This lesson will introduce students to some of the cultural customs of rural Nepal and will ask them to consider the differences between Nepalese culture and their own. They will write letters as if they were Nepalese kids describing their culture and lifestyle, and write additional letters that they might send to Nepalese pen pals, describing the similarities and differences between North American and rural Nepalese cultures.

Geography

Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics"

Two hours

• Computer with Internet access

Students will

• discuss what it would be like to travel to a country very different from their own;
• locate Nepal on a map and learn its main religion and language;
• view photographs on the Web and take notes comparing rural Nepalese culture with their own;
• discuss their observations of rural Nepalese culture and how they think Nepalese kids would view North American culture; and
• write pretend letters from Nepalese kids describing Nepalese culture and write additional letters from themselves, describing life in their hometowns, pointing out the similarities and differences between North American and Nepalese cultures.

Ask students what they think it would be like to travel to a faraway country where the customs are very different from their own. What would it be like on the first day of the trip? Would students know how to behave and what to wear? How could they find out? How would they cope in a place where they didn’t speak the language?

Have students look at the map at National Geographic's Trekking Nepal site to see where Nepal is located in relation to India. Then have them locate Nepal on a world map, using India as a guide. If they are looking at a physical world map, they should notice that the Himalaya mountains cover most of Nepal.

Have students go to the CIA World Factbook entry for Nepal to learn the main religion (Hinduism) and the official language (Nepali) of Nepal.

Have students make two-column charts, labeling one column "Rural Nepal" and the other "My Country."

Have students go to the Landruk section of the Trekking Nepal site and browse through the pictures and descriptions in the "What to Wear" and "Gallery: Local Life Along the Trail" features. Ask students to look for examples of cultural differences between the rural Nepalese and their own culture. For example, they will notice differences in clothing, household chores, and housing styles.

Make sure students realize that they are looking at pictures of people who live in the countryside, not in the city. Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, is different from North American cities in many ways but similar in others. For instance, it has McDonald's restaurants and other modern conveniences to which they are probably accustomed.

As students go through the Web pages, have them take notes in their charts on the different customs they notice.

Discuss students' observations as a class. What interesting cultural differences would they notice upon arriving in rural Nepal? Then discuss what a rural Nepalese person their age might think if he or she visited the students' hometown.

Have students imagine that they have begun to correspond with kids their age from a small village in Nepal. These new pen pals are eager to learn about life in the students' country. Have students write two short letters: one that a Nepalese pen pal might send to them, describing life in their village; and another letter they would send back, comparing and contrasting their lives with the lives of their pen pals.

Go to the Landruk page of the Trekking Nepal site, click on "Nepal Travel Tips" and scroll down to "Cultural Considerations." After students have read this section, ask if they can think of any similar customs for travelers visiting their hometown. Have students write a series of "Travel Tips" for visitors to their town or region.

CIA World Factbook: Nepal
National Geographic: Trekking Nepal