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Name: __________________________________________ Date: _______________

This lesson will extend from Monday, September 9th to Friday, September 13th. The goal is to enlighten you on different cultures and how religion shapes different areas of the world.

In you text on pages 80 – 85 you will find information on each religion, see the index for more specific information for each religion.

This Packet and your essay are due Monday, September 16th in class.

In this packet you will be responsible for:

Vocabulary pertaining to world religions. Information about each religion. Supplemental activities. Map of the world. Essay.

Buddhism - An introductionBuddhism has around 376 million adherents throughout the world, with approximately 150,000 active Buddhists in the UK. This number is increasing all the time.

Buddhism started in India over 2,500 years ago. The essence of Buddhism is the attainment of enlightenment. It points to a way of life that avoids self-indulgence and self-denial. There is no supreme god or deity in Buddhism.

Buddha means 'enlightened'. Siddhattha Gotama, later to become the Buddha, lived in the 5th century BC and was a prince born into a rich family. He had an easy life, living in what is now Nepal. However, when he saw the suffering of old age, sickness and

death, he decided to renounce his life in the palace and live among the holy men of the day in search of truth and enlightenment. His search took him six years, but he became enlightened whilst meditating under a Bodhi tree. Following this he dedicated his life to spreading the teaching. The Buddha is not considered a god by his followers.

He discovered that the answer lay in what have become known as the Four Noble Truths. Craving and desire keep people on the wheel that is the cycle of birth and rebirth, and it is possible to escape this cycle by following the Four Noble Truths.

Five Moral Precepts

All Buddhists undertake to live by the Five Moral Precepts which mean refraining from:

1. harming living things2. taking what is not given3. sexual misconduct4. lying or gossip5. taking intoxicating substances

Buddhists follow the Buddha's example. When they meditate, Buddhists focus on awakening to truth as the Buddha did. In Buddhist countries, there are many temples where people can make offerings of flowers and incense for the shrine and food for the

monks. They may also have a shrine within the home. When entering a temple, Buddhists will take off their shoes, put their hands together and bow to the image of the Buddha. In their practice they may use prayer beads called malas.

The main Buddhist ceremonies are the Uposatha observance days when monastics and lay people renew their commitment to the teaching and practice. These are held on each quarter of the moon. The main Buddhist festival of the year is Wesak, the celebration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, except in Japanese Buddhism where these three events are observed on different days.

BuddhismBasic InformationSymbols – Identify all the relevant symbols and explain the significance of each.Symbol Significance

Size – Number of Followers by Region *Once complete, create a map depicting the population by regionRegion Number

Holy Text(s)

Key Tenants / Beliefs / Supreme Being(s)

Major Sects / Divisions (variations of the religion)

Holy / Important Places (include geographic locations and physical buildings / structures)

Buddhism (continued)Origins

Founder(s) Date(s) Sacred Days (important dates) Significance

What is the “story” of origin?

Contemporary Issues Facing this Religion (or followers of this religion)

Christianity - An introductionChristianity is the largest religion in the world with over 2 billion followers. 42 million people in Britain today describe themselves as Christian, and there are 6 million who are actively practising.

Christianity is focussed on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe to be the Son of God. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Middle East over 2000 years ago.

The Christian holy book is the Bible. It is divided into the Old and New Testaments.

The New Testament explains how God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to restore the broken relationship between people and God which had been caused by human wrong doing.

Jesus was executed on a cross (Crucifixion) as a criminal by the Romans, and according to Christian teaching after three days he rose from the dead (the Resurrection)

Christians believe that there is only one God, but that he is revealed in three different forms:

God the Father God the Son The Holy Spirit

Christians model themselves on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught people to love God and love their neighbour.

Many Christians worship in churches. Some groups meet in homes and other buildings. 'Church' means the gathering of Christians as well as the building in which Christians worship.

Their leaders are called priests or ministers.

Different ways of understanding Christian teachings has led to groups of Christians worshipping in different ways. These denominations include the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and many others.

