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Are you interested in getting your hands on a grade-level appropriate book that explores the life of MK Gandhi?
Are you interested in getting your hands on a grade-level appropriate book that explores the life of MK Gandhi?
Scroll down to "Step 2" of the Pathway section below for a list of books and how to attain them for classroom use.
Scroll down to "Step 2" of the Pathway section below for a list of books and how to attain them for classroom use.
Purpose of this Website
Purpose of this Website
The Youth Advocacy Department of SDUSD is interested in building school spaces that are affirming and inclusive for all of our students. This is a team effort. And the effort lives in places where students themselves can be agents of positive change. . .but it is not easy work. Sometimes it is the hardest work there is because it often requires great courage in challenging and resisting existing social and systemic paradigms.
This site is devoted to a man whose very name is synonymous with courage, restoration, justice, sacrifice, truth, and commitment. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi insisted on the practice of non-violent resistance to achieve a more just society. During his lifetime, Gandhi was a visionary of monumental influence and remains so today and forever more across the world. He would be the first to say that he was a flawed person, so the term "Mahatma" (Great One) that was coined for him always made him bristle. However, although he held no official office in government, his leadership is credited--moreso than any other single person--for the emancipation of hundreds of millions of Indian people from British rule in the South-Asian subcontinent.
What made Gandhi such a pivotal figure? What did he do that built his credibility amongst so many? 75 years after his death, why is Gandhi STILL a source of inspiration to people the world over?
We wanted to begin exploring these questions by providing educators with resources they could use in the context of their own classroom instruction. Part of this exploration will be facilitated and enriched by the cooperation of one of the last living people on the planet who maintained a close relationship with M.K. Gandhi--his own grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi. Dr. Raj Gandhi--now 87 years of age--was 12 years old at the time of his grandfather's assassination. He'd lived with his grandfather on the Sevegram Ashram (Gandhi's "headquarters") and maintainted a profound and enriching relationship with his grandfather until his grandfather's death in 1948.
We are fortunate that Dr. Raj Gandhi is willing to serve as a primary source for the Necessary Trouble Archives. . .especially since he is a professor and scholar who has written multiple books about the modern history of India and some of the incredible figures who contributed to this history including [but not limited to] his own grandfather--the legendary M.K. Gandhi.
Below are the raw materials that any educator (recommended grades 3-12) may use to build their own Google Classroom experience. As with all the Necessary Trouble Archives, we have been intentional about creating interactive opportunities for your students to connect with primary sources in our ongoing investigation into what it takes to shift the existing paradigm.
Dr. Rajmohan Gandhi today. Raj is the grandson of M.K. Gandhi and one of the last people on the planet who can relay personal stories of interactions with his grandfather before his untimely death in 1948.
Raj Gandhi (in black shirt) with his sister Tara (white shirt) and grandfather circa 1942
Raj Gandhi with grandfather, M.K. Gandhi, circa 1940
Please note: If you are an educator in SDUSD and would like to CLONE the already-prepared Google Classroom, please email a quick request to Mick at mrabin@sandi.net. If you are not in SDUSD, it is not possible to do the clone process, but you will find the pathway and all the components below. I've created a step-by-step job-aid for creating this G-Classroom from all of those components in the YouTube video--March Archives: Overview and Tips--directly below. Although the job-aid was created for March, you can apply all the same ideas toward the use of the components on ANY of the NTA sites.
Pathway
Pathway
STEP 1: Foundational Discussion
We recommend that educators ask their students what they already know about MK Gandhi.
Most secondary students have some familiarity with the name "Gandhi" (you'll get multiple versions of how to spell the name), but few know more than that he was from India or that he was an inspiration to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Gandhi was and remains an international titan on the stage of peaceful resistance and non-violent activism. Scroll down to access some videos and other primary sources for educators to use as foundational references for a group reading of some of the books that focus on Gandhi's life. The "Additional Resources" section below features websites, documents, and videos that will supplement educators' own foundational understanding as well as for their students.
STEP 2: Read and Discuss the Narrative of your book selection with your class
Normally, each of the Necessary Trouble Archives focuses on a historical figure as told by a single narrative text (ie March or They Called Us Enemy, etc.). But our primary source for these Gandhi Archives--Dr. Raj Gandhi--didn't write any children's books, or teen/young adult novels. A couple of his books (listed here) could be read and understood by high school readers, but, for the sake of accessibility, we're listing a variety of texts that elementary, middle, and high school readers can all enjoy. A number of these can be checked out from the IMC or borrowed for classroom use from the Youth Advocacy Department.
