Title
Comparative World Religions
Type
Document
Authors
Subject
Course
Grade(s)
Location
Curriculum Writing History
Notes
Attachments
Individual
Map
Marc Cicchino, Kurt Weber, Roxanne Dome, Patricia Sikorski
Social Studies
None Selected
09 , 10 , 11 , 12
Roxbury High School
Page:
1
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Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
September
1
2
3
4
October
5
6
7
November
8
9
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
September/Week 1
The Study of Religion
September/Week 2 - September/Week 4
Hinduism
October/Week 5 - October/Week 6
Buddhism
October/Week 7
Sikhism
October/Week 8 - November/Week 9
Daoism and Confucianism
November/Week 10
Shintoism
November/Week 11 - December/Week 13
Judaism
December/Week 14 - December/Week 16
Christianity
January/Week 17 - January/Week 19
Islam
January/Week 20
Current Issues in Religion
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2
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: September/Week 1
UNIT NAME: The Study of Religion
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Knowledge
Skills
1. World religious beliefs and
practices have influenced the
development of history, culture,
and society.
1. What is religion?
1. Define the terms religion,
philosophy, and theology.
Interpreting primary sources;
class discussions; collaborative
learning; interpreting art,
architecture, and music; and
written expression (Type I Type III).
2. Varying perspectives of
theology, philosophy, and
science have influenced the
human perception of reality.
2. Why study religion?
3. What forms does religious
expression take?
2. Identify the different
dimensions of religion
(aesthetic, emotional, cognitive,
ethical, ritual, and institutional).
Standards
3. Examine different methods
of studying religion (theology
and religious studies, history,
psychology, sociology, cultural
anthropology, and biology).
Plans:
Page:
3
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: September/Week 2 - September/Week 4
UNIT NAME: Hinduism
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Knowledge
Skills
1. The essential Hindu
teachings shape the ethics and
ways of life for its practitioners.
1. What are the basic concepts
of the Hindu philosophy?
1. Identify the birthplace of
Hinduism.
2. How is Hinduism practiced?
2. Analyze key concepts in
Hinduism.
Interpreting primary sources;
class discussions; collaborative
learning; interpreting art,
architecture and music; and
written expression(Type I - Type
III).
2. The rituals of Hinduism may
take many different forms.
3. Hinduism is a polytheistic
religion.
4. Hinduism is like a maze,
with several entrances, several
rings or layers with new entries,
and ultimately an arrival at the
center, but with many possible
ways of achieving it.
3. How are the multiple deities
reflected in the principal
teachings of Hinduism?
4. What impact has
Hinduism had in the
geopolitical conditions in the
major areas where it
is practiced?
Standards
3. Examine Hindu society and
patterns in Hindu practice.
4. Critique the sacred Hindu
writings.
5. Understand the plurality
of Brahmin and manifestations
of the unknowable.
6. Research life and afterlife in the
Hindu tradition.
7. Connect the impact of Hinduism
on the political events of the region
of practice.
Plans:
Page:
4
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: October/Week 5 - October/Week 6
UNIT NAME: Buddhism
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Knowledge
1. The essential Buddhist
teachings shape the ethics and
ways of life for its practitioners.
1. What are the basic concepts
of Buddhism?
1. Identify the birthplace of
Interpreting primary sources;
Buddhism and chronicle the life class discussions; collaborative
of Siddartha Gautama (Buddha). learning; interpreting art,
architecture, and music; and
2. Analyze key concepts in
written expression (Type I Buddhism.
Type III).
2. How do Buddhists worship?
2. The rituals of Buddhism may
take many forms.
3. Buddhists place more
emphasis on the journey
towards enlightenment than the
actual attainment of the state of
enlightenment.
4. Buddhism is a non-theistic
belief system
Skills
Standards
3. How is the concept of
enlightenment similar and
dissimilar to the Judeo-Christian 3. Examine Buddhist society
concept of heaven?
and patterns in Buddhist rituals
and practices.
4. What role does Buddhism
play in the geopolitical forces in
4. Critique the sacred Buddhist
the major areas in which it is
writings.
practiced?
5. Compare and contrast the
dogmas of reincarnation,
enlightenment, and heaven.
6. Assess the role Buddhism
has played on historical events.
Plans:
Page:
5
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Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: October/Week 7
UNIT NAME: Sikhism
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
1. The essential Sikh teachings 1. What role does Sikhism play
shape the ethics and ways of life in the geopolitical forces in the
for its practitioners.
areas in which it is practiced?
