SS7G12
The student will analyze the diverse
cultures of the people who live in
Southern and Eastern Asia.
Explain the differences between an ethnic
group and a religious group.
Ethnic Group
Religious Group
A group of people who share
cultural ideas and beliefs that
have been a part of their
community for generations.
The characteristics they may
have in common could
include language, religion,
history, types of foods, and a
set of beliefs, or celebrations.
A group of people who share
a belief system in a god or
gods, with a specific set of
rituals and literature. People
from different ethnic groups
may share the same religion,
though they may be from
very different cultures.
Compare and contrast the prominent religions in
Southern and Eastern Asia: Buddhism, Hinduism,
Islam, Shintoism and the philosophy of
Confucianism.
Islam
Confucianism
Hinduism
Judaism
Shintoism
Christianity
Buddhism
Buddhism
Began in India around 500 BC.
Siddhartha Gautama was born into a
wealthy family. He left his wealth
and family to become a monk and
sought to discover a way to put an
He believed that greed
end to pain and suffering.
and desire kept people
from finding peace.
Nirvana = Perfect Peace
Four Nobel Truths
1. There is suffering in life
2. Suffering is caused by
greed and desire
3. Give up desire and end
suffering to achieve
Nirvana
4. Follow the Middle Way
to reach Nirvana
The Middle Way
Buddha
•Try to recognize the truth
believed that •Avoid evil actions and bad people
unselfishness •Don’t day hurtful things
was the key •Respect People and their things
and that man •Don’t harm others
could turn evil •Don’t think evil thoughts
•Avoid excitement or anger
into good.
•Work at meditation
Buddha means
enlightened one.
Hinduism
Hinduism is a polytheistic
religion, meaning they worship
many gods. It’s the third
Brahma
Vishnu
Shiva
largest in the world and
The Creator
The Preserver The Destroyer
practiced mostly in India. It is
Hindus consider cows sacred and
one of the oldest in the world.
many Hindus are vegetarians. It is
The Vedas; book of
illegal to harm a cow in India.
knowledge is a collection
Karma is the belief that a person’s
of prayers, hymns, and
actions determine their fate.
rituals of Hindu belief.
The caste system is also a part of Hinduism, which is a hierarchy
among societal classes. The only way to break through this is
through reincarnation, which is the placement of a soul from one
dead body into another. Hindus believe that the type of life you
lead; your karma, determines your next life.
Islam
Islam means
"submission", referring
to the total surrender of
one's self to God, and a
Muslim is "one who
submits (to God)".
Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of
Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure.
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world today (only
Christianity is larger), with an estimated 1.4 billion adherents, spread
across the globe. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims. Muslims
believe that God revealed the Qur'an; the sacred book of Islam, to
Muhammad and that he is God's final prophet. Muslims do not
regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion but as the
restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Ibrahim and
other prophets whose messages had become corrupted over time.
Shintoism
Shintoism is one of the oldest
religions in Japan that was
influenced by Buddhism,
Confucianism, and Taoism.
Shintoism centers on reverence for the kami, divine
spirits, that Shinto followers believe live in nature.
These spirits are believed to live in beautiful places,
Shintoism means
animals and ancestors. Many Japanese believe
that these spirits live in the mountains and rivers of “way of the gods”
Japan, and homes have small altars where offerings
can be made to please the kami. Shintoism
stresses the importance of cleanliness and order.
The worship of nature has lead the Japanese to
perfect the art of creating small beautiful gardens;
areas of quiet and reflection, in a crowded world.
Philosophy of Confucianism
Confucius was born around 550 BC during a time
when the government was having trouble keeping
order and warlords controlled much of the country.
He became one of the most important scholars in
Chinese history. He believed that the key to peace
and social order was for people to behave with good
character and virtue.
Golden Rule of
Behavior:
“What you do
not like when
done unto
yourself, do not
unto others”
Confucius was not a religious leader or prophet. He saw
himself as a teacher and Confucianism is considered to be a
philosophy or ethical system based on morality or good
deeds, rather than a religion.
Evaluate how the literacy rate affects the
standard of living.
The literacy rate, or the number of people who can read and
write, has a large effect on a countries standard of living. Strong
productive economies require an educated workforce. In many
parts of the world, education is only available to those who can
afford it. Countries that subsidize education, making it available to
all citizens, have a high literacy rate and also a higher standard of
living than those countries which don’t provide education for it’s
citizens.
A countries standard of living can also be measured by a countries
GDP (Gross Domestic Product), or the total amount of goods and
services, produced within that country in a given year. Higher GDP in
a country means better living conditions for it’s citizens.
References:
Moffitt, L, Mullins, E. (2009). Georgia CRCT Test Prep 7th grade Social Studies; Teaching the
Georgia Performance Standards (Preview Edition). Clairmont Press. Atlanta, GA.
http://webpages.csus.edu/~ctg22/
http://www.absolutechinatours.com/china-travel/China-Philosophy.html
http://picasaweb.google.com/SkyeSell4685/APeopleSHistory#5350402982295663778
http://www.ucc.ie/en/hr/equality-wellbeing/health/mental/religion/
Created By:
Debra Harrington
Yeager Middle School
Douglas County School System
Douglasville, Georgia