The Gandhi Library
The Gandhi Library
Why Gandhi Still Matters: An Appraisal of the Mahatma's Legacy
Rajmohan Gandhi (our primary source for the Gandhi Archives)
Grades 10-12
A more scholarly examination of the legacy of Gandhi. Nicely organized into economical non-chronological chapters about the many challenges he faced including [but not limited to] the partition of India, Indian independence, his commitment to liberation for the "untouchables," and his dogged insistence on Ahimsa/non-violence as a multi-purpose activist strategy. Each brief chapter can stand alone as a self-contained read with Dr. Raj Gandhi's clear and accessible writing style. Highly recommended for high-schoolers. Copies can be borrowed from the Youth Advocacy Department for classroom use.
Gandhi
Demi
Grades 2-6 picture book
Classic children's book about Gandhi. Ornately illustrated and concicely written. Copies can be borrowed from Youth Advocacy Department for classroom use.
Grandfather Gandhi
Arun Gandhi and Evan Turk
Grades 2-6 picture book
An examination of Gandhi told from the point of view of his grandson, Arun (a cousin of our primary source, Dr. Raj Gandhi).
Gandhi Speaks
Foreword by Rajmohan Gandhi (our primary source)
Grades 2-9 picture book
A collection of M.K. Gandhi phrases, speeches, letters, and quotes with a forword by his grandson (and our primary source), Dr. Raj Gandhi.
Gandhi: Forgiveness
Mary Logue
Grades 3-6 picture book
A picture book of Gandhi's life. Available at the IMC for check out from SDUSD educators.
Gandhi: A Manga Biography
Kazuki Ebine
Grades 4-9
The life of Gandhi in a Manga graphic novel format.
Gandhi: A Life (Dorling-Kinderly)
Amy Pastan
Grades 5-10
The life of Gandhi in a photo-illustrated format. Available at the IMC for check out from SDUSD educators.
Gandhi: The Young Protester Who Founded a Nation
National Geographic
Grades 5-10
The life of Gandhi in a photo-illustrated format. Available at the IMC for check out from SDUSD educators.
Gandhi: My Life is My Message
Jason Quinn and Sachin Nagar
Grades 8-12
Beautiful graphic novel biography narrated by Gandhi if he could tell his own story. The writer cites Dr. Raj Gandhi's book, Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire as a major inspiration. Copies can be borrowed from Youth Advocacy Department for classroom use.
Free Children's and Teen/Tween Books About Gandhi (PDF)
Grades 4-12
This is a small collection of texts that were originally printed in India and had English translations. All are out of print and unavailable in the USA, but have been collected and curated by Sevegram Ashram (Gandhi's headquarters toward the latter part of his life) which still exists today and is a dedicated museum that honors the memory of Gandhiji. The books are available for free to download as PDFs. Please review so that you have a sense of their approximate lexile level. Most are written in chapter format with minimal or no pictures.
Additionally, we encourage educators to frame the reading of any of these texts around topics and themes that relate to the identities and experiences of the students themselves (and of their peers).
Here is a short list of topics and themes that arise in these texts that examine the human experience.
Choosing ONE of the themes from the above list--Societal Rules, Laws, Norms--we could build a text-talk discussion that references a pivotal moment of the narrative in the various Gandhi texts.
Below right is a simulated class conversation that references just one sequence from Gandhi: My Life is My Message (a graphic novel biography). It starts with a question about Gandhi's reasoning for leading a collective disobediance of a salt-tax law leveled against Indian people by the British colonialists. Educators are welcome to use the zig-zag graphic organizer to conduct a discussion with their classes, but I'm encouraging you to explore the multitude of conversations you can have about the life of Gandhi.
STEP 3: Watch the video interview "A Conversation with Dr. Raj Gandhi" discussing his recollections of interactions with his grandfather, takeaways of his scholarly research about his grandfather's life, and candid responses to SDUSD student questions about his grandfather.
The total run time is 1 hour and 16 minutes.
STEP 4: Plan for an online discussion with your own class, another classroom from your school, or a partner school. Some platforms to choose from include [but are not limited to] Google Classroom and Flipgrid. For student response samples of what teachers have done with both GClassroom and Flipgrid, please visit our sibling site: The March Archives. You'll find sample student work under "Additional Resources" (about 2/3 way down toward the bottom of the page).
This Google Classroom is designed to allow teachers from different classes/schools to facilitate collaboration and communication about student allyship, culturally responsive curriculum, and youth voice and empowerment. Before engaging in this culminating classroom discussion, all students should have A) read one of the Gandhi books listed above in the "Gandhi Library." B) viewed the primary source video "A Conversation with Dr. Raj Gandhi," (above) and C) discussed and reflected on the reading/viewing of A) & B) with their classmates.
You are welcome to clone this class and share as you see fit within SDUSD. (Scroll up to directly above "Educator Pathway" for cloning instructions or--if you're not an SDUSD educator) a job-aid on how to build your own.
Please note: Educators may need to go to "Stream" section of the General settings (below) and select "Students can post and comment" if it's not selected in the general settings.
