Activity one:
piecing together faith
objectives1. Students will analyze religious symbols and artifacts in order to discuss the similarities and differences between each religion in general and then more specifically, within the context of each religion's texts and scriptures.
2. Working in a small heterogeneous group, students will complete a “list, group, and label” activity for one out of the five religions in order to activate their prior knowledge on the topic of their assigned religion and hopefully generate stereotypes associated with each. 3. After enacting prior knowledge and briefly discussing stereotypes associated with each religion and the differences between each, students will create a piece of scripture for the religion that has been assigned to them using fragments of actual Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian scripture provided by the teacher. |
common core standardsREADING STANDARDS FOR LITERATURE (6-12)
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NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics). 9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information). |
procedure
1. After being asked to make predictions about what they believe the Freedom of Faith unit will entail in English class, students will work in small, heterogeneous groups assigned by the teacher to list everything they know about the types of people, culture, and texts associated with the five major world’s religions. The teacher will encourage thinking about religion in general and also specifically about Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.
2. Once students have compiled a list as a small group, the teacher will ask them to write their ideas on large pieces of paper (one for each religion) around the room. From there, the teacher will ask students to group and then label the ideas listed on their papers. She will lead a discussion on how and why they labeled everything the way that they did.
3. After enacting prior knowledge and briefly discussing stereotypes associated with each religion and the differences between each, students will create a piece of scripture for their assigned religion using fragments of actual Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian scripture provided by the teacher. As students attempt to create a piece of scripture for each religion without a template and just bits and pieces of the original texts, they will hopefully begin to recognize commonalities between how each religion discusses origins, values, traditions, and lessons in morality. Students final pieces of scripture will be collected and hung with their final studio art projects during the open house.
2. Once students have compiled a list as a small group, the teacher will ask them to write their ideas on large pieces of paper (one for each religion) around the room. From there, the teacher will ask students to group and then label the ideas listed on their papers. She will lead a discussion on how and why they labeled everything the way that they did.
3. After enacting prior knowledge and briefly discussing stereotypes associated with each religion and the differences between each, students will create a piece of scripture for their assigned religion using fragments of actual Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian scripture provided by the teacher. As students attempt to create a piece of scripture for each religion without a template and just bits and pieces of the original texts, they will hopefully begin to recognize commonalities between how each religion discusses origins, values, traditions, and lessons in morality. Students final pieces of scripture will be collected and hung with their final studio art projects during the open house.
assessmentOnce students have finished creating their paragraph of scripture using bits and pieces of religious texts from all five religions, they will share their group's creation with the class by traveling from group to group to informally share. At the end of class, the teacher will project what pieces of scripture belong to each religion and ask students if they had bits and pieces of every faith in their group piece. Students will be assessed based on their level of participation. If they are actively engaged, they will receive a participation check for the day as the teacher walks around the room and observes them in their group.
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Activity two:
Freedom of Faith final project
Objectives1. Students will create three final comparative religion projects throughout the course of the Freedom of Faith unit to display at the Freedom of Faith final open house. 2. Students will analyze, compare and contrast, and make connections between two or three (depending on the project) religions of their choosing in order to create final projects which reflect their learning in not only English, but social studies and art as well. |
common core state standardsWRITING STANDARDS (6-12)
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NCTE/IRA STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience. 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience. 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. 9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information). |
Procedure1. In the last ten minutes of the introduction day of the unit (Week One, Monday), the teacher will introduce the final unit project. The project will challenge students to interact with, and create projects which encourage them to engage with multiliteracies in order to connect their learning in English to the historical and artistic representations of religion as well. 2. The teacher will describe the unit final project and explain to students that they will be working on it throughout the course of the unit (3 weeks). Occasionally, students will have time at the end of class to work on it. Their English projects should compliment the final projects they create in social studies and art. They should be polished and accurate representations of their learning which they feel proud showcasing during the Freedom of Faith open house. She will also hand out the rubrics for the projects and explain the assessment criterion. 3. Description of the project: For the final project of the Freedom of Faith unit, students will be responsible for creating 3 projects demonstrating their understanding of the nature of religion and belief in the human experience. They may refer to the various poems, religious texts, and expository articles that we will be analyzing throughout the course of the unit, as well as relevant academic sources they find in their own research. Choice is key. Students will not be forced to choose certain religions, but will be encouraged to create projects that offer diverse viewpoints. Should they desire, they can also complete a project on a religion that we have not studied as well! 4. Project Directions: Using the tic-tac-toe board below, students must complete three projects in any straight horizontal or vertical line (diagonals are NOT permitted). They must indicate which three projects they have selected by connecting them with a line. If they are passionate about doing three projects that do not form a tic-tac-toe, they may provided that they speak with the teacher. 5. As they become more familiar with each religion, students will be able to select the three projects they wish to complete. The teacher will encourage them to focus on the five religions that they have studied throughout the unit, but let them know that they are not limited to those five. For example, they can choose to compare less well-known religions or even compare organized religions to atheistic groups if they so choose. |
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Freedom of faith tic-tac-toe
#1: Video journalCreate a video detailing a day in the lives of two modern students who each practice a different religion. What are their daily rituals? What are some positive and negative aspects of their lives? Include reference to how they live the major teachings in your video. Your video should be a minimum of three minutes long.
