Core Questions addressed:

1. How are religions created?
2. When?
3. Where did they start and where did they diffuse?
4. Why?
5. Who?

Time Frame: 1 - 4 days (dependent up time given to each religion)

Suggest Grade Level: Middle/High School

New Jersey Core Content Standards: 6.2,6.4,6.5

Instructional Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify the basic history, beliefs, and practices of Confucianism.
2. Students will be able to identify the basic history, beliefs, and practices of Sikhism.
3. Students will be able to identify the basic history, beliefs, and practices of the Shinto Religion.
4. Students will be able to identify the basic history, beliefs, and practices of Taoism.
5. Students will be able to identify similarities and differences among the four Eastern religions.
6. Students will be able to identify similarities and differences between the Eastern Religions and that of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.

Resource Materials:

1. Student Handout (Eastern religions)
2. Student Handout (similarities and differences of the Eastern religions and other practiced religions)
3. Confucianism Power Point
4. Sikhism Power Point
5. Shinto Power Point
6. Taoism Power Point
7. Teacher background information
8. Confucianism websites
   • http://www.library.arizona.edu/library/teams/fah/subpathpages/Relgion/PathWebAsia.html
   • http://www.religioustolerance.org/confuciu.htm
9. Shinto websites
   • http://www.religioustolerance.org/shinto.htm
   • http://www.newagedirectory.com/religion.htm
   • http://www.itzalist.com/reg/religion/
10. Sikhism websites
    • http://www.religioustolerance.org/sikhism.htm
    • http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/cupboard/filing/info/religions/sikh.htm
    • http://www.itzalist.com/reg/sikhism-beliefs.html
11. Taoism websites
    • http://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm
    • http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/religious-tao.html
    • http://www.universalministries.com/faiths/taoism.cfm
    • http://members.aol.com/porchfour/beliefs/taoism.htm

Strategies and Procedures:

1. Pass out Eastern Religions Student Handout.
2. Using the Power Point presentations, present background information for each religion with the students having them fill in the Eastern Religions Student Handout as the presentations occur.
3. When the presentations are complete, split students into four groups. Assign each group one religion (Confucianism, Shinto, Sikh, Taoism) that they will then brainstorm using the Eastern Religion Student Handout and list the similarities and differences of their assigned religion with the others they have been presented. (an extension of this can be having the students not only find the similarities and differences among the Eastern Religions, but also have them identify how their Eastern Religion then relates to the more practices religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism).
4. Groups are to prepare a poster of their listed similarities and differences.
5. At the end of the determined amount of time, each group will then present to the class the list of similarities and differences for their religion with the other religions.
6. Teacher led group discussion of presentations.
7. Individual completion of Student Handout (similarities and differences of the Eastern religions) .

Assessment:

1. Teacher can evaluate group presentations.
2. Teacher can evaluate Student Handout (similarities and differences of the Eastern religions) .
3. Students can write a comprehensive essay (using their Student Handout as a guide) comparing and contrasting the difference Eastern Religions (extension can be with the inclusion of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism) .
4. Research paper of an assigned religion.