Hindu goddesses Saraswati (left) and Lakshmi (center), and the elephant-headed god Ganesh
Today's Learning Objective Explain the major beliefs and practice of the religion of Hinduism.
An Introduction to Hinduism Today we begin to learn about Hinduism, one of the oldest religions in the world. For more than 2,500 years, Hinduism has been the major religion of India. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, we will learn about and examine Hinduism from multiple sources and perspectives. As you learn about this fascinating and complex religion, I am going to ask you keep track of relevant facts and information you discover using the document Hinduism Study Guide (A Central Idea and Its Parts) (which can be found in your Social Studies folders). Please use the Study Guide to also make note of your sources of information.
Our first source will be the video "Introduction to Hinduism" featured below. As you watch, make note of the information you learn that you believe is most essential to understanding the religion.
Hinduism: Sacred Texts and Belief in God(s) We will now read an excerpt (below) from your Social Studies textbook Ancient Civilizations focused on some of the sacred texts of Hinduism and two of its core beliefs. Continue to make note of what you learn using your Hinduism Study Guide.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and national holiday may have passed, but our
struggle for a more just, equal, and peaceful world continues each and every day.
Today's Learning Objective Write arguments to support claims with clear claims an relevant evidence.
Persuasive Letter: Drafting Last week you researched India's caste system and learned about caste system discrimination; you were then charged with writing a persuasive letter to advocate an end to this practice. Today you will continue working on your End Caste System Discrimination - Persuasive Letter. Remember after your greeting, you want to draft the body of your letter, in which you you will state your position, prove your point, and ask your reader to take action. This assignment will count towards the assessment portion of your Social Studies grade and I will be using the rubric below to assess your work. The rubric can also be found in your Social Studies folders.
Today will be your last class period to work on this assignment. It will be due and published on Kidblog this Friday, January 23.
Mahatma Gandhi & Martin Luther King Jr.: An Overview Today seems like an ideal day to talk about two of the most important advocates for civil rights and nonviolence our world has ever seen: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. In light of our unit on India, Gandhi is a fitting historical figure to discuss, as he raised awareness about the plight of the untouchables, who he referred to as the "Harijans" or "Children of God." Gandhi went on to lead a nonviolent movement to free his people from British oppression. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday and national holiday we are celebrating, was profoundly influenced by Gandhi. Today as we examine the lives of these two remarkable men, make note of the parallels in their lives, actions, and words, as well as some of the differences. Use the Gandhi and King - Venn Diagram, which can be found in your Social Studies folders, to record important similarities and differences that you discover.
To begin, we will watch a brief presentation of Gandhi's life through the video "The Gandhi Rap" below.
Now let's examine Martin Luther King Jr.'s life though the video reproduction of the book Martin's Big Words. While watching, do you notice any similarities in the lives of Gandhi and Dr. King? Similarities in the struggles they endured? In the messages they promoted?
Looking to learn more about the lives of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.? Explore the Gandhi Presentation and the King Presentationfrom the website Gandhi and King, which honors the life and work of both men. A brief summation from the site of their similarities and differences can be found below.
Gandhi and King: Speaking Up for Nonviolence There are also parallels in the messages of nonviolence that both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. advocated. Let's begin by listening to a rerecording of a famous speech given by Gandhi in which he speaks about the need for non-violent protest in order to gain equality.
Watch below as Martin Luther King Jr. makes clear the influence of Gandhi on his own philosophy of nonviolence.
Now let's read an excerpt from Dr. King's famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" which he wrote while imprisoned for organizing a protest march. As you read the text, do you notice similarities to Gandhi's message? How is King's belief in "creative tension" somewhat different than Gandhi's tactic of non-cooperation?
Are Gandhi and King's Messages of Nonviolence Still Relevant Today? What can we still learn from Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.? Are their messages of nonviolence and peaceful protest relevant in our world today? How can we apply their goals of tolerance, love, peace, and equality to the times we live in now? Before you answer these questions, examine the photographs with captions below.
Gandhi's "March to the Sea" in protest against the British tax on salt (1930).