Many churches hold a service called Communion, Eucharist or Mass, in which bread and wine are shared together, just as Jesus did with his followers before his death.

The most important Christian festivals are: Lent, Easter and Christmas

ChristianityBasic InformationSymbols – Identify all the relevant symbols and explain the significance of each.Symbol Significance


Holy Text(s)




Christianity (continued)Origins




Hinduism - An introductionHinduism is the third largest world religion with about 900 million Hindus worldwide. In 2001 there were about 559,000 Hindus in the UK, most of whom came originally from Gujurat and Punjab in India.

The religion dates back over 4,000 years.

Hinduism is made up of a variety of different religious beliefs and practices which originated near the river Indus in India. The name 'Hindu' comes from the word Indus.

Beliefs

Central to Hinduism is the belief in a supreme God Brahman, the universal soul, which is found in everything.

Brahman is worshipped in a variety of forms, including Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, Shiva and several others. Hinduism does not have any founder.

Hindus believe that life is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma.

Hindus believe that every action has an effect and there is a cause for everything. This is called the law of Karma.

Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of lives and that the next life is dependent on how the previous life was lived.

Holy BooksThe main Hindu scriptures are:

the Vedas, a collection of hymns praising the Vedic gods. Veda means 'knowledge' the Ramayana, long epic poems about Rama and Sita the Mahabharata, which includes the Bhagavad Gita the Puranas, a collection of stories about the different incarnations and the lives of saints.

Worship

Puja (worship) takes place in the Mandir (temple). Mandirs vary in size from small village shrines to large buildings, surrounded by walls. People can also visit the Mandir at any time to pray and participate in the bhajans (religious songs). Hindus also worship at home and often have a special room with a shrine to particular gods.

Festivals:

Hindus celebrate many holy days

Diwali (the festival of lights) is the best known Holi Navaratri (celebrating fertility and harvest), Raksha Bandhan (celebrating the bond between brother and sister) Janmashtami (Krishna's birthday)

HinduismBasic InformationSymbols – Identify all the relevant symbols and explain the significance of each.Symbol Significance


Holy Text(s)




Hinduism (continued)Origins




Islam - An introduction

Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. There are around 2 millions Muslims in Britain, around 2.7% of the population.

The word 'Islam' in Arabic means submission to the will of God.

Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe there is one true God Allah (the Arabic word for God)

Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia through a man called Muhammad. Muhammad is so revered that it is usual for Muslims to say 'peace be upon him' whenever they mention his name.

Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be the last prophet sent by God (Allah) According to Muslims, God sent prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His law. Jesus (Isa), Moses (Musa) and Abraham (Ibrahim) are other respected prophets.

The Muslim holy book is called the Qur'an. Muslims believe this to be the word of Allah as dictated to Muhammad. They also have the Sunnah, which Muslims believe to be the practical example of Prophet Muhammad. Muslims follow the five basic Pillars of Islam.They are an essential part of Muslim life:

The Five Pillars of Islam are an essential part of Muslim life. These pillars are:

the declaration of faith (Shahada) praying five times a day (Salat) giving money to charity (Zakah) fasting (Sawm) a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in a lifetime(Hajj)

Muslims worship in a building called a Mosque. On Friday at noon, the most important of the weekly services is held. When Muslims pray, they must always face Makkah.

Islam

Basic InformationSymbols – Identify all the relevant symbols and explain the significance of each.Symbol Significance


Holy Text(s)




Islam (continued)

Origins




What do you think?

1. Does this cartoon accurately display the misconceptions of American and Muslim culture?

2. Is this cartoon clever? Why or why not?

Judaism - An introduction

Judaism has about 13 million followers throughout the world, mostly in USA and Israel. Aproximately 270,100 people in the UK said that their religious identity was Jewish (2011 census).

Judaism originated in the Middle East over 3500 years ago.

Moses was the main founder of Judaism, but Jews can trace their history back as far as Abraham.