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#2: Diary entryChoose two of the following key figures and write one journal entry from each of their perspectives: Siddhartha Gautama, Jesus, Moses, or Muhammad. What is your daily life like? Why are you practicing your religion? What are your thoughts as you consider the meaning of life? Each entry should be at least six sentences.
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#3: collageCreate a collage that explores how different
religions use symbols to convey similar messages. Do not simply list symbols… explore how and
why different symbols are used from the different perspectives. Use colors, images, and engaging text to make
it interesting for your audience. Use at
least 3 symbols from each of the three religions you choose.
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#4: essay |
#5: poem |
#6: podcast |
Write a full-length, Regents-level essay with a clear argument-based thesis intelligently comparing and contrasting two religions of your choosing. Your essay should be a minimum of five paragraphs. It must be typed, double-spaced and written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
#7: LettersWrite 3 letters recording a dialogue between leaders of two different religions (e.g. a Christian priest and a Buddhist monk). Each letter should be at least 6 sentences long and should focus on what it means to live a good life according to each faith. (Please keep the dialogue appropriate and intelligent.)
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Find an important verse from two different religions’ sacred texts and rewrite them as poems. Each poem can have a different format (free-verse, lyrical, acrostic, sonnet) and must be a minimum of ten lines.
#8: comic bookCreate a comic book comparing and contrasting the origin stories of two different religions. Use their sacred texts as well as secondary sources to explore how they were founded. Your comic should include at least 10 panels (boxes), and should be colored in.
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Working with a partner, create a podcast discussing a current event from the perspectives of three young people from different religions. What are some positive and negative implications? Include some historical context in your podcast. Your podcast should be a minimum of five minutes long.
#9: songPick a modern song, and write a parody version from the perspective of a person trying to live according to the teachings of their religion. Indicate which song you choose (title and artist), and attach a copy of your new lyrics for the entire song.
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AssessmentThe essay option will be graded using the standard Regents rubric; all other projects will be graded with specific rubrics. All three projects will be scored out of 50 points, and the scores will be consolidated for an overall score out of 150 points. Students will also complete a short writing piece on which they reflect on their projects and their learning and discuss how their work on their projects gave them more insight into the world's religions, multiple perspectives, stereotypes, and their learning in social studies and studio art. All three projects will be presented during our Freedom of Faith open house on the final day of the unit (Tuesday, Week Four). Students' projects should complement the final projects they have done in social studies and studio art. |
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Activity three:
Parable, Koan, & Sutra Metaphors
objectives1. Students will analyze the ways that metaphors in parables, koans, and sutras have been used in Buddhism and Christianity to convey metaphysical ideas in order to create their own metaphors about honesty, wisdom, greed, ignorance, or hope.
2. Before discussing what each metaphor means, students will visualize the metaphors as pictures in their minds in order to create an artistic representation of each metaphor. They will also do this for the metaphor that they create themselves. |
Common Core State StandardsWRITING STANDARDS (6-12)
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NCTE/IRA STANDARDS FOR THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience. 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. 9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. |
Procedure1. To activate their prior knowledge about literary elements, the teacher will ask students to define a metaphor and give examples (such as butterflies in my stomach representing nervousness). Once students have shared, the teacher will talk about why metaphors are so important to communication (convey meaning that is often universally understood, often teach lessons, provide insight into others' perspectives, help us speak about abstractions using familiar symbols or imagery). Metaphors are particularly prominent in religious texts. While all religions use metaphors to communicate big ideas, students will only be focusing on parables, koans, and sutras from the Christian and Buddhist faiths. 2. Having learned about the history of the Buddhist and Christian faiths, students will learn a little bit of historical background on parables, koans, and sutras. Next, the teacher will project a metaphor from Buddha's koans on the SMART board and ask students to close their eyes, visualize it, and analyze it. What message is it trying to convey? How are written metaphors and artistic symbols the same? Props will be used to emphasize meaning and visualization. 3. Next, students will work with a partner to analyze six religious metaphors (2 parables, 2 sutras, and 2 koans). Students will complete a graphic organizer in which they must draw a pictorial representation of each metaphor and write what it means in their own words. 4. Once they have finished their graphic organizers, students will be given a blank sheet of paper. Choosing from a list of topics (honesty, wisdom, greed, ignorance, or hope), they will write their own metaphor and create an artistic representation of it. If students have another topic in mind different from the list above, they may use that instead. Connecting the visual elements of symbolism which they have been learning in art to the written expression of complex ideas, students will create their own parable, koan, or sutra that is also aligned to the historical beliefs of each religion which they have been exploring in social studies. 5. Once they are finished, students may choose to keep their metaphors or hand them in to be displayed at the Freedom of Faith open house. |
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Buddhist koans“Because the moon is obscured by fog its luster does not shine forth. Your wisdom is concealed within delusion, and although it is the truth, you haven’t realized it.” – Zen master Bao’en |
Buddhist Sutras“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never
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Christian parables
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. /Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. /Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."-Matthew 5:14-16 |
"The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; /it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." -Matthew 13:31-32 |
AssessmentStudents' graphic organizers will be assessed using a basic participation scale. Depending on the quality of their work, students will receive a 1 (unsatisfactory), a 2 (satisfactory), or a 3 (excellent).
Their self-created metaphor and artistic representation of it will be graded using the same scale as the graphic organizer. Because they have three big projects to focus on, their attention should be on those. The metaphor activity is just that--an activity. If the students need more time to complete it outside of class, they may take it home and bring it in the next day. |