Gandhi Q&A Template
To the right of "1. The Benefit of Unity" title, you can see three dots. If you hover right under those three dots, another three dots appear and one of the options is to "Edit" which will allow you to add more to the description.
What would YOU do? prompts
What would YOU do? prompts
Classwork #1 The Benefit of Unity
Classwork #1 The Benefit of Unity
1. In the "Question" section of your "Classwork" tab, paste this:
1. Dr. Raj Gandhi Prompt: The Benefit of Unity
"Mohandas Gandhi, my grandfather, wanted a unified India. He understood that this goal faced a variety of obstacles, but he actively looked for common ground between different factions and groups. There was division between Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and others. There was division by caste including glaring and persistent injustices against the so-called Untouchables, these days referred to as “Dalits,” earlier spoken of as “Harijan.”
And there were tribal, regional, and geographical divides. Gandhi was always on the lookout for ways to bridge these divides. But sometimes, this willingness to work across groups prompted some in these opposing groups to be angry not just at each other. . .but at Gandhi himself.
Some were angry because Gandhi was willing to compromise when they weren’t ready to compromise. Or because he was suggesting inclusion and even mutual forgiveness despite a history of conflict.
So here’s my question: What would YOU do in order to bring groups together. . .to help unify people even if they have a history of conflict? Can you think of conflicting groups who could benefit from compromise, from inclusion, from acceptance, from letting go of negative feelings?"
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this:
Synthesizing what you read in your Gandhi text, viewed in the "A Conversation with Dr. Raj Gandhi" video, and your own life experiences, view Dr. Raj Gandhi's prompt (below) and compose a unique post.
Additionally, please respond to at least two other students' posts. Be sure to use academic language, proper punctuation, and respectful dialogue.
Attached is a discussion rubric and expectations for facilitating online communication.
Click on the above "The Benefit of Unity" video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom.
Classwork #2 How would YOU be the Change?
Classwork #2 How would YOU be the Change?
1. In the "Question" section of the Classwork tab, paste this: 2. Dr. Raj Gandhi Prompt: How would YOU be the change?
Gandhi my grandfather was personally committed to many goals during his lifetime. His own mindset changed over time and he was in a constant state of transition in the causes he embraced and the ways in which he took action. However, he tried to see that his personal lifestyle aligned WITH his causes. Mohandas Gandhi was known to sacrifice things he valued to serve his goals. He valued his health, but regularly fasted in order to galvanize public opinion in a way that was non-violent at its core. He valued his time, but generously gave his time to others, depriving himself of personal time. He valued his social status, but chose to wear the attire of the poor--as an act of solidarity with the neediest in society.
He valued his own freedom, but over and over again, he gladly submitted to imprisonment when he protested against unjust policies and laws. He even had a sense of sacrificing his own body. . .preparing himself for how to respond with non-violence and forgiveness to an expected but unknown act of violence that could cost him his life.
Think for a moment of a goal or cause that is of interest to YOU. Perhaps it is as personal as standing up for a classmate or friend when they are in need. Or perhaps something more global like protecting our Earth. Is it possible to bring about a change on behalf of individuals or groups withOUT sacrifice of some kind—whether it’s risking your safety, your freedom, health, time? Or sacrificing a dislike or resentment that has been kept alive for too long?
So this is my question: What is a change or cause that you believe in? I am not suggesting that you sacrifice your own health and wellness, or that you go out and get arrested; but are there some things that you would consider giving up in order to make that change that you wish to see in the world? How would YOU be the change that you wish to see?
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this:
Synthesizing what you read in your Gandhi text, viewed in the "A Conversation with Dr. Raj Gandhi" video, and your own life experiences, view Dr. Raj Gandhi's prompt (below) and compose a unique post.
Additionally, please respond to at least two other students' posts. Be sure to use academic language, proper punctuation, and respectful dialogue.
Attached is a discussion rubric and expectations for facilitating online communication.
Click on the above "How would YOU be the change?" video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom.
Additional resources:
Additional resources:
The Making of Mahatma Gandhi video series
A BBC series of three YouTube videos that explore how Mohandas Gandhi became the iconic figure that the world understands today. It is an honest and critical examination of Gandhi's personal transformation.
Gandhi's Life and Legacy at Biography.com
A website that explores the life and legacy of M.K. Gandhi. Contains some brief documentary-style videos with interviews from historical scholars that explain various segments of Gandhi's life.
Learning About Threats to Democracy
Help your students reflect on the significance of events within recent history that comprise a threat to civil discourse and our democratic system of government.
Guide To Inspiring Young Changemakers
Free PDF guide compiled by FirstBook. Has video and curricular tools, activities, & tips that are deliberately student-centered. A good educator resource for inspiring your students to roll up their sleeves and engage in shifting paradigms.
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