Penguin Readers Factsheets

Level 2 – Elementary
Teacher’s Notes

Gandhi
by Jane Rollason

Summary

Gandhi
Gandhi is one of the most important and popular leaders in the
history of the modern world. He fought for equality in South Africa
and India. But he lived a quiet, simple life, and was totally opposed
to violence. His work led to independence for India, and his non-
violent methods have been used by many great leaders since. Background and themes
Mohandes Karamchand Gandhi was born in the west of India in
Gandhi’s life cannot be separated from its historical background.
1869. The India he knew as a child was part of the great British
Although he was a quiet man, he was always at the center of
Empire, the dominant world power during the nineteenth century. He
politics and was a catalyst for social and political change during his
married at thirteen, like many young Indian Hindus, and the couple
lifetime. The most significant historical feature of his life in South
had their first child when they were both sixteen. Two years later
Africa, England and India was the power and supremacy of the
Gandhi left his young family to study law in England.
British Empire.
After graduating, Gandhi moved to South Africa where he worked
India was the most important country in the British Empire, but
for over twenty years. During his time there, he, his family and other
British colonies also stretched across Asia, Australasia, Africa, the
“coloreds” suffered dreadful discrimination from the white occupants
Caribbean and Canada. By 1905 more than 345 million people
of the county. He fought against the country’s unjust laws and
across the world were ruled by Britain. It was the British Navy, the
developed his famous philosophy of nonviolent protest. He was sent
strongest in the world, which gave Britain this position of power. But
to prison twice as a result. His actions and spreading fame
it was industry and commerce that held the Empire together. Britain
eventually resulted in equal marriage rights for all religions in South
used its colonies to get cheap labour, cheap resources, and as a
Africa.
market for British goods. Although the British claimed that they
Gandhi returned to India and started his long fight for Indian were exporting positive values (including Christianity) the truth was
Home Rule and equality for all Indian people. He believed that more dreadful: They mercilessly killed thousands of innocent
Muslims and Hindus should have equal rights; that all castes (Hindu indigenous people around the world in order to gain power in these
classes) should be equal; and that women should also have the lands. This history helps us to understand why India’s people were
same rights as men. eager to support Gandhi in his fight for Indian independence.
After the dreadful massacre of Amritsar in 1919 Gandhi called As well as discrimination against indigenous people by the
upon his people to join him in nonviolent protest against the British. British, Gandhi’s story also reflects racial hatred between other
Thousands of Indian people threw their western clothes onto fires, groups. In South Africa there were tensions between “coloreds” and
and they began to march in the streets. Over the next few years black South Africans. And in India it was the thousand-year-old
Gandhi travelled all over the country and spoke to thousands of mistrust between Hindus and Muslims, which became the most
people. He wanted Indian Muslims and Hindus to unite against difficult problem during the fight for independence. Gandhi was
British rule. After some periods of imprisonment and fasting, opposed to inequality of all sorts. He fought for equality of all men
Gandhi’s nonviolent protests began to move the country forward to and women regardless of color, nationality, class, religion, or sex.
independence. At last, the Muslim leader, Jinnah, and the Hindu
Gandhi’s philosophy of “nonviolent protest” runs throughout the
leader, Nehru, agreed to talk and work together. It was only the
book. He never stopped promoting nonviolent means to change
British who were still unwilling to talk.
history and policy. His ideas were formulated by reading religious
Salt was taxed by the British government in India. But Gandhi texts (of all religions) and such philosophical writers as Plato,
organized a march to the ocean to take salt without paying. Tolstoy and Ruskin. In turn, great leaders of the twentieth century
Thousands of Indians followed his example. Britain at last have been influenced by Gandhi’s life and his books. The most
understood the scale and importance of Indian resistance to British famous examples are Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and the
rule and agreed to talk. Gandhi went to London to talk to the Dalai Lama. Today, thousands of people around the world are
country’s leaders, but independence was not won. Gandhi was also fighting against oppressive regimes using Gandhi’s ideas.
fighting for equal rights for the “Untouchables” at this time and for
Gandhi’s story is one of the most important of the twentieth
several years afterwards.
century. His inspirational story will be talked about and written
It was not until World War 2 (1939–1945), that the question of about for many years to come. There is an excellent movie about
Indian independence re-emerged. After the war, the British worked his life, Gandhi, which was made in 1983. It starred Ben Kingsley
with Gandhi, Nehru, and Jinnah, and in 1947 India won its and won eight Oscars, including Best Film and Best Actor.
independence. But Gandhi had not won his fight because his country
was now split in two: Muslim Pakistan in the east and west, and
Hindu India in the middle. Violence between the two groups became
worse and worse. Gandhi’s message of peace and understanding
between the two religions became less and less popular. This feeling
led to Gandhi’s assassination in 1948 by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu.

