Unit: Using International Star Wars Day To Teach Eastern Religion and Philosophy Grades: 7 th Duration: Two to Three Days (International Star Wars Day) Subject: World History / World Cultures Materials: People, Places, and Change. (2005) Star Wars: A Legacy Revealed. (2007) Star Wars Trilogy (1977-1983) Comparison Chart (Appendix A) Religion Information Sheets (Appendixes B-E) Next Generation Standards: SS.7.H.CL1.1, SS.7.H.CL.1.2., & SS.7.C.3 Catholic Identity: What is the role of God in religions outside of the Western Hemisphere? NSCC Standards: NCSS STANDARD HOW COVERED I. Culture Students will look at how Ancient Asian Culture influences the modern world. II. Time, Continuity, and Change Students will understand how ideas can be used for different purposes, but have similar meanings. III. People, Places, and Environments Students will examine the spread of religious ideas in the eastern region of Asia. IV. Individual Development and Identity Students will study how religions can shape a person s daily actions. V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions Students will study the individuals of Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius VI. Power, Authority, and Governance Students will study how the political instability during the Warring States Period influenced Tzu and Confucius. VII. Production, Distribution, and Consumption Students will learn how the Monsoon Winds caused Buddhist Monks to move from India into the East Asia. VIII. Science, Technology, and Society Students will study how the Emperor Qin used the authority-based concept of Legalism in Ancient Chinese society. IX. Global Connections Students will study how eastern ideas spread throughout Asia and abroad. X. Civic Ideals and Practices Students will reflect how Confucius used harmony to stress the concept of the public good. Rationale:
The purpose of this lesson is to provide students a clear understand of the basics of four major Eastern Hemisphere religions/philosophies: Buddhism, Confucianism, Legalism, and. By understanding Buddhism, Confucianism, Legalism, and, students will gain a better understanding of Asian culture and how these religious/philosophical practices influence both the ancient and modern world. To accomplish the ultimate goal of connecting the Eastern Hemisphere content to the modern world, this lesson will use clips from the classic Star Wars films. The subject matter presented within the Star Wars films reflects a heavy influence of Asia thoughts and ideas. By incorporating these concepts and examples into the lesson, students will identify the influence of the Ancient Asian upon our modernday world. To generate excitement around the topic, this lesson is planned around the date of May the 4 th. This day is recognized as International Star Wars Day (May the 4 th be with you!). By connecting the lesson to Star Wars, students will be more open-minded to learning topics. The materials presented in this lesson center on the exercises of International Star Wars Day, but should be incorporated into a larger unit of East Asian cultures. Lesson Knowledge Objectives Students will be able to name the founders of Buddhism, Confucius, and. Plus, have some background on the man most associated with the Legalist movement, the Emperor Qin. Students will discuss the concepts of The Four Noble Truths, The Eight Fold Path, Yin-Yang, and Social Harmony. Students will identify the locations in Asia where of these religious and philosophical concepts formed and what historical events contributed to their expansion. Unit Skill Objectives Students discuss and compare the ideas of the different faiths/philosophies. Students will use critical thinking skills to connect the presented eastern ideas to the modern day film of Star Wars. Students use context clues and prior knowledge to relate the eastern themes and ideas presented in the selected clips. Unit Attitudinal Objectives Students will enjoy their time spent in their social studies classroom by understanding that the content learned in social studies class surrounds us on a daily basis. From their experiences during Star Wars Day, the students will then want to share what they have learned with others. With the information gained from this lesson, students will begin to examine the influence of history, cultures, and philosophies on different aspects of modern life. I. Objectives: 1. Students will analyze and explain the historical background and foundations of Buddhism,, Legalism, & Confucianism.
2. Students will identify and recognized the importance of symbolism within eastern religions (the lotus, the mentor, rebirth, etc.). 3. Students will compare and contrast how eastern ideas are used within the framework of the Star Wars films II. Anticipatory Set: A. Connection to Student previous learning: What are the basic teachings of Confucius, Buddha, and Lao Tzu? B. Connection to Student lived experience: Can you think of things/places you have read, visited, or watch where the ideas of the Buddhism,, Legalism, or Confucianism have been displayed? Are the ideas of the eastern hemisphere apparent in the western hemisphere? III. Materials Activity Materials Estimated/target time length Review general concepts of Buddha, Confucius, and Lao Tzu (Yin-Yang, Four Noble Truths, Eight Fold Path, Social Harmony, etc.) Student Notes, Textbook, and PowerPoint form prior day (if needed) 10 minutes View pre-selected clips from the Star Wars series Clips from the Star Wars Movies 15 minutes Complete form related to identifying aspects of Buddhism,, Legalism, or Confucianism within Star Wars. Conclusion of activity: Restate the eastern concepts presented in Star Wars and establish why it is important to understand the ideas of other cultures. Handout-Chart 20 minutes 5 Minutes IV. Assessment: 1. What informal evaluation methods will you use to monitor the class and adjust your plans during instruction?
