Last year, I invited Vaishali Shroff to conduct a workshop for my writing programme on nonfiction. It was aptly called ‘Non-Boring Nonfiction‘. I rarely read nonfiction, and I don’t think I’ve ever read nonfiction with my book club. I find it easier to introduce nonfiction elements through books like A Cello on the Wall and A Giant Leap.
Once more, that is what I will be doing with Sita’s Chitwan. Half the book is a story, the story of eight-year-old Sita, who lives on the outskirts of Chitwan National Park. The other half of the book lets us explore Chitwan National Park, introducing us to its vegetation, people, animals and birds. I’m waiting to read this book with my book clubbers next month!
Paw Prints
Often, when we visit the jungle, guides tell us that the job of a guide is much like the job of a detective. Following tracks, looking for clues … it’s exciting! In class, we’ll do a little activity matching animals with their paw prints. Let’s see how many we can identify!
Sense Poems
Can we link our emotions to our five senses? This is an activity I’ve done before, like when we read The Vampire Boy, for instance. A book that is set in the great outdoors is perfect for exploring our senses. We’ll watch a quick video of the jungle and then explore what emotions we feel. We’ll then take the next step and link these emotions to our senses.
Interviews
Towards the end of Sita’s Chitwan is an interview of Doma Paudel, the first female nature guide in Chitwan. This will lead us to interviews of our own. I will give my book clubbers five questions that I want them to ask someone in their family. They’ll record their interviews and share them in class!
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