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  Portrait of Rudyard Kipling. Courtesy of Wikipedia, via EDSITEment reviewed Internet Public Library.

 

Subject Areas
Art and Culture
   Visual Arts
Literature and Language Arts
   British
 
Time Required
 Two to three class periods
 
Skills
 Analyzing written and oral texts for plot, theme, and characterization
Gathering, classifying, and interpreting written and oral information
Making inferences and drawing conclusions
Observing and describing
 
Additional Data
 Date Created: 08/04/04
 
Additional Student/Teacher Resources
 Paw-Prints and Footsteps activity page
 
Date Posted
 8/4/2004
 
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  Send us your thoughts about this lesson!
 
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Rudyard Kipling’s “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”: Mixing Words and Pictures

Please note: This is lesson two of a two part lesson plan on Rudyard Kipling’s "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi". While each lesson may be adapted for independent use, it is recommended that teachers use Lesson One: Rudyard Kipling’s "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Fact and Fiction before turning to Lesson Two: Rudyard Kipling’s "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Words and Pictures.

Introduction

During the Victorian Era, British author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was both respected as a journalist and lauded as "The Poet of the [British] Empire." In his fiction, though, he blended the best of both skills and was ultimately awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas, and remarkable talent for narration which characterizes [his] creations." "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," a short story from The Jungle Book (1894), is an engaging example of Kipling's ability to mix scientific and historical fact with imaginative characterizations to create a believable and entertaining tale.

In this lesson, students will read an illustrated version of "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," examine how Kipling and visual artists mix observation with imagination to create remarkable works, and follow similar principles to create a work of their own.

Guiding Question

How does the artist create meaningful illustrations to accompany Rudyard Kipling's engaging narrative "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi"?

Learning Objectives

After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:
  • Demonstrate comprehension of plot events and character motivations.
  • Describe the author's purpose and evaluate the techniques used to achieve it.
  • Identify and differentiate between facts and examples of personification.
  • Understand and apply an artist's media, techniques, and processes.

Preparing to Teach This Lesson

Suggested Activities

  1. Art Safari
  2. Your Turn!
  3. Extending the Lesson

1. Art Safari

If they have not already done so for Lesson One: Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Fact and Fiction, have your students read the story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" from the University of Virginia Electronic Text Center website, available through the EDSITEment-reviewed Center for Liberal Arts. Remind your students that the "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" tale they read is illustrated. You may wish to explain that while authors create stories with text, artists often create stories with paint or sculpture. Introduce students to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website by saying they will be going on an "Art Safari" to take a closer look at how artists create "stories" in their works. Then guide your students through the EDSITEment-reviewed "Art Safari" from the Museum of Modern Art.

When your students finish, have them return to the text and discuss the following illustrations:
1. "He Jumped Up in the Air, and Just Under Him Whizzed by the Head of Nagaina," available from the University of Virginia Electronic Text Center website through the EDSITEment-reviewed Center for Liberal Arts

  • Is this artwork realistic or is it more like a cartoon? How do you know?
    Your students should understand that the artist uses a realistic style; the animals and setting look as they would look in nature.
  • Why do you think the artist chose to draw the scene in this style?
    Guide your students to understand that the artist probably drew the scene realistically because Kipling's story, which is grounded in facts about the animals and their behavior, also seems "real." You may wish to have your students imagine what the story might have looked like if the artist used a cartoon-like style to emphasize that the artist mirrored Kipling's writing style.
  • How do you think each of the characters feels in this picture? Why?
    Your students should notice the characters' postures and expressions and draw reasonable conclusions.
2. "Nagaina Flew Down the Path, With Rikki-Tikki Behind Her"
available from the University of Virginia Electronic Text Center website through the EDSITEment-reviewed Center for Liberal Arts
  • Sometimes, an artist can use the borders of a piece of artwork to help create a story. How do the unusual borders of this illustration make the scene feel even more hurried?
    Your students might suggest that the illustration's borders add to the feeling of haste because the animals appear to be "going the wrong way" across the page, as if they are in such a hurry, they must "cut across" the text.
  • What else does the artist do to show that the animals are moving quickly?
    The artist shows the animals' bodies extended in "running" positions and draws shadows under them to show that they are moving so quickly, they are leaping off the ground.
  • What does the artist include to show why Nagaina is fleeing so quickly?
    In the picture, Nagaina is carrying her last egg; she is fleeing because she does not want Rikki-Tikki-Tavi to destroy it.
Then discuss with your students the following question:
  • Do the artist's illustrations help tell the story, or do they distract from the story? Why?
    Your students should conclude that the illustrations help tell the story: the artist mirrors Rudyard Kipling's style and reflects or adds to the feelings and events in each illustration.
After the discussion, you may wish to have each student illustrate a passage of his or her choice using either the online drawing pad available from Art Safari or traditional art materials. Encourage students to use the techniques to which they have been introduced to create an illustration that enhances the scene. When they finish, you may wish to have them show their illustrations to the class and describe why they created the illustration the way they did.

2. Your Turn!

Have your students write and illustrate a story about an animal that includes examples of fact and personification.

First, have each student select an animal to write about from PBS's snapshot tour of India or Critter Guide, both available from the EDSITEment-reviewed PBS website India: Land of the Tiger. Have students use the Paw-Prints and Footsteps handout (PDF file) as a research guide and character and story creation outline.

Assessment

After students finish using the Paw-Prints and Footsteps handout, have them draft a story that includes facts about the animal and one or more examples of personification. If necessary, remind students that "personification" is when an author gives an animal or object human qualities. During teacher, peer, or self-editing, you may wish to have your students specifically identify where they used facts and personification, to confirm that they understand the concepts.

Then have your students use the Art Safari online tools or traditional art materials to illustrate their stories. You may wish to have your students create final illustrated drafts of their stories for class or community sharing or display, perhaps alongside a class Rudyard Kipling exhibit.

If your students enjoy this project, they might enjoy creating additional individual- or group-written stories, or rewriting one or more stories as a script and performing it for the class or community.

Extending the Lesson

  • Explore India. Have your students more thoroughly explore The EDSITEment-reviewed PBS website India: Land of the Tiger. When they finish, you might challenge them to test their knowledge of India with the Himalayan Hike game!
  • Travel Back in Time! At the Victorian Station, available through the EDSITEment resource the Victorian Web, your students can meet the luminaries of the Victorian Era (such as Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Ludwig von Beethoven, and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky), learn about the Victorians' daily life, try Victorian games and recipes, test their knowledge of the era, and even discover a 19th-century robot!
  • What Next? If your students enjoyed "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," they might also enjoy the following works:
    • The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling, available online through a link from the EDSITEment-reviewed Center for Liberal Arts.
    • Meet Rudyard Kipling's other famous characters, such as Mowgli, a boy raised by animals in a jungle, Baloo the friendly bear, and Shere Khan, the cunning tiger in this collection of stories in which "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is also found.
    • Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling (Puffin Books, 1995)
    • Rudyard Kipling himself illustrated this collection of his humorous tales, which includes "How the Camel Got His Hump," "The Beginning of the Armadillos," and "The Butterfly that Stamped."
    • Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell (Random House Children's Books, 1993)
    • In this classic story, a horse, Black Beauty, recounts the heart-warming and wrenching story of his life.
    • The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford (Yearling Books, 1990)
    • Three house pets—a labrador, a bull terrier, and a Siamese cat—journey together across Canada to try to find their way home.
  • You may be interested in the EDSITEment lesson on Beatrix Potter's Naughty Animal Tales.

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