2013 Religions of India Lesson Plan
Essential and Guiding Questions:
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Why is it important to develop an appreciation of other cultures?
How does religion impact the development of cultures?
How has the process of “modernization” affected South Asia?
What are the core beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism?
How have Hinduism and Buddhism affected the development of culture in South Asia?
What events, figures, and processes impacted South Asia from imperialism through independence?
What issues currently affect South Asia?
What internal conflicts have shaped the development of South Asia?
What factors influence South Asia’s position in the global community?
Lesson:
Textbook Pages:
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Hinduism: pages 72-73, 222-223, and 284-286
Buddhism: pages 73-75, 80, 216-217, 283-285
Jainism: page 287
Sikhism: pages 228-229
Day One:
1. Quiet Question: Type Two Prompt---Read the following excerpt from A River Journey, The Ganges by Rob
Bowden, “The Ganges Delta” below and the attached “Sharing the Ganges: Water Conflict Between India and
Bangladesh”.
“Now we leave India and enter the thriving and colorful country of Bangladesh. Here the mighty waterways of
the Ganges are the mainstay of peoples’ livelihoods. The land is fertile and ideal for farming, but in times of
flood peoples’ lives can be threatened by its rising waters.
We see where southern Asia’s second Great River the Brahmaputra, joins the Ganges. Together, these rivers
form the world’s biggest delta. We explore the marshy Sundarbans forests, at the southern edge of
Bangladesh. And finally you will see how the Ganges River flows into the Bay of Bengal.
About 200 kilometers downstream from Farrakka Barrage, the Ganges is joined by the Yamuna or Jamuna River.
The Yamuna River is the lowest part of the mighty Brahmaputra River. Like the Ganges, the Brahmaputra began
life high in the Himalayas.
By the time they meet, the Ganges and the Yamuna have slowed down. They have started to deposit the
massive loads of sediment collected on their journeys. Now they are one river, but sediment blocks the main
path. The river is forced to splits its way to the ocean. These channels are called distributaries. The Ganges
River has eight main distributaries, and there are hundreds of smaller ones. The entire delta region covers an
area around 75,000 square kilometers, which makes it the biggest in the world.
Bangladesh’s delta is one of the most populated in the world. Many of the country’s 132 million people depend
on the delta for their survival. Two-thirds of Bangladesh’s population work in agriculture and grow crops on the
fertile delta floodplains. Jute fiber, used to make twine and sacking, is Bangladesh’s main export crop.
Most of Bangladesh’s farms depend on the annual flooding of the Ganges to bring fresh supplies of nutrient rich
sediment to their fields. But living in the path of the Ganges is a risky business. One way people have adapted
to this risk is to build their homes on top of earthen platforms or embankments. They hope this will protect
them from all but the most severe floods.
No matter how carefully the Bangladeshi people prepare for floods, nature is dangerous and unpredictable. An
especially long and heavy monsoon season brings disaster. Sometimes the Ganges floods so badly that it covers
two-third of Bangladesh in water. This causes billions of dollars in damage, and hundreds of deaths. One of the
worst floods in history was in 1998. About 1000 people were killed, and more than thirty million were left
homeless. The flood lasted for more than two months. The entire rice crop was ruined, and the government
asked for almost $900 million dollars of aid to help feed its people.
One of Bangladesh’s best hopes for defeating poverty is its gas reserves. These gas reserves lie under the delta
region, and offshore the Bay of Bengal. Important discoveries were made during the 1990s, and several major
oil companies have invested in gas exploration in Bangladesh.
The Sundarbans is a vast area of forest and swamp that spreads across the fifty-four islands that line the
southern edge of the Ganges delta. The dense vegetation is one of the last untouched areas of Bangladesh, and
very few people live there. The Sundarbans belong to the wildlife of southern Asia. Threatened species like the
estuarine crocodile, the Indian python, and the endangered Bengal tiger live there. The Sundarbans area has an
important role in protecting Bangladesh from storms. Fierce storms are common here during monsoon season.
The Sundarban’s thick mangrove vegetation acts as a natural barrier. Without it, Bangladesh would experience
much greater damage.
Fishing has long played a part in the lives of the Bangladeshi people, and its fisheries are the biggest in the world
after China and India. Where the freshwater of the Ganges mixes with the saltwater of the Indian Ocean, the
brackish water is ideal for producing shrimp by a new and fast-growing type of fish farming called aquaculture.
