Cause and Effect in India: Monsoons
How did geography affect life in India?
o What impact did monsoons have on agriculture?
o What were the effects of monsoons on ocean trade?
Monsoon—a seasonal wind pattern occurring in the Indian Ocean
Part 1: Reading a map
Students should study the map on page 168. As a class, discuss the following questions
and ideas:
1. What is this a map of and how do we know this?
2. How would you describe the directions in which the summer and winter monsoon
winds travel?
3. Why do you think we will be studying monsoon winds in this lesson?
Part 2: Highlighting Cause and Effect
Read the passage below. Underline the causes and circle the effects.
Climate plays an important role in the civilizations we study. Civilizations emerged close
to large rivers, which allowed the people to grow food. An increase in food production
led to an increase in population and urbanization. Often other aspects of climate also
shaped these civilizations, including mountains, winds, and rainfall.
Part 3: Determining Change over time with Cause and Effect
Read over the portion of the text on monsoons on page 168-69. Fill out the chart below.
The first one has been done for you.
You will learn what monsoon winds are and how this affected Indian society. This will
allow you to answer the questions on the right-hand side of the column as well as the
lesson questions listed above.
Causes
In the winter, dry winds blow
from the land to the sea.
In the summer, this pattern
reverses, wet winds from the
Effects
Little rain falls
Questions
How is this weather
pattern similar to Santa
Ana winds?
ocean blow onto the land.
Causes
From the time that farming
began in South Asia,
Effects
agriculture depended on the
summer monsoon.
Why do you think the
monsoons were
important for Indian
agriculture?
If the rains came on time,
If the rains came later or not
at all,
floods washed away farms
and villages.
How are the monsoons
similar and different to
the climate of the Nile in
Egypt?
Therefore, the monsoon had
both positive and negative
effects on daily life in South
Asia.
What are the positive
effects of the monsoon
on South Asia? What are
the negative effects?
Create a seasonal timeline to explain how the monsoons affect agriculture in the Indian
Subcontinent.
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall______________
How did geography affect life in India?
o What were the effects of monsoons on ocean trade?
Causes
The monsoon also
influenced seagoing trade.
Effects
Sailors
Upon arrival the crews
waited,
When the winter came,
Questions
Why did sailors use wind to
sail their ships?
Why would the sailors wait
for the monsoons? What
might happen if they sailed
at the wrong time?
the monsoon
In this way,
How did the monsoon
connect India to other
places?
Identify the following locations on the map:
Indian subcontinent
Indian Ocean
East Africa
China
Draw a line between China, the Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa via the Indian
Ocean.
Answer the question below using the information you have learned in this lesson?
o What were the effects of monsoons on ocean trade?