2. The rituals of Sikhism may
take many forms.
3. Summarize how Sikhism
developed over time into what it
is today, especially its founding
by the ten gurus and its life from
the British Empire through the
present.
4. Sikhism is a monotheistic
religion
Knowledge
Skills
1. Analyze the origin and key
concepts of Sikhism.
Interpreting primary sources;
class discussions; collaborative
learning; interpreting art,
architecture, and music; and
written expression (Type I Type III).
2. Examine Sikh society and
2. What are the basic concepts patterns in its rituals and
of Sikhism?
practices.
3. How does a Sikh worship?
Standards
3. Critique the sacred Sikh
writings.
4. Explain the role of the guru
in Sikh worship.
5. Assess how a Sikh may
break the cycle of reincarnation.
6. Evaluate the role of Sikhism
in historical events (eg. Sepoy
Rebellion).
7. Research the treatment of
Sikhs in the post-9/11 world.
Plans:
Page:
6
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: October/Week 8 - November/Week 9
UNIT NAME: Daoism and Confucianism
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
1. Not all belief systems fit the
1. Why are Daoism and
prototypical definition of a
Confucianism considered to be
religion; some belief systems
philosophies and not religions?
are categorized as philosophies.
2. How are Daoism and
2. The essential Dao and
Confucianism trying to reach the
Confucian teachings shape the same goal by different means?
ethics and ways of life for its
practitioners.
3. How are Daoism and
Confucianism practiced?
3. The practice of the
philosophies of Daoism and
4. What impact do Daoism and
Confucianism are similar and
Confucianism have on the
dissimilar to the practice of
political structures of the regions
theistic beliefs.
where they are practiced?
Knowledge
Skills
1. Generalize the differences
between a philosophy and a
religion.
Interpreting primary sources,
class discussions; collaborative
learning; interpreting art,
architecture, and music; and
written expression (Type I Type III).
2. Trace the development of
Daoism and Confucianism.
Standards
3. Describe the ways/rituals in
Daoism and Confucianism.
4. Paraphrase the essential
teachings of Daoism and
Confucianism.
5. Distinguish between the key
concepts expressed in the
Daode Jing (Daoism) and the
Book of Filial Piety
(Confucianism).
6. Explain how Daoism and
Confucianism impacted the
political structures of the regions
where they are practiced.
7. Research how elements of
Daoism and Confucianism are
present in Asian societies and
how they have influenced
American society.
Plans:
Page:
7
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: November/Week 10
UNIT NAME: Shintoism
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Knowledge
Skills
1. Shintoism is a native
Japanese religion.
1. What are the basic Shintoism
characteristics and rituals?
1. Analyze the basic
characteristics and rituals of
Shintoism.
2. The essential beliefs of
Shintoism have shaped the
culture and history of Japan.
2. How do Shintoism and
Buddhism complement each
other?
Interpreting primary sources;
class discussions;
collaborative learning;
interpreting art. architecture and
music; and written expression.
3. The practices of Shintoism
take various forms.
3. How have the beliefs of
3. Compare and contrast
Shintoism shaped the Japanese Shintoism with Buddhist rituals
way of life?
and practices.
4. Shintoism encourages
religious pluralism through its
lack of allegiance.
4. What role has Shintoism
played in the geopolitical forces
in the area in which it is
practiced?
2. Describe kami and their
symbols.
Standards
4. Examine the myth of origin of
the Japanese islands and
connect to emperor worship.
Plans:
Page:
8
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: November/Week 11 - December/Week 13
UNIT NAME: Judaism
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Knowledge
1. The essential Jewish
teachings shape the ethics and
ways of life of its practitioners.
1. What are the basic concepts
of Judaism?
1. Evaluate basic Jewish beliefs Interpreting primary sources;
and practices.
class discussions;
collaborative learning;
2. Analyze the foundation of
interpreting art. architecture and
Jewish teachings.
music; and written expression
(Type I - Type III).
3. Examine Jewish society and
how is it shaped by the tenets
and practices of Judaism.
2. Judaism is a monotheistic
religion.
3. The rituals and practices of
Judaism take many forms.
2. What are the major rituals of
Judaism?
3. How is the Jewish present
shaped by its past?
4. What role does Judaism
4. In Judaism, practitioners
play in the geopolitical forces in
believe that death is not the end the major areas in which it is
of human existence.
practiced?
