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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hinduism vs. Buddhism

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders create Venn diagrams showing the differences and similarities between the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

UNDERSTANDING KARMA, DHARMA, AND SAMSARA

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the Indian concepts of dharma, karma and samsara, see how violating one's dharma might lead to becoming an out-caste, and appreciate how these concepts undergird Indian life.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Nonviolence: A Theatre of the Oppressed Approach to Things Fall Apart

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders analyze Ahimsa and complete activities for nonviolence. For this nonviolence lesson, 11th graders define violence and relate it to their lives. Students adapt prose into a dialogue to act out and analyze the violence in...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Buddhism - Buddha Day, Make Your Own Origami Crane Part 2

For Students 7th - 9th
In this Origami crane worksheet, students create an Origami crane from detailed instructions. This crane is an important symbol in the Buddhist religion.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Find-A-Word Ancient China

For Students 6th - 7th
In this social studies worksheet, students locate words relating to Ancient China in a word search. They may self correct their work by selecting the link at the bottom of the page.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Buddha Chronicles

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students use the internet to take virtual tours of Japan. During the tour, they discover the history of Buddha and how it is still practiced in Japan today. To end the lesson, they create their own webpages to represent the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bodhidharma/Daruma Doll Lesson

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate the historical Bodhidharma and focus upon the founding of Buddhism in China. They create two-dimensional Daruma dolls and define the term of enlightenment using simple language. Students read about the legend while...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Religious Intolerance in Afchanistan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars, as a group, examine and discuss the destruction and planned demolition of Buddhist artifacts in Afghanistan by the Islamic Taliban government. They further research the issue and then hold a simulated summit with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Medium And The Message

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners compare and contrast Buddhist sculpture in varying materials through in-class discussions and small cooperative learning groups. This lesson includes possible lesson extensions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Iconography: Art and Literature

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students discover the main subjects and objects of Buddhist art and how symbolism in the Arts can enhance the artistic elements. The lesson concludes with the creation of student works using iconography.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Clothing of the Buddha

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss the idea of cultural diffusion by examining how the sculptural portrayal of the Buddha's clothing evolved in Japanese and Chinese art. This lesson concludes with a group project and presentation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Buddhist Art - Lost In The Landscape

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pure Land Buddhism in China And Japan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the Pure Land sect of Buddhism in an attempt to better understand how Buddhism has adapted itself to fit into the constantly changing religious, cultural, political, and economic climates of China and Japan.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Nio

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners discuss the importance of guardian figures in Japanese Buddhist practices using prior knowledge and visual cues gathered from examples of Japanese art. This activity can be extended to include a creative project.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Buddha And His Many Different Forms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners 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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Zen Buddhism and Modern Utopia

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students work collaboratively to analyze the various religious beliefs of Zen Buddhists. Emphasis is placed upon class discussion and the ideal of a Utopian environment or society.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Relationship Between Zen And Haiku Aesthetics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the principles of Haiku as they relate to idealss found in Zen Buddhism in this High School lesson. The lesson concludes with the creation of individual haikus by each student.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Korean Holiday Calendar

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students engage in research in order to find the origin of a Korean holiday. They compare American holidays to the ones of Korea in order to find the true meanings of holidays in both cultures.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Symbols

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students examine two Buddhist images. Using Venn Diagrams, students compare and contrast the images in an effort to decode their meanings. Students are then introduced to Buddhism through a story of Buddha.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Destruction in Bamiyan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the destruction of the colossal statues of Buddha, carved into sandstone cliffs of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, that were recently demolished by the Taleban. They look for photos of local artifacts that represent the culture...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Population Diversity in Southeast Asia

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore diversity in ethnic, lingual, religious, and political systems of the people of Southeast Asia. The lesson's focus is designed to foster an understanding of the complexity of the region.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DECODING BOROBUDUR

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students study the example of the spread of Buddhism in Southeast Asia, assess the possible meaning conveyed by Borobudur, explore how ideas travel and the process of syncretism, and appreciate how and why Salindra leaders in Java...
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Country Studies: Japan [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A wonderful resource on Japan can be found here. It provides an in-depth study of the history of the country, their society and culture, education and arts, economy, relations with other nations, politics, national security, and much...
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Website
PBS

Pbs: Independent Lens: Unmistaken Child

For Students 9th - 10th
'Unmistaken Child' is an independent film by Nati Baratz about the search for the reincarnation of Tibetan master Geshe Lama Konchog, who died in 2001. His disciple, Tenzin Zopa, was charged with the task of finding his reincarnation and...