Teaching Material
STUDY UNIT
Special People
Upper Key Stage 2
BUDDHISM
AT1
Stories and beliefs about religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 1
The Going Forth (i.e. when he left the palace and set off on his search for the answers to
the question of suffering) and his enlightenment after six years of searching of the
Buddha are the key events which led to the development of Buddhism. The
enlightenment resulted in the teachings of the Buddha, summarised in the Four Noble
Truths. Pupils can discuss the Buddhist analysis of suffering and the answer it offers.
The Buddha is not a god but rather an enlightened being: that is, one who is awake and allknowing. Some Buddhists, however, would believe that the Buddha can help and protect
them. Others would say that the Buddha has gone and that his teaching (the Dhamma) and
the Buddhist community ( the Sangha) remain to give inspiration and guidance.
You can focus on the Buddha’s teaching, including the Five Precepts for lay practitioners.
Some of the best known stories are his meetings with Kisagotami and Angulimala.
Angulimala’s story is in The Barefoot Book of Buddhist Tales and Kisagotami’s is in
Buddhist Story and Symbol by Jenny Rose, both in the IEC library.
AT1
Portrayals of religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 2
Buddharupas (images of the Buddha) are designed to reflect his wisdom and
compassion. The expression and composure show his tranquillity and enlightenment.
There is a great deal of symbolism: the long ears, representing the wealth he
abandoned; the shape of the head, representing his great wisdom; the ‘eye’ representing
his insight into the true nature of all things; the hand position (mudra); his pose in
meditation; his seat on a lotus flower (representing enlightenment) etc.
Images are designed to help Buddhists focus on their own search for wisdom and
tranquillity through their own practice of meditation and a moral life.
Theravadan images (from ‘southern Buddhism’ – Thailand, Burma etc) are often made
from one material – gold, alabaster etc; portrayals from Mahayana Buddhism (Tibet, for
example) are often brightly coloured with many attendants etc.
AT2a
Explore beliefs and responses.
Learning
Objective 3
Pupils can be asked the question: ‘What did these great religious teachers give to the
world?’ They can give their own responses to the key teachings and the events in the life
of the Buddha. How far do pupils agree or disagree with what the Buddha said? Do they
agree that wisdom and tranquillity are the main qualities to be nurtured?
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Teaching Material
STUDY UNIT
Special People
Upper Key Stage 2
CHRISTIANITY
AT1
Stories and beliefs about religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 1
The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew, chapter 3, verses13-17, Mark, chapter 1, verses 9-11,
Luke, chapter 3, verses 21-22) is the key event in setting Jesus on his work. Pupils can
read the story in the original texts and compare them. One of the key differences they
can note is that in Matthew God’s voice seems to be heard by everyone present whereas
in Mark and Luke it seems to be Jesus who is told that he is God’s son. Talk with
children about ‘the voice of God’. Is this something people hear within themselves? Are
there other examples of people hearing the voice of God? Explore the symbolism of the
dove. What do pupils understand by the Holy Spirit? Discuss the idea of sin and its
meaning. Talk about repentance and forgiveness and the symbolism of the river/water.
Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God who can bring about salvation for all who
believe in him. What do pupils understand by this? Pupils can explore key events –
preaching, a healing miracle, contacts with different people – in Jesus’ life. Mark’s
Gospel provides a series of manageable cameos for pupils to study e.g. in Mark chapter
1, verses 21 – 45, there are five short events described which pupils could study in
groups and then discuss. What does each of them say about Jesus?
AT1
Portrayals of religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 2
There are hundreds of thousands of images of Jesus – partly because of the Christian belief
in the incarnation. Jesus is believed to be both God and man – and portraits of him express
this belief. In groups pupils can look at a wide range of images, including from different
cultures. How do artists show his humanity/divinity? Use hymns and songs the children
know to talk about Jesus – exploring their meaning and the beliefs they put forward.
The IEC library has a copy of ‘Jesus through art’, by Margaret Cooling, providing many
images of Jesus and ideas for classroom practice.
AT2a
Explore beliefs and responses.
