World Religions
Click above to access
Click above to access
Reading and Writing Workshop
Comparative Religion Workshop
Other World Religions--Exploring Diverse Paths
Session 1: Sikhism – Guru Nanak and the Path of Equality
Objectives:
Write a reflective journal entry from the perspective of a Sikh adherent during Guru Nanak’s lifetime. How might the emphasis on equality feel revolutionary in a caste-based society?
Session 2: Taoism – Harmony with the Dao
Objectives:
Choose one chapter from the Tao Te Ching and write a short meditation or poem inspired by its message. How can this philosophy apply to modern life?
Session 3: Confucianism – Ethics and Society
Objectives:
Write a formal letter of advice to a young leader using Confucian principles. Reference specific Analects passages to support your recommendations.
Session 4: Indigenous Religions – Animism and Earth Reverence
Objectives:
Choose one myth or ritual. Write a narrative essay that retells the tradition in your own words and reflects on what it reveals about the relationship between humans and nature.
Session 5: Activity – Mapping Religious Geography
Objectives:
Using an interactive digital platform (such as Google My Maps, Canva, or a shared class Jamboard), students will:
Other World Religions--Exploring Diverse Paths
Session 1: Sikhism – Guru Nanak and the Path of Equality
Objectives:
- Understand the origins of Sikhism through Guru Nanak’s teachings.
- Explore Sikh values: equality, service, and the importance of the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Analyze key passages from the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Guru Nanak's Hymns (Japji Sahib)
https://www.sacred-texts.com/skh/granth/japji.htm - Excerpt from The Sikh Religion, Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors by Max Arthur Macauliffe (1909)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57307
Write a reflective journal entry from the perspective of a Sikh adherent during Guru Nanak’s lifetime. How might the emphasis on equality feel revolutionary in a caste-based society?
Session 2: Taoism – Harmony with the Dao
Objectives:
- Introduce Laozi and the foundational ideas of Daoism.
- Interpret poetic selections from the Tao Te Ching.
- Explore Taoism’s emphasis on balance, simplicity, and natural harmony.
- Tao Te Ching, trans. James Legge (1891)
https://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/taote.htm
Choose one chapter from the Tao Te Ching and write a short meditation or poem inspired by its message. How can this philosophy apply to modern life?
Session 3: Confucianism – Ethics and Society
Objectives:
- Understand the core teachings of Confucius.
- Analyze principles like filial piety, ritual, and ethical behavior.
- Discuss the role of Confucianism in shaping East Asian political and educational systems.
- The Analects of Confucius, trans. James Legge (1893)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3330
Write a formal letter of advice to a young leader using Confucian principles. Reference specific Analects passages to support your recommendations.
Session 4: Indigenous Religions – Animism and Earth Reverence
Objectives:
- Explore the variety and depth of Indigenous spiritual traditions.
- Identify key features such as animism, oral tradition, and ritual connection to the land.
- Discuss how these religions reflect deep environmental consciousness.
- The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk’s Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux, ed. Joseph Epes Brown
https://archive.org/details/sacredpipeblacke0000unse - Myths and Legends of the Great Plains, by Katharine Berry Judson (1913)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43403
Choose one myth or ritual. Write a narrative essay that retells the tradition in your own words and reflects on what it reveals about the relationship between humans and nature.
Session 5: Activity – Mapping Religious Geography
Objectives:
- Synthesize the week's knowledge into a geographical framework.
- Visualize the global distribution of Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Indigenous Religions.
- Explore how geography, culture, and environment shape religious traditions.
Using an interactive digital platform (such as Google My Maps, Canva, or a shared class Jamboard), students will:
- Pin key locations: Punjab (Sikhism), China (Taoism, Confucianism), and global Indigenous communities.
- Add short descriptions, quotes from primary sources, and images from public domain or Creative Commons.
- Include reflections or questions about how place influences belief systems.
- Historical Atlas of Religions – David S. Rice, 1925
https://archive.org/details/historicalatlaso0000unse