We spent our first full day in India putting Delhi in context, beginning with its ancient origins and ending in one of the city’s newest malls. Students were asked to consider the symbols we saw – the tomb of Humayun, a Mughal ruler from the 1500s whose tomb was the first to incorporate Persian designs; the crumbling domes of Hauz Khas that were the backdrop of our lunch; and the significance of the Western brands that fill the sprawling modern mall. It was amazing to hear some of the ideas and the many connections students made to White Tiger, the book that seniors are reading in Humanities, to what they’ve learned about Indian history, to comparisons to other lessons from classes in all grade levels. This is a thoughtful, inquisitive group.

Arthur Nichols was our leader of the day yesterday and he led our first big wrap up discussion. For more than an hour, students shared their initial observations about India and discussed prejudices, the difficulties and the beauties of life on the streets of New Delhi, the significance of development and traditions, and more. We started the meeting in silence, allowing our minds to connect what we were hearing from the streets below to the images that are permanently etched in our minds from a day in this city. It was amazing!

Be on the lookout for more from the students, including our first blog post from Arthur.

Today, we investigate more!