Learning
Objective 3
Pupils can be asked the question: ‘What did these great religious teachers give to the
world?’ They can give their own responses to the key teachings and the events in the life
Jesus. What sort of person was he and how did he live? How do pupils respond to the
Christian belief that he is the son of God? If possible, give pupils the opportunity to
discuss beliefs and the reasons for beliefs with a practising Christian, such as the
Christian Faith Tutor at the IEC.
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Teaching Material
STUDY UNIT
Special People
Upper Key Stage 2
HINDU DHARMA
AT1
Stories and beliefs about religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 1
Krishna is an avatar – one of the incarnations of the God, Vishnu, who came to earth to
conquer evil.
There is no one event which began Krishna’s work – his whole life is that of an avatar.
Krishna was born to overcome the evil of Kansa. There are many stories about his
childhood and his life as a cowherd with his friend Radha which children will enjoy. He is
particularly associated with the festival of Holi. Another aspect of Krishna is his
teachings which are contained in the Bhagavad Gita where he takes on the role of
Arjuna's charioteer. Most of this is too difficult for children but there are comic book and
video versions of the Gita which are more accessible.
See Stories from Hindu Dharma, published by the IEC, for a selection of stories about
Krishna.
AT1
Portrayals of religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 2
There are many images of Krishna, as a child, as a cowherd and as the divine avatar. He is
often portrayed with a flute and accompanied by Radha. Pupils can explore the portrayals,
including their colour, jewellery, symbols, background, and the ways in which Krishna is
shown to be special. A wide range of posters featuring Krishna is available from the IEC.
Bhajans – hymns praising Krishna – are very popular among Hindus. Recordings of
them can be borrowed from the IEC.
AT2a
Explore beliefs and responses.
Learning
Objective 3
Pupils can be asked the question: ‘What did these great religious teachers give to the
world?’ They can give their own responses to the key teachings and the events in the life
of Krishna, including surviving attempts to kill him as a child. Pupils can discuss the
overcoming of evil by good – a theme found throughout religions (and a good deal of
popular film and story).
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Teaching Material
STUDY UNIT
Special People
Upper Key Stage 2
ISLAM
AT1
Stories and beliefs about religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 1
The key event in Prophet Muhammad’s life was the first revelation of the Qur’an to him
by the Angel Jibril. He is the ‘seal of the prophets’, believed by Muslims to be the final
prophet and messenger of Allah. He is believed by Muslims to have lived according to
the tenets of the Qur’an and is a role model for all human’s religious, spiritual and moral
life. The other prophets of Islam include Ibrahim, Musa and Isa – Abraham and Moses
are Patriarchs in Judaism and Jesus is the Son of God in Christianity. All are believed by
adherents of those faiths to reveal God to humankind.
Stories about the life of Prophet Muhammad can be found in Stories of the Prophets of
Islam, volumes 8-10).
AT1
Portrayals of religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 2
Representations of the Prophet are discouraged in Islam. Some exist, but none has
facial features. This is a mark of respect for the Prophet – as is the use of PBUH ‘Peace
and blessings upon him’, after his name, or the names of the other prophets. There are
many beautiful, intricate and clever representations of Muslim concepts and teachings
through calligraphy. These can be shared with children (See the Study Unit box in the
IEC library for examples.) Islam uses abstract representations to convey the sacred and
divine – creating any image or figure is forbidden because it is seen as trying to replicate
the creative power which Allah alone possesses. Muhammad also wanted to rid Makkah
of idol worship and therefore any representation was banned. All of this reinforces the
strong monotheism of Islam.
There are poems praising Prophet Mohammed PBUH (audio tapes can be borrowed
from the IEC).
AT2a
Explore beliefs and responses.
Learning
Objective 3
Pupils can be asked the question: ‘What did these great religious teachers give to the
world?’ They can give their own responses to the key teachings and the events in the life
of Muhammad. See the Study Unit box in the IEC library for a thinking skills exercise
(fortune line) on the life of Muhammad.
