ZAMASAMA PRESENTS
A Guide for Teachers and Parents
Written and Illustrated
by
Shamim Padamsee
- Understand the significance of cultural traditions and festivals.
- Recognize the value of initiative and responsibility in preserving heritage.
- Reflect on the role of family and community in upholding cultural practices.
- Acknowledge that children around the world eagerly look forward to festivals full of food, joy, and togetherness.
Discussion Questions
Before Reading:
- What festivals do you celebrate with your family?
- Why are these festivals important to you?
During Reading:
- Why are Ravi and Rani disappointed at first?
- What do they decide to do for their mother?
After Reading:
- How do they feel once the dolls are arranged?
- What does their effort tell us about family and care?
Activities:
- Golu Display Challenge
- Festival Joy Drawing
- Global Festival Exchange
- Story Stones: Golu Edition – Students paint flat stones with characters or objects found in a Golu display, then tell short stories about them.
- Build-A-Tier Challenge – Using cups or cardboard, students build a mini 3-tier Golu shelf and decorate it with festival-themed objects.
- Festival Recipe Share – Students draw or describe a favorite festival dish from their family, contributing to a ‘Festival Food Around the World’ class display.
- Design-a-Doll Outfit – Create traditional or imaginative outfits for paper dolls representing different Indian or global cultures.
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG Explanation:
- SDG 4 – Quality Education: Encourages appreciation for cultural learning and tradition.
- SDG 5 – Gender Equality: Highlights children’s equal roles in preserving cultural practices.
- SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: Emphasizes the importance of heritage in building inclusive, resilient communities.
Ismat’s Eid – A funny and warm family story about festival gifts and surprises.
The Ok Om Bok Festival – A Vietnamese Khmer celebration of gratitude and moon worship.
- Enhanced understanding of cultural traditions
- Empathy and appreciation for global cultural practices
- Development of personal initiative and cultural reflection
Zamasama is a nonprofit platform that brings together stories from around the world to help children discover that beneath our differences—of culture, language, or belief—we share the same hopes, joys, and dreams.
Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens, and the responsibility of building a more peaceful, tolerant, and empathetic world lies with them.
That’s why it’s vital to instill these values early—through stories that help them rise above the biases they inherit, and see diversity as a strength that unites us all.