acting out the tales with simple props, children will come to understand the story well. Repeated readings for practice and performance develop reading fluency and expression. Some of my students prefer to draw scenery for Reader’s Theater stories. They too have to have read and understood the story to effectively capture its setting. Reader’s Theater plays are fun and rewarding
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These pictures show artwork depicting Great Joy (Nandi Vashala).
The Hawk Family and Their Friends
 The artwork demonstrates the extent to which the Jatakas have been incorporated into the Himalyan culture. |
This site was created by Nancy Barboza at the NEH Summer Institute "Literatures, Religions, and Arts of the Himalayan Region," held at the College of the Holy Cross, Summer 2008.