Activities
Suggested activities using this programme and the recommended websites:
Activity 1: Who was Mahatma Gandhi?
Look carefully at the web page Chronology of Mahatma Gandhi (http://www.itihaas.com/modern/gandhi-chrono.html).
Work in pairs or small groups. The chronology is over 800 words long, which is more than most people are prepared to read.
Your task is to use this chronology to create a new one about Gandhi. Your chronology will be called ‘The Essential Mahatma Gandhi: What every educated person needs to know about Gandhi’.
You have to produce a chronology which is only 150 words long and which contains the absolute essential information (in your view). There are several ways you could reduce the length of the chronology:
- Concentrate on one aspect of his work
- Concentrate on one period
Activity 2: Gandhi – Person of the Century?
Visit the website Person of the Century 2000 (http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/9727/index.html)
The aim of this page is to set out a case for Gandhi as the Person of the Century. Read through the material on the page (and the linked pages) and come up with 5 reasons why you either agree or disagree that Gandhi should be the Person of the Century.
Activity 3: Comparing heroes – Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi
Click here to go to the Net Notes on Nelson Mandela. Your task is to get ready for a debate. The main question of the debate is ‘Who should be the person of the Century: Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi?’.
You will need to decide:
- The criteria for making your decision
- Whether you feel these characters really can be compared
- Whether any other candidates for the title Person of the Century ought to be included in the debate
If your school or college has a website, you could publish the views expressed in your debate and encourage Internet users to express their views.
© 2000 Channel Four Television Corporation