Here, high value fish like the shrimp and salmon, are farmed in containers or cages that are submerged in the
open water. The fish are mainly sold for export. Unfortunately, intensive aquaculture can cause disease to
spread into wild stocks of fish. Sometimes captive fish can escape and endanger local wild species. Many
experts describe aquaculture on this scale as an ecological disaster.
Another change Bangladesh and its people may face in the coming years will probably be the threat of global
warming. One of the likely results of global warming is a gradual rise in sea levels. This could be 0.5 meters by
2100. That might not sound very much, but it could mean that six million Bangladeshi lose their homes. It
could permanently flood the low-lying delta region. It could also increase the frequency of cyclones, and after
the timing, the severity of monsoons. If warmer temperatures also melt glaciers and snow in the Himalayas, the
whole Ganges region will face a much higher risk of flooding. No one knows if global warming will happen this
fast, but if it does, the journey through the Ganges delta would be very different.”
And another issue affecting Bangladesh involves the Farrakka Barrage created in India on the Ganges River. Go
to the attached reading to learn about that….
Sharing the Ganges: Water Conflict Between India and Bangladesh
The Ganges/Brahmaputra system has the third largest discharge and largest sediment load in the world of 1.84
billion tons. The Ganges runs 2,500 miles with a basin of 9,243 miles shared between India, Bangladesh, Nepal,
and China. In 2003, the basin was home to 405 million people with 346 million in India, 19 million in Nepal, and
40 million in Bangladesh.
The source of the Ganges lies in the Himalayas. It is fed mainly by glacial melt from April to June, so the flow is
seasonal. The heaviest flows occur during the monsoon months of June to October bringing 85% of all rainfall
to the area. Bangladesh experiences widespread flooding during the monsoon season. Droughts are common
in the dry season when the Ganges has a drastically reduced flow into Bangladesh. Water is desperately
needed in the dry season for crop irrigation.
The Farakka Barrage: In 1951, India announced intentions to build a Barrage across the Ganges 10km from the
Bangladesh border. The Barrage diverts water into the Baghirathi-Hooghly River to flush out the silt and
increase navigation accessibility to Calcutta. The Barrage was commissioned in April 1975. The Barrage gave
India control over the Ganges flows into Bangladesh during the dry season. In the spring of 1975, India
withdrew 40,000 of the 50,000 ft of water from the Ganges. And this led to disaster in Bangladesh.
Negotiations: India and Bangladesh were unable to reach a water agreement in 1975. In 1976, Bangladesh
failed to get the United Nations involved in the water conflict. In 1977, a five year water-sharing treaty was
reached. The treaty gave Bangladesh 80% of the Ganges flow during the dry season. This was followed by two
memorandums that lasted up to 1988, but the memos did not include a minimum water flow for Bangladesh.
No further agreements were reached between 1988-1996. During that time, India withdrew between 40,000 to
45,000 ft of water from the Ganges every dry season. In 1996, the two countries reached a 30 year treaty, and
the treaty dictates that Bangladesh receives a minimum flow of 35,000 ft from January to May. The
relationship created by the 1996 treaty resulted in further agreements on related issues between the two
countries.
Effects of the Barrage: For India, little silt was flushed from the Baghirathi-Hooghly River. And Calcutta
declined as a port city. For Bangladesh, it increased the salinity or salt content of the soil and water. This
resulted in a decline of soil quality and crops. It led to a shrinking fish population and a decline of fishing
villages and loss of jobs. It also led to the decline of mangrove forests in Bangladesh, which led to increased
erosion rates, and increased salt water intrusion into fresh water supplies. It also resulted in more severe
flooding during monsoon season and direct damages that are estimated to be in the range of three billion
dollars for Bangladesh.
Type Two Prompt---Working with your partner, after examining the two sources, identify and examine at LEAST
FOUR environmental issues---can be POSITIVES or NEGATIVES facing Bangladesh due to the Ganges River and
delta. Have TWO POSITIVES and TWO NEGATIVES!
Geography Characteristic
1)
2)
Importance
Issue/Threat
Effects
Geography Characteristic
Importance
Issue/Threat
Effects
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4)
2. Class: As we learned about the Geography of India, we also learned that to the people of India, they have
religious connections to their rivers. What are those connections and examples?
3. Class: We are going to watch four short film clips to introduce us to the four religions that developed in
India. As we watch the film clips, you should be taking initial notes in the provided graphic organizers.