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Teaching Material
STUDY UNIT
Special People
Upper Key Stage 2
JUDAISM
AT1
Stories and beliefs about religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 1
The covenant – or promise – that God made with Abram is recorded in Genesis chapter
12. God told Abram that he would lead him to a country and that he would become the
father of a great nation. God promised that he would bless Abram and Abram
worshipped God. Abram is a patriarch – or father – of his people and the concept of
‘covenant’ is fundamental in Biblical teachings. A number of events in his life could be
explored: his cowardly behaviour in pretending that Sarai was his sister (Genesis,
chapter 12, verses 10-20); the story of Hagar and Sarai (Genesis 16, 1-16); God giving
him a new name (Genesis 17, 1-27); the birth of Isaac (Genesis 21, 1-13) the ‘sacrifice
of Isaac (Genesis 22, 1-18).
AT1
Portrayals of religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 2
Use paintings and Bible illustrations to explore the artists’ representations of Abraham.
AT2a
Explore beliefs and responses.
Learning
Objective 3
Pupils can be asked the question: ‘What did these great religious teachers give to the
world?’ They can give their own responses to the key teachings and the events in the life
of Abraham – and some of them are very controversial. Abram didn’t always behave well
and yet his faith in God secured his place in the religious history of the Jews. The story
of Isaac is worth exploring is depth – bearing in mind that Abraham lived at a time when
human sacrifice was not uncommon. There are key concepts to explore here - covenant;
divinely given land; revelation from God; new names; sacrifice etc. With some pupils it
would be appropriate to explore the stories of the two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, and
God’s promises about both of them. Consider with pupils how this related to the situation
in the Middle East today.
The story of the near sacrifice of Isaac has inspired many western artists, because it prefigures the sacrifice of Jesus for Christians.
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Teaching Material
STUDY UNIT
Special People
Upper Key Stage 2
SIKH DHARAM
AT1
Stories and beliefs about religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 1
The key event in the life of Guru Nanak was his enlightenment experience. He
disappeared in the river where he had been bathing and emerged three days later saying
that he had been transported to the court of God. He said that God had revealed to him
the words Sikhs know as the Mool Mantar – ‘There is one God, truth is his name…’ and
declaring that there are no fundamental differences between groups of people – all are
children of the one true God. There are issues to explore here about divine revelation
and the existence of God, as well as Guru Nanak’s teaching that religion is a matter of
the heart, not of labels and rituals.
‘Guru’ or teacher is the name given to the ten human Gurus and the sacred book of the
Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib. All are believed to possess the same divine spark and are
of equal importance to Sikhs.
There are many stories about Guru Nanak and his dealings with people. Many focus on
strong moral and religious teachings and are worth discussing with pupils. See Sikh
Stories published by the IEC; and Shared Stories Shared Values for ways to exploring
stories and values through drama techniques.
AT1
Portrayals of religious leaders.
Learning
Objective 2
Pictures of the Gurus are readily available and to be found in Gurdwaras and Sikh
homes. Guru Nanak images are particularly popular and pupils may well respond very
positively to the ways in which artists represent him. He is shown as an old, white
bearded man, wearing a turban, with prayer beads, often with his hand raised in blessing.
It is important to remind pupils that Sikhism is strictly monotheistic and there is no
worship of the Gurus or pictures of them. Sometimes there is an Ik Onkar sign on his
foot (Panjabi for the first words of the Mool Mantar – there is one God) or another symbol
to show that he is a divinely inspired being.
There are some particularly effective
paintings by Sobha Singh, a Sikh artist, reproduced in Guru Nanak by Eleanor Nesbit
and Gopinder Kaur (available at the IEC). Discuss with pupils the artists’ own beliefs and
attitudes towards Guru Nanak.
The stories of Guru Nanak’s life are found in the Janam Sakhis. English versions of
these stories can be found in Bed Time Stories by the Sikh Missionary Society (in the
IEC library).
AT2a
Explore beliefs and responses.
Learning
Objective 3
Pupils can be asked the question: ‘What did these great religious teachers give to the
world?’ They can give their own responses to the key teachings and the events in the life
of Guru Nanak including his strong monotheism, his emphasis on spiritual and religious
devotion, his teachings on equality and moral values.
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