Beliefs

Jews believe that there is only one God. Jews believe they have a special agreement or covenant with God. In exchange for all the good that God has done for them, Jewish people keep God's laws and try to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives. Judaism is a faith of action and Jews believe people should be judged not so much on what they believe as on the way they live their faith - by how much they contribute to the overall holiness of the world.

Holy Books

The most holy Jewish book is the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) which was revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago.

The Torah, together with the Talmud (commentary on the Torah), give the Jewish people rules for everyday life. Observing these rules is central to the Jewish religion.

Worship - Jews worship in Synagogues. A Jewish Religious leader is called a Rabbi (literally 'teacher')

Shabbat (The Sabbath)

The family and community are very important within Jewish life.

The most important day of the week is Shabbat (the Sabbath). It is the day on which Jews remember the seventh day of creation on which God rested. On Shabbat Jews stop working and make time for God and family life.

Shabbat starts on Friday evening and ends at sunset on Saturday.

Shabbat begins with the family sharing a meal.

During Shabbat, services are held at the synagogue, often led by a Rabbi.

Jewish festivals

The most important Jewish festivals are:

Pesach (Passover) Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights)

Jewish symbols

The emblem of the Jewish people is the Magen David (Shield of David), also known as the Star of David.

Judaism

Basic InformationSymbols – Identify all the relevant symbols and explain the significance of each.Symbol Significance


Holy Text(s)




Judaism (continued)

Origins




World Religions Essay

Imagine you are a member of the local city council. For years the city has decorated city hall with a

nativity scene and a menorah. A city resident complained that the display violated the separation of church and

state clause of the U.S. Constitution and the resident has threatened a lawsuit. The city immediately banned all

holiday displays. Long-time residents are angry that a harmless tradition that thy have long enjoyed is now

gone. They are threatening to vote the city council out of office (including you!!).

You need to use your problem solving skills to identify the problems associated with this issue, gather

information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, and then develop guidelines for

public displays that meet local and federal laws, as well as reflect the community’s beliefs and wishes. Then

evaluate the effectiveness of your proposed solutions.

Must be typed.

Size 12 Font, Times New Roman.

Make sure your paper includes:

a. Background Research

b. Options that could be considered with advantages and disadvantages of each.

c. You new set of laws/guidelines.

d. Evaluate your proposed solutions.

Must include cover page with name, class/hour, date, and title.

Must include citation page. Where did you get your information?

Essay Rubric

Student Name Level _______

1-Below Average 2-Average 3-Good 4-WOW factorPoints

StructureContains no topic, no

supporting details, and no closing

sentence

Contains a topic sentence and a few

unrelated details

Contains a topic sentence and

supporting details

Contains a topic sentence, good

supporting details, and a closing

sentence

Organization

Sequence of information is difficult to follow and makes

no sense

Reader has difficulty understanding because

of lack of structure/focus

Student presents information in a

logical sequence

Information is logical, captivating, and can be followed

easily

Content Knowledge

Writer gives no supporting detail

Writers gives few supporting details

Writers gives details but fails to elaborate

or examples are unrelated to "Big

Idea"

Writer gives ample supporting details and elaboration

relating to "Big Idea"

StyleLanguage use and sentence structure

are extremely simple

Some precise language and varied sentence

structure

Language choice is generally specific; sentence structure

reflects some variety

Specific language appropriate to the

prompt. Uses sentence structure

purposefully to express ideas.

Grammar and Spelling

Numerous and distracting errors in spelling, grammar,

and usage

Pattern of spelling, grammar, or usage

errors found throughout the entire essay

Occasional errors in spelling, grammar,

or usage

Few, if any, errors in spelling, grammar,

and/or usage

Total ----------->

1-7 Level D 8-11 Level C 12-16 Level B 17-20 Level A

Map AssignmentOn the map you need to identify the areas where the 5 major world religions are practiced.

You need:

A Map key. Different color for each religion. Label all relevant information pertaining to where each religion is practiced.

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