United Streaming Film Clips:
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Introduction to Hinduism: running time of 5.53 minutes
Introduction to Buddhism: running time of 7.31 minutes
Introduction to Sikhism: running time of 2.13 minutes
Introduction to Jainism: running time of 1.53 minutes
4. Homework: You are to read the following pages in the textbook on the four Indian religions and take more
notes in the graphic organizers.
Textbook Pages:
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Hinduism: pages 72-73, 222-223, and 284-286
Buddhism: pages 73-75, 216-217, 283-285
Jainism: page 287
Sikhism: pages 228-229
Day Two:
5. Groups: You will now be broken up into four groups to create a Religious Historical Caricature for the Indian
religion assigned to your group. We did this for the religions of the Middle East.
ACADEMIC A: MUST HAVE A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 15 DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
ACCELERATED: MUST HAVE A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 18 DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
2013 Indian Religions Historical Caricature Grade Sheet
Due on:
A)_________________ The caricature was a detailed drawing of a central historical figure.
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On the person were objects and details that realistically could be on him and represent key beliefs,
characteristics, and events.
Must have a MINIMUM of SEVEN historical aspects addressed on the figure for ACADEMIC A since
smaller groups.
Must have a MINIMUM OF TEN historical aspects addressed on the figure for ACCELERATED since you
have larger groups of six members.
You CANNOT REPEAT CONCEPTS OR INFORMATION! If you do, it will not be counted.
Each historical aspect is worth 6 Points for a total of 42 Points for ACADEMIC A, and 60 Points for
ACCELERATED.
o Suggestions
o Enlarge the face of your actual historical figure from Ms. Barben’s Powerpoint or the Internet –
founders face, famous historical figure who followed the faith, a head of one of their Gods
o Thought Bubbles for important beliefs, prayers, a saying, etc… for the religion
o Speaking Bubbles for famous quotes or beliefs for the religion
o T-Shirt Design and Slogan for important beliefs and/or practices of the religion
o Items in each hand for important beliefs and impact on the religion---for example the different
holy texts/books in each hand
o Items under each foot for things they were against/forbidden to do under the religion
o Wearing something on the head relating to important belief or practice of the religion
o USE HISTORICAL IMAGES WHENEVER YOU CAN TO BE ACCURATE AND SAVE TIME
o DO IN COLOR
B)______________ In the background, there are additional supplementary images that are realistically and
historically appropriate and represent additional key beliefs, characteristics, and events.
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Must have a Minimum of FIVE historical aspects addressed in the background for ACADEMIC A
Must have a Minimum of EIGHT historical aspects addressed in the background for ACCELERATED since
you have larger groups of six
You CANNOT REPEAT CONCEPTS OR INFORMATION! If you do, it will not be counted.
Each historical aspect is worth 6 Points for a total of 30 Points for ACADEMIC A and 48 Points for
ACCELERATED.
Suggestions:
o Buildings relating to the religion like place of worship and unique architectural features to the
faith
o Other historical figures they influenced, contradicted, or agreed with religion
o Places and events related to the religion---holy cities they make pilgrimages to or played a key
part of the religion’s history
o Practices of the religion
o Above the figure address the religion’s view of Gods, afterlife, etc..
o Places around the world that this religion is a large majority of the population
o Different religion sects
o These should not be random or in collage style.
o USE HISTORICAL IMAGES WHENEVER YOU CAN TO BE ACCURATE AND SAVE TIME
o DO IN COLOR
C)_____________ At the bottom of the caricature, there is a detailed key explaining the symbolism.
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Each key description is a minimum of THREE WELL-DEVELOPED SENTENCES that contains the 5 Ws,
How, Causes/Effects, and other Historical Aspects.
A well-developed sentences should either define, explain, provide examples, or analyze.
DO NOT WRITE SHORT OR BRIEF SENTENCES.
DO NOT WRITE VAGUE OR GENERAL STATEMENTS.
DO NOT JUST KEEP REPEATING OR REWORDING THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION. If you do, it will not
be counted.
DO NOT WRITE IN PARAGRAPH FORMAT! It makes it too hard to read and take notes from.
WRITE IN BULLET FORMAT.
This should be numbered and the numbers should match the images on the poster.
Each is worth 6 Points for a Total of 72 Points for ACADEMIC A, 108 Points for ACCELELRATED.
