India

It is the largest democracy in the world and yet retains a social caste system that has lasted for thousands of years. Its people speak more than 17 languages and 800 dialects and though Hindustani is the national language, English is more widely used in business, government and educational settings. India is a complex culture of contradictions: a modern nuclear power in a primarily agricultural country. To learn more about India, use the direct links on the Times Launchpoint Web site https://www.latimes.com/launch point/

Level One

Daily Life in Ancient India: Ancient India was not so different from modern times. In 3000 BC, women wore lipstick and children learned to write on bark and leaves, which explains why very little ancient Indian writing has survived.

https://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Indialife.html

National Insignia: India’s national animal is the Siberian tiger, which symbolizes power and magnificence while the national flower is the lotus that exemplifies serene beauty and spiritual illumination.

https://freeindia.org/national_insignia/

Rambhoja and the Search for the Treasures of India: Explore the wonders of India through this interactive geography game that changes every time you play.

https://www.vikora.com/Namaste/Rambhoja/

Level Two

India and Heritage: The beautiful architecture of the Taj Majal, the health-enhancing practices of yoga and ayurveda, and many mathematic and scientific discoveries are just some of India’s contributions to civilization.

https://www.indiaheritage.com

Discover India: Indian music often functions as a form of meditation or worship. Learn more about Indian culture--its history, festivals, and arts.

https://www.indiagov.org/culture/overview.htm

CIA World Fact Book: India: View a map and find out important facts about this South Asian country that is bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal and is roughly one-third the size of the United States.

https://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/in.html

Level Three

Ancient India’s Contributions to Our World’s Material Culture: Find out about important innovations that originated in India: from engineering methods and medical practices to astronomical discoveries and games like chess and playing cards.

https://india.coolatlanta.com/GreatPages/sudheer/

Father of India: Who was Mahatma Gandhi and why was he so influential, not only in India’s culture but many others as well? Find out through this interactive comic book site.

https://www.freeindia.org/ack/Gandhi_FatherOfNation/g002.shtml

Hindu Temple Styles: As a land of temples, India’s many religious buildings were built to conform to ancient basic proportions that reflected important spiritual beliefs.

https://www.indiantemples.com/Articles/tempstyl.html

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This week’s Launch Point was designed by Savita Sahi, Diana Vanpool, Mesha Stow, Anna Manring and Stan Woo-Sam.

Explorer’s Quest:

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites above.

What collection of poems and sacred hymns guided the ancient Aryan civilization of India? Clue: See Daily Life in Ancient India

Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point now covers more than 50 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Go to https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.

Answer to last week’s Quest: Kilauea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are the two most active volcanoes in the world and are still adding land to the island of Hawaii.