Skills
Standards
4. Differentiate between the
different types of Judaism reform, conservative, orthodox,
and the ultraorthodox.
5. Assess the role of Judaism in
the geopolitical history and
current conditions of the Middle
East.
6. Compare and contrast the
belief system of Judaism
(monotheism) with the
contemporary polytheistic belief
systems.
Plans:
Page:
9
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: December/Week 14 - December/Week 16
UNIT NAME: Christianity
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
1. The essential teachings of
1. What does it mean to be a
Christianity shape the ethics and Christian?
ways of life for its practitioners.
2. What does salvation mean
2. The rituals of Christianity
to a Christian?
take many forms.
3. Why is there so much
3. Christians believe in
diversity in the Christian faith?
salvation through several
different methods.
4. Is Christianity its own unique
religion or is it an expansion of
4. Christianity is a monotheistic Judaism?
religion.
5. Are the key concepts of
Christianity found in other
religions/philosophies?
Knowledge
Skills
1. Explain the key beliefs of
Christians.
Interpreting primary sources;
class discussions; collaborative
learning; interpreting art,
architecture, and music; and
written expression (Type 1 Type III).
2. Describe the ways in which
Christianity is practiced by the
majority of its followers
(sacraments - baptism,
communion, confirmation).
Standards
3. Assess what Christians
mean by the term salvation and
describe their view of heaven.
4. Trace the development of
Christianity from its origins to
modern times.Compare and
contrast the basic beliefs of
6. Some religious experts have Judaism and Christianity.
postulated that Christianity is the
most culturally adaptable
5. Trace the development of
religion in the world. Is this a
Christianity from its origins to
valid assessment or a religiously modern times.
biased viewpoint?
6. Consider the similarities and
differences between Jesus
(Christianity) and Siddartha
Gautama (Buddha).
Plans:
Page:
10
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12
Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: January/Week 17 - January/Week 19
UNIT NAME: Islam
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
1. The essential teachings of
1. What are the basic precepts
Islam shape the ethics and ways of Islam?
of life for its practitioners.
2. How does a Muslim worship?
2. The rituals of Islam take
many forms.
3. What differences exist in the
beliefs and practices of the
3. Islam is a monotheistic
different major Islamic groups?
religion.
3. What are the similarities and
4. Islam is a universal religion, differences among the three
geographically and culturally.
major monotheistic religions (i.e.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam).
5. Islam is considered by some
to be both a religion and
4. How has Islam shaped the
a political order.
geopolitical forces in the areas
in which it is practiced?
Knowledge
Skills
1. Examine the birth of Islam
and the life of Muhammad.
Interpreting primary sources;
class discussions; collaborative
learning; interpreting art,
architecture and music; and
written expression (Type I Type III.).
2. Analyze the essential
teachings of Islam.
Standards
3. Summarize the Five Pillars.
4. Evaluate the practices and
rituals of Islam.
5. Compare and contrast the
teachings of Islam with Judaism
and Christianity.
6. Define the term theocracy
and explain how a theocratic
government is structured.
5. What is different about a
theocracy?
Plans:
Page:
11
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Title : Comparative World Religions
Type : Individual
Duration: January/Week 20
UNIT NAME: Current Issues in Religion
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Knowledge
Skills
1. The role of religion in
extremism.
1. How does religion lead to
both tolerance and intolerance?
2. The place of religion in
today's world.
2. Does religion have the
capability to engender
ignorance?
1. Research areas of religious
intolerance and its effects as
seen in the geopolitical vortexes
in the modern world.
Interpreting primary sources;
class discussions; collaborative
learning; interpreting art,
architecture and music; and
written expression (Type I Type III).
3. Differences in religions exist
and thereby make dialogue
between them both necessary
and possible.
4. Religion is a personal belief
system.
3. How does the acceptance of
religious differences lead to
pluralism?
2. Analyze the extremist
elements in all religions.
Standards
3. Define pluralism and apply to
modern societies.
4. Are atheism and agnosticism 4. Apply the definition of religion
religions?
to these beliefs and evaluate if
atheism and agnosticism are
5. Can a person be an ethical
religions.
and moral individual without
being religious?
5. Identify the main beliefs of
atheists and agnostics.
6. Evaluate the moral/ethical
guides stipulated by the major
belief systems and compare to
each other.
Plans:
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