Martin Luther King leading march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, to protest
the lack of voting rights for Africa Americans (1965).
A peaceful 'Black Lives Matter' rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2015).
At least 3.7 million people including more than 40 world leaders are marching throughout France in
a rally of national unity to honor the 17 victims of a three-day terror spree that took place around the French capital.
Now go to your class's Padlet wall (Period 4 and Period 6) and share your ideas about whether Gandhi and King's ideas are relevant today.
Persuasive Letter: Overview After learning about caste system discrimination, many of you felt compelled to write a letter advocating for an end to this practice. To convince people to agree with you, you use persuasion. You tell them what you want or believe. Then you give them reasons for your position. And if you're writing a formal letter, for example to the United Nations Human Rights Council, you want to write in a professional and respectful tone. You can find a few tips on writing a persuasive "business" letter below.
Persuasive Letter: Prewriting Before you start writing your letter, think about your audience and purpose. Who are you writing to and what are trying to convince them of? What action do you want the United Nations Human Rights Council to take after reading your letter about the caste system? To appeal to your reader's thinking, you need to give reasons for your position and support them with evidence. To help you organize your position, reasons, and evidence, I have provided you with a Preparing to Write Your Persuasive Letter document (which can be found in your Social Studies folder). If you still need to do additional research to clarify your reasons and gather additional evidence, please do so. There are many resources available. Just ask. Persuasive Letter: Drafting Now it's time to start your letter. After your greeting, you want to draft the body of your letter, in which you you will state your position, prove your point, and ask your reader to take action. You can find some guideline and examples below.
If you are ready to begin drafting, you may use the assignment End Caste System Discrimination - Persuasive Letter, which can be found in your Social Studies folder. Your letter does not need to be finished today. We will continue working on this assignment in class next week.
Examining the Caste System Today we will continue to examine the caste system by viewing videos from three different sources. Continue to take notes using theCaste System - Study Guide from yesterday.
Challenging the Caste System After learning that the caste system not only still exists, but that people born into the lowest castes remain victims of "caste discrimination," what do you want to do about it? One thing we can do is make our voices heard. Your task today is to begin to write a persuasive letter urging an end to caste discrimination. Your audience will be the United Nations Human Rights Council, which is an international organization charged with investigating violations of human rights around the world. You can find the Preparing to Write Your Persuasive Letter assignment in you Social Studies folders. The assignment provides you the space to develop your position, arguments, and evidence. More information about caste discrimination from the International Dalit Solidarity Network can be found below.
Today's Focus QuestionWhat impact did the Aryans have on ancient and modern India?
India's Vedic Age: Guided Reading Today we are going to continue to learn about the impact the Aryans had on ancient and modern India. We will read about what their lives were like and some of their early religious beliefs (which would later become part of the foundation of the religion of Hinduism). Specifically, we will try to understand the Varna system (which the caste system evolved from). As you read and learn about the caste system from multiple sources, you will take notes using the Caste System - Study Guide (which can be found in your Social Studies folders).
Videos: The Caste System and the Untouchables While the caste system has changed and evolved since the days of the Indo-Aryans, it is still an established part of Indian society today. In the videos below, pay special attention to the role and treatment of Dalits (the modern name for untouchables). Continue to use your Caste System - Study Guide to take notes.
Today's Focus QuestionWhat impact did the Aryans have on ancient and modern India?
India's Vedic Age: Vocabulary Study Welcome back from winter break! We are continuing to learn about the early civilizations of India. Today our focus shifts to a group of people known as the Indo-Aryans who lived during a time known as India's Vedic Age. We will begin by studying some of the key vocabulary related this topic, using the document India's Vedic Age - Cognitive Content Dictionary, which can be found in your Social Studies folders. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook, which has been placed in your Social Studies folders (and which you can also find here), to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts. Some images have also been posted below to help you conceptualize these new terms.
The Vedas are considered to be very sacred to the Hindu people.
Your caste is a group you are born into.
The caste system separates members of Indian society
India's untouchables often did the dirty jobs that no one else would do.
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