During and after the viewing portion activity the instructor will ask who, what, where, when, and why questions that will show how much of the information the students retained. 2. How is information taught in this lesson going to be formally evaluated? This lesson is part of the larger Eastern Hemisphere section of the curriculum. Thus, students will complete a formal testing of knowledge at the section s conclusion. 3. How have you connected objectives, instruction, and assessment? All objectives are based on NCSS themes and State objectives. 4. How does the nature of the assessment for this information affect your selection of instructional method? The main goal for my instructional method is to make sure that everything completed can be broken down into who, what, where, when, and why questions so students will be able to competently answer questions posed on formal and informal assessments. Therefore, by viewing the Star War clips, students will identify important people (Buddha, Confucius, etc.), continue to discuss locations such as India and China, connect the use of ancient concepts in modern times, and discuss why these insights still prevail. VI. Independent practice: Students will write a brief journal response explaining how a provided quote from Star War s relates to Buddhism, Confucianism, Legalism, or. VII. Closure: Ask questions that deal with today s topic to assess for basic understanding of major unit concepts. VIII. Reflection: Were the vocabulary words understood? o Eight Fold Path o Four Noble Truths o Yin Yang o Confucianism / harmony concepts o Legalism Did the activity help the student s understanding? Will it still make sense with tomorrow s lesson?
Appendix A STAR WARS AND EASTERN PHILOSOPHY / RELIGION Directions: While viewing clips from the Star Wars films, make note of any connections between the listed religions/philosophies and the Star Wars mythos. Clip #1 Obi- Wan Explaining the Force to Luke A New Hope. Buddhism Confucius Legalism Clip #2 Obi- Wan Conversing with Vader in A New Hope. Buddhism Confucius Legalism
Clip #3 Yoda Training Luke in Empire Strikes Back Buddhism Confucius Legalism Clip #4 Luke and Darth Vader Confronting in Empire Strikes Back. Buddhism Confucius Legalism Clip #5 The Death and Redemption of Anakin in Return of the Jedi.
Buddhism Confucius Legalism
Appendix B Summary of Buddhist Ideas : Buddha's Teaching: The four noble truths are: 1. There is suffering. 2. There is cause for suffering. 3. There is cessation of suffering. 4. There is path leading to the cessation of suffering. The Eight Fold Path 1. Right understanding: Understanding that the Four Noble Truths are noble and true. 2. Right thought: Determining and resolving to practice Buddhist faith. 3. Right speech: Avoiding slander, gossip, lying, and all forms of untrue and abusive speech. 4. Right conduct: Adhering to the idea of nonviolence (ahimsa), as well as refraining from any form of stealing. 5. Right means of making a living: Not slaughtering animals or working at jobs that force you to violate others. 6. Right mental attitude or effort: Avoiding negative thoughts and emotions, such as anger and jealousy. 7. Right mindfulness: Having a clear sense of one s mental state and bodily health and feelings. 8. Right concentration: Using meditation to reach the highest level of enlightenment.
Appendix C Confucianism 1. The Five Main Confucian Virtues: The main way to become a person of moral quality is through cultivation of five main Confucian virtues: Humaneness Righteousness, Justice Ritual propriety Knowledge Integrity 2. Self-cultivation: Self-cultivation is stressed in Confucianism. Great significance is placed on the ability of each individual to learn, to become educated, and to eventually become a moral and upstanding person. 3. Filial Piety: Another popular Confucian belief is that of filial piety. At its core, this concept teaches that one s body is a gift from his or her parents and it should thus be spared from harm whenever possible. Filial piety includes service to one s parents as well as one s ruler. It also states that one should strive to become established in the world and glorify his or her parents when doing so.
Appendix D is an ancient tradition of philosophy and religious belief that is deeply rooted in Chinese customs and worldview. is also referred to as Daoism, which is a more accurate way of representing in English the sound of the Chinese word. is about the Tao. This is usually translated as the Way. But it's hard to say exactly what this means. The Tao is the ultimate creative principle of the universe. All things are unified and connected in the Tao. originated in China 2000 years ago It is a religion of unity and opposites; Yin and Yang. The principle of Yin Yang sees the world as filled with complementary forces - action and non-action, light and dark, hot and cold, and so on The Tao is not God and is not worshipped. includes many deities, that are worshipped in Taoist temples, they are part of the universe and depend, like everything, on the Tao promotes: achieving harmony or union with nature the pursuit of spiritual immortality being 'virtuous' (but not ostentatiously so) self-development Taoist practices include: meditation feng shui fortune telling
Appendix E 1. Hinduism originated around the Indus Valley near the River Indus in modern day Pakistan. 2. About 80% of the Indian population regard themselves as Hindu. 3. Most Hindus believe in a Supreme God, whose qualities and forms are represented by the multitude of deities which emanate from him. 4. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma. 5. Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived. 6. The main Hindu texts are the Vedas and their supplements (books based on the Vedas). Veda is a Sanskrit word meaning 'knowledge'. These scriptures do not mention the word 'Hindu' but many scriptures discuss dharma, which can be rendered as 'code of conduct', 'law', or 'duty' 7. Hindus celebrate many holy days, but the Festival of Lights, Diwali is the best known.