© Pearson Education Limited 2004

Penguin Readers Factsheets

Level 2 – Elementary
Teacher’s Notes

Communicative activities Glossary

The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections of It will be useful for your students to know the following new words.
text as the exercises at the back of the Reader and supplement They are practised in the ‘Before you read’ sections at the back of the
those exercises. For supplementary exercises covering book. (Definitions are based on those in the Longman Active Study
Dictionary.)
shorter sections of the book, see the photocopiable Student’s
Activities pages of this Factsheet. These are primarily for use
empire (n) a group of countries that rights (n pl) the political and social
with class readers but, with the exception of pair/group-work are controlled by one ruler or freedom that everyone in a country
questions, can also be used by students working alone in a government should have

Gandhi
self-access centre. fast (v) to eat nothing or less that usual rule (v) to have the official power to
for a period of time control a country
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK holy (adj) very religious salt (n) a natural white mineral that is
independence (n) political freedom added to food to make it taste better
Read the blurb (in yellow print) on the back of the book. These five
from control by another country simple (adj) not difficult or complicated
simple sentences summarize the life of one of the world’s most
law (n) the system of rules that people soldier (n) a member of the army,
famous leaders. Ask students to choose a famous person and write
in a country or place must obey especially someone who is not an
a book blurb for that person. If you want to extend the activity you officer
lead (v) to take someone to a place by
should ask students not to mention the person’s name in their book going with them or in front of them soul (n) the part of a person that
blurb. Then students can take it in turns to read their blurbs to the contains their deepest thoughts and
march (n) to walk together in a large
class, and the class must guess the identity of the famous person. group to protest about something feelings and which many people believe
continues to exist after death
ordinary (adj) not special, unusual, or
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING A SECTION different from other things truth (n) the true facts about something
poor (adj) having very little money and violence (n) when people use force to
Chapters 1–2 attack other people and try to hurt or
not many possessions
kill them
As a class discussion, talk about Gandhi’s years in London. He prison (n) a building where criminals
lived there for three years (from 1887) but he had some problems are kept as a punishment war (n) a long period of fighting
between the armies of two or more
there. Encourage students to imagine problems that do not appear protest (n/v) to do something to show countries in many different places
in the book, as well as the ones that do. Finally, ask students to publicly that you think something is
write a page from Gandhi’s diary in 1887. The diary entry should wrong or unfair
include a couple of Gandhi’s plans for his future in England as well
as his present difficulties.
Chapters 3–6
Ask students to think about Gandhi’s style as a leader. Why was he
unusual? In groups, students write a list of ways in which Gandhi
was different from other world leaders. In turns, a student from
each group writes their reasons on the board. (If some of their
reasons are already on the board they just write any different ones.
For this reason, it is best to start with the group that has the least
reasons.)
Chapters 7–8
Put students into groups of four (or fewer). In each group, each
person takes one of these roles: Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah, or a
television presenter.
Give time to each group to prepare a television news program
using these characters. The television presenter asks questions
about Indian independence to each of the others, and they must
respond. Encourage students to make the program as lively as
possible. Maybe there is an argument between Jinnah and Nehru,
for example, and the television presenter has to stop them. Finally,
each group presents their program to the rest of the class.

ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK

Ask students to choose five words from the list on page 29. For
each word they must write two different example sentences. One
sentence should be about Gandhi’s life and the other sentence
should be about something completely different.

