As a child, I often listened to my great-grandmother recount the story of
her wedding. She described how my great-grandfather boldly lifted the thick veil
that hid her face, defying societal norms. These stories connected me deeply to my
heritage, but outside of my family, I noticed something was missing. Despite South
Asia’s rich history and its global impact, I rarely encountered these narratives in my
school curriculum.
With the support of WFS 6th grade social studies teacher, Tara Agne, who shared
my vision for a more inclusive and diverse education, I worked to co-create a cur-
riculum that brings these stories to life in the classroom. Starting in spring 2025,
Wilmington Friends School will introduce a dedicated South Asian history unit in
middle school social studies.
Why is this curriculum needed? Simply put, South Asia plays an increas-
ingly important role in the world today.
“As I started to teach ancient civilizations last year in 6th grade, I began to
wonder why the focus was on those particular civilizations over others in the middle
and far east and Africa,” says Agne. “I came to realize that while this study is import-
ant, ancient South Asian civilization has also had significant influences on us today
in science, medicine, and religion, to name a few areas, and I think it’s important to
recognize this influence equally with the other civilizations we study.”
Home to nearly 2 billion people, South Asia is a region of immense cultural
diversity, growing economic power, and significant political influence. From India’s
booming tech industry to its space exploration achievements, this region is shaping
the global future in many ways.
The curriculum I developed with Agne highlights the significant contri-
butions of South Asia to our world. India was once called the “Golden Bird” due
to its wealth and prosperity before British rule. The game of chess, which many of
us enjoy, originated in India over 1,500 years ago. The rise of veganism is linked
to the traditional Indian diet and the number zero was invented in India. South
Asians played a pivotal role in the global struggle for independence, with leaders like
Gandhi inspiring figures from Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States to Nelson
Mandela in South Africa.
While developing this curriculum, we faced many challenges along the way.
“The biggest challenge was that the time period was so long and the civili-
zation went through several phases with lots of interesting information,” says Agne.
“It’s also important to give students a variety of different types of instruction and
ways to demonstrate learning, so we had to develop assignments that went beyond
merely reading, writing and watching videos, like making posters about the teach-
ings of the major religions and learning some Sanskrit through doing yoga.”
Despite these challenges, our goal was to create an engaging and immersive
experience for students, sparking curiosity and a deeper understanding of South
Asian history. We hope this approach will help students connect more personally
with the material and appreciate its significance.
“I think it fits with our school’s diversity goals to bring other non-western
perspectives into our learning,” says Agne. “In high school, students take world reli-
gions, and the middle school can more closely align with the high school curriculum
by giving students exposure to religions that originated in South Asia earlier in their
academic journey.”
At Friends, we are always striving to make the community a more diverse
space. By integrating these perspectives into our education, we hope to empower
students to become more informed and empathetic individuals.