You need to include specific information/facts addressing ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:
o Founder of the faith and prophets of the religion?
o Key historical events in the development of the religion?
o What are the main religious beliefs and why?
o What are the main religious practices and why?
o Where do they worship? What are their places of worship like and why?
o What are unique characteristics of their place of worship and why?
o Cities or places of religious significance and why?
o What are the divisions within the religion? Why?
o Effects---short term and long term?
o Use the proper historical/religious terms.
This should be TYPED and in Calibri Bold Size 14 Font.
It should be attached to the bottom of your poster to hang front-wise for students to read and look at
the art part at the same time.
d)__________It was done neatly, in an organized manner, labeled with the title of the religion, and the key was
spell-checked and grammar-checked. Worth 6 Points
Total:
/150 Points for Academic A
Total:
/216 Points for Accelerated
Historical Content For Religious Caricatures:
Hinduism: All must be addressed.
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Number of followers today and where they are located
History of the religion---how it developed and why
Basic beliefs: Samsura/Reincarnation, Brahman, Atman, Devas, Dharma, Karma, Nirvana, and Moksha
Important Texts---Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, and Mahabharata
Views on Gods and Goddesses---Holy Trinity of Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva, other important ones of
Ganesh and Lakshmi
6. Four Daily Duties
7. How they worship: temples, holy cities, holy rivers, and practices
8. Sacred Cows
9. Festivals
10. Symbols
11. Similarities and Differences to Buddhism
Buddhism: All must be addressed
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Who was Buddha and what happened in his life to create this religion?---Siddhartha Gautama
History---why did it develop in response to Hinduism? Role or purpose of the religion
Three Jewels of Buddhism
Symbols
Five Precepts
The Middle Way
The Four Noble Truths
The Eight Fold Path
Nirvana
Karma
Types of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen
Monks and their ways of life
Number of followers and where are they located
Similarities and Differences to Buddhism
Jainism: All must be addressed.
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How did this religion develop and why? What does this religion focus on? Purpose of the faith?
History---major leaders and events—founder Mahavira
Tirthankara
Similarities to Buddhism and Hinduism
Major Beliefs: Ahisma, Karma, Reincarnation, Moksha, Atomism, No Absolutes
Number of followers and where are they located
Views on Gods---Unique teachings and view of God
Texts---Angas and Upanga
Proper conduct
How they worship? Major practices and rituals like Samayika and Mantra
Monks
Importance of vegetarianism
Sects: White or Svetambara, Sky or Gigambara, Lay
Symbols
Sikhism: All must be addressed.
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History---Guru Nanak and other Gurus
Views on God and Basic Beliefs like Reincarnation and Afterlife, Khalsa, How to Reach Salvation, Views
on Wealth and Charity
Number of followers and where
Similarities to Hinduism and similarities to Islam
Views on monasticism
Five Ks---Kesh, Kuchha, Kanga, Kara, and Kirpin
Importance of turbans
Five Evils---Kam, Krodin, Lobh, Moh, and Ahanker
Five Virtues---Sat, Santokh, Daya, Nimvata, and Pyare
Values and practices
Symbols
Sacred Texts---Dasam Granth Guru and Granth Sahib
Place of Worship and Holy Places: Golden Temple, Gurudwara---places of worship---what they are like
and the roles they play
Resources you will be using:
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The notes you have already taken from the film clips and the textbook
The individual powerpoints created by Ms. Barben for each religion and uploaded on her teacher page
The individual supplemental readings uploaded on Ms. Barben’s teacher page
Group Responsibilities:
Research and Additional Note-Taking:
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Powerpoint: Should be split between two group members to take notes and print up images that can
be used for the Religious Caricature
Supplemental Reading: Should be split between three group members as they are long. Break up by
the chapters or different headings within the supplemental reading. Should be taking notes and
making a list of images that could be used for the Religious Caricature.
Creation of Religious Caricature:
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Everyone must find images and write the corresponding descriptions/annotations.
Academic A: Since there are a minimum of 15 aspects, if a group is made up of 5 members, each group
member must do three.
Accelerated: Since there are a minimum of 18 aspects, and if the group is made up of 6 members, each
group member must also do three.
Work Days and Learning Stations Days: Days Two Through Six
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Work Days: Research and Taking Notes Individually:
Work Days: Creating Religious Caricatures:
Learning Station Days:
6. Class: Students will go around the classroom viewing the different Religious Caricatures and taking notes
in the provided graphic organizers making sure they are fully filled out.
7. Homework: This is a Summative Assessment for the unit.
Writing a Thesis Statement:
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A thesis statement is a sentence that expresses the main focus of your paper.
