Curated OER
The Noble Eightfold Path
Students gain an introduction to Buddhist teachings about moral behavior by exploring a depiction of the Buddha and by writing a speech inspired by their interpretation of the Noble Eightfold Path.
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The Life of Buddha, relating his life to our own in modern times
Students do a variety of activities to become familiar with Buddha's life and relate it to their own.
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The Buddha And His Many Different Forms
Students examine the historical Buddha and Buddhism through in-class discussions, visual artifacts, and the practice and performance of the play "The Enlightened One". Evaluation occurs after performance of the play.
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East Meets West: The Art of Simplicity
Fifth graders examine the influences of Japan on American life through this three lesson unit. Feudal Japan with its traditional arts and culture is contrasted with current developments of the country.
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Introduction to the Monomyth, an Initiation Theme
Pupils analyze the archetypal hero called the monomyth. In this archetypes lesson, students discuss the topic and view a chart of hero figures with related details. Pupils analyze the monomyth process diagram, read the story of the...
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The Art of Nonviolence: Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and Concepts of Nonviolence in Indian Art
Young scholars make connections between nonviolent ideals and art. In this visual arts lesson, students discuss the successes of the American Civil Rights Movement and discuss Gandhi's influence on the movement. Young scholars then...
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Morality "Tails" East and West: European Fables and Buddhist Jataka Tales
Have your class explore Buddhist Jataka Tales to compare and contrast them to European fables. After defining fables, Jataka tales, and the elements of each, learners identify themes and patterns for both types of narratives and the...
Curated OER
Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before?
High schoolers discover the true meaning of karma and the related concept of samsara by reading the Jataka Tales. Learners work in groups to become familiar with one form of Buddhist storytelling and examine how Jataka Tales are used as...
Novelinks
The Good Earth: Question Answer Response Strategy
Readers of Pearl Buck's The Good Earth craft and answer "Right There," "Think and Search," "On Your Own," and "Author and You" questions.
Montana State University
One Mountain, Many Cultures
Americans may think of Mount Everest as a region dedicated to adventurous hikers, but many cultures have flourished there! Learners read informative books, watch videos, participate in classroom discussion, analyze folk tales, and...
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Akhenaton
Students look into the development of religious beliefs. In this ancient civilization activity, students research the founders of several world religions including Akhenaton. Students use their findings to create world religion charts...
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BUDDHISM
Students engage in a variety of activities that investigates the religious and cultural practice of Buddhism. The emphasis is upon students comprehending the Eightfold Path of Buddhism.
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Cambodian New Year
Students compare and contrast the New Year celebration in Cambodia to the celebration in the United States. They mathematically determine the amount of beans added to the "mountain" during the three day celebration.
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The Cleverest Thief
Second graders explore a folktale from India. In this folktale lesson, 2nd graders read the book The Cleverest Thief and discuss how the monks felt in the story. Students complete a cloze activity sheet. There are several extensions...
Curated OER
The Cleverest Thief
Third graders read the story The Cleverest Thief and complete language art activities to go along with it. Students complete activities including discussion, reading, writing, predicting, drawing, role playing, and sequencing.
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Colossal Structures and Sculptures
Fifth graders explore the historical, procedural, and comparative studies of colossal sculptures and structures in this six lessons unit. The cooperative efforts of many people to complete the works is emphasized.
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Fall and Winter Religious Celebrations
Students discover the unique beliefs and celebrations of the five major religions in the world. In groups, they discuss the terms associated with each religion and are read books about their celebrations. They create their own dharma...
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Mudras and Sign Language
Students compare the languages of the ancient Japanese people and the American deaf community, two cultures that utilize hand signs in this lesson for the early elementary classroom.
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Buddhist Art - Lost In The Landscape
Students explore new objectives for art and examine how Chinese painting reflects Buddhist principles. This lesson includes a vocabulary list and possible lesson extensions for various student levels.
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The Four Religions of East Asia
Students compare and contrast the four main religions of Asia (Buddhism
Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto). This lesson plan is intended for use in the middle school Social Studies classroom.
Curated OER
Trees as Symbols: Composing Poetry and Creating Images
Students analyze the tree as a symbol, sharing ideas in class discussion. They use art as the basis for a creative writing assignment in poetry or represent a selected poem with an original student drawing.