© Pearson Education Limited 2004 Published and distributed by Pearson Education

Factsheet written by Clare Swain
Factsheet series developed by Louise James
Penguin Readers Factsheets
Student’s activities
Gandhi
by Jane Rollason
Students can do these activities alone or with one or more
other students. Pair/group-only activities are marked.
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK
Carefully read the Introduction on page iv. Look up difficult words in
a dictionary. Now close the book and write about Gandhi in your
own words.
ACTIVITIES WHILE READING THE BOOK
Chapters 1–2
Chapter 1
1 What did Gandhi like and hate when he was a young boy?
2 Choose one of these dates for each sentence (a)–(e) below.
1497 1600 1857 1869 1900
(a) The start of the East India Company: it made Britain
powerful and rich for about 250 years.
(b) Gandhi was born in the west of India.
(c) Rich Indian people studied in England and poor Indian
people worked hard in other countries in the British
Empire. India’s rulers were still British.
(d) India had many different leaders. Europeans came to
India for the first time.
(e) The end of the East India Company–but India’s ruler was
still British.
Chapter 2
1 Finish these sentences in your own words.
(a) Gandhi was only thirteen when …
(b) Gandhi went to England when he was eighteen
because …
(c) In England Gandhi didn’t like …
(d) In South Africa they made different laws for …
(e) Gandhi did not move to third class on the train and …
(f) Gandhi worked in South Africa for …
(g) There was a new law in 1907. Indians had to …
(h) By law, Muslims and Hindus could not …
(i) Gandhi’s nonviolent protest was …
(j) In July, 1914, Gandhi and his family …
© Pearson Education Limited 2004
Level 2 – Elementary
Gandhi
2 How many times did Gandhi go to prison in South
Photocopiable
Africa? Why did he have to go?
Chapters 3–6
Chapter 3
1 There are ten wrong words. Draw a line through the wrong
words and write the right word instead.
Gandhi and Kasturbai arrived back in South Africa in 1915.
Gandhi went to many different places in India and met
thousands of rich people. He never sat in third class because
he remembered South Africa. After a month, Gandhi listened
to Indian leaders. “We want to change India,” he said. “Next we
have to understand the country and know the people.”
At the beginning of Gandhi’s ashram near Ahmedabad there
were 230 people. He wanted to show India a simple way of life,
with machines. But there were different classes of Hindus. At
the top there were “the Untouchables”. When Gandhi invited a
family of Untouchables to live with them, Kasturbai was very
happy.
2 Close the book. What five things did Gandhi want for India?
How many can you remember?
Chapter 4
1 Choose one of these numbers for each sentence (a)–(f)
below.
10 24 100 379 1,516 1918 20,000
(a) World War 1 ended in _____.
(b) On no-work day, everything stopped for _____ hours.
(c) There were about _____ people in the square in Amritsar
before Dyer’s men came.
(d) Dyer had about _____ soldiers with him.
(e) Dyer’s soldiers shot _____ people in Amritsar square in
_____ minutes.
(f) Dyer’s men killed _____ people.
2 Why did Gandhi stop the protest in Chauri Chaura in 1922?
Penguin Readers Factsheets

Level 2 – Elementary
Student’s activities

Chapter 5 Chapter 5
1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? 1 Put these events in order.
(a) There were more Muslims than Hindus in India in the (a) Nehru spoke to India on the radio about Gandhi’s death.
1920s. (b) 500 people waited for Gandhi, but he was late.
(b) There were problems between Muslims and Hindus (c) Nathuram Godse shot Gandhi.
everywhere in India. (d) Gandhi said, “Oh God!”
(c) Britain wanted to stop the problems between Muslims (e) Two hundred soldiers took Gandhi to the Jumna River
and Hindus. and they put Gandhi on a fire.
(d) Gandhi said “We have to work with Muslims.” (f) Gandhi’s family sat with him all night.

(e) Gandhi fasted until the Hindu and Muslim leaders came
to him.
(f) Gandhi stopped his meetings for 21 days in 1926.
2 Answer these questions.
(a) What did Gandhi do at the Ashram every day? (5 things)
Gandhi
2 Who followed Gandhi’s ideas after his death? Do you know
other people than the ones in the book?
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK
Look at the map on page 8. Why are the places on the map

Photocopiable
(b) What did he never do at the Ashram? (3 things) important? Now copy the map and add a short note to each place
on the map. You can put a date and write about what happened in
Chapter 6
each place.
1 Match the first half of the sentences (a)–(h) with the second
half (1)–(8).
(a) Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah were …
(b) Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah met …
(c) They talked about independence but …
(d) Writers from newspapers around the world went to …
(e) Gandhi walked to …
(f) Indians around the country went to …
(g) After the Salt March, Nehru and other leaders went to …
(h) In 1931 the British invited Gandhi to …
(1) the Sabarmati ashram.
(2) the ocean and took salt.
(3) prison for six months.
(4) India’s most important leaders.
(5) Dandi with seventy-eight other people.
(6) the British leaders were not ready.
(7) British leaders in 1928.
(8) London for talks.
2 Look at the picture and newspaper article on page 17. Do
you think it is in an English newspaper or an Indian
newspaper? Why?

Chapters 7–8

Chapter 7
1 Answer these questions.
(a) What did Gandhi fast for in 1932?
(b) What happened when Gandhi fasted for the
Untouchables?
(c) What started in 1939?
(d) Who wrote the words “You can have independence after
the war”?
(e) Did Kasturbai ever see an independent India?
(f) Gandhi said, “You will have to cut me in two before you
cut my country in two.” Who did he say this to, and why?
(g) Who was independent India’s first leader?
(h) Why did some people move to Pakistan and
Bangladesh?
(i) Why did Gandhi fast again after independence?
2 “Gandhi’s ideas for change were often about small things.”
Give three examples.

© Pearson Education Limited 2004 Published and distributed by Pearson Education

Factsheet written by Clare Swain
Factsheet series developed by Louise James