It lets the reader know what they are going to read about and what you are trying to prove throughout
the course of your paper.
 T=O+E
Thesis = Observation + Explanation
o Observation: Ronald Reagan obtained many Democratic votes in the Presidential election of
1980.
o Explanation: Many Democrats believed that Reagan had stronger moral values than his
opponent.
o Thesis Statement: Ronald Reagan obtained many Democratic votes in the Presidential election
of 1980 because he communicated his strong moral values under the public eye.
Your thesis statement should be a claim about your topic that you will support with evidence in your
paper.
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A good thesis statement generally is broken into three sections.
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Your claim or argument
The reasons/evidence that will support this claim
The order in which you will present the evidence
Example Thesis Statements
“The access to educational opportunities for women helped to define their position in society.”
“Theater, as a prominent art between 1450 and present-day, has and always will display symbolic truths and
assertions of humanity through dramatic, onstage performance.”
“Throughout history, racial prejudice has been influenced by the desire for dominance and social control and has
led to consequences of stereotyping, violence, and cultural division.”
Topics to Consider:
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Origins and founders of the two faiths
Views on God(s)
Views on the Caste System
Views on Karma
Views on Dharma
Views on Reincarnation
Views on Nirvana
Views on Moksha
Views on Duties/Roles in life: Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Four Duties, Five Precepts
How they worship?
Holy texts: what they are? Style and format? Content?
Academic A:
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You will be creating a comparative thesis statement for the basis of examining the similarities and
differences between Hinduism and Buddhism at the top of the provided graphic organizer.
You then must identify, explain, and use key terms and examples for a MNIMUM OF THREE
SIMILARITIES AND THREE DIFFERENCES.
This is due the day of the first unit test and will count as much as the first unit test taken in class.
It cannot be turned in late. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE WITH THIS ASSIGNMENT….IT IS WORTH A TEST
SCORE!
Accelerated:
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You will be writing a comparative thesis essay examining the similarities and differences between
Hinduism and Buddhism.
You must develop your own comparative thesis statement.
You must then prove this thesis by identifying, explaining, and using key terms and examples for a
MINIMUM OF THREE SIMILARITIES AND THREE DIFFERENCES.
Each similarity and each difference should be developed into its own body paragraph. This means a
total of six body paragraphs.
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You must follow the format for writing an Introduction, Thesis Statement, Body Paragraphs, and a
Conclusion. Refer to the purple handout you were given to use for the Islamic Fundamentalism Essay in
the Middle East Unit.
2013 Indian Religions Compare and Contrast Essay Grade Sheet:
1.______________No Excuses: It was typed, spell-checked, edited for grammar and capitalization. There was a
self-edited rough draft that had content, formatting, and writing style corrections made. Worth 10%
2.______________FCA One: The student wrote a strong comparative thesis statement that was thoroughly
proven in the essay. The student used detailed historical information from the textbook, the different
powerpoints, the different supplemental readings, and the Religious Caricatures. Worth 10%
3.______________FCA Two: The student followed the format for writing an Introduction: Worth 10%
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Started with a proper hook: an interesting story, a shocking or surprising statistic, or a thoughtful
quote.
There were connections made between the hook and the premise or topic of the essay.
There were a few sentences introducing Hinduism and Buddhism. This acted as a transition.
Then there was the thesis statement.
This should consist of about six strong well-developed sentences.
4.______________FCA Three: The student followed the format writing the Body Paragraphs---Proof
Sandwiches. Worth 60%
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There must be a minimum of 6 well-developed paragraphs.
Remember a strong sentence should either identify and define, provide examples and explain, or
examine the historical context/relationships.
For example:
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For the first body paragraph, it identified the first similarity and explained it. (one to two sentences)
Then historical evidence was provided for how this is found in Hinduism. (two to three sentences)
The historical evidence is explained and not listed. (two to three sentences)
Then historical evidence was provided for how this is found in Buddhism. (one to two sentences)
The historical evidence was explained and not listed. (two to three sentences)
The final analysis of the two tied into the similarity and the thesis statement. (one to two sentences)
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When you go to a new paragraph, make sure there is a transition sentence to connect the previous
point with the next. It makes it flow more.
5._______________FCA Four: The student followed the format for writing a Conclusion. Worth 10%
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Reviewed the main points made in the essay: reviewed the similarities and differences.
Restated the thesis statement.
Closed with a reference to the hook used in the introduction to pull it all together.