World Religion Unit Study

Billions of people around the world shape their week, their holidays, their food, and even their clothing around what they believe. Learning about the world’s major religions helps children understand their neighbors, make sense of the news, and read history and literature with a better idea of why people acted the way they did.

This World Religion Unit Study is a respectful, side-by-side look at Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism, along with Confucianism and Taoism in China. Families can use it alongside their own beliefs. Children compare where each faith began, its houses of worship, its symbols, and its festivals, using library books, free online charts, maps, and simple crafts made from supplies you already have.

Learning Objectives

• Explain what a religion is and why people around the world practice their faith in so many different ways.
• Find on a map where Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism first began.
• Name the house of worship, a main symbol, and an important holiday for each of the major religions.
• Describe the difference between believing in one God (monotheism) and many gods (polytheism).
• Put the beginnings of the major religions in order on a timeline.
• Read a chart of how many people follow each religion today and turn it into a graph.
• Talk about other people’s beliefs with respect and kindness, even when they are different from your family’s.

Timeline

Many of these dates are approximate, because the earliest beginnings of some faiths were not written down. BCE means “before the common era” and CE means “common era.”

• About 1500 BCE: The Vedas, the oldest sacred writings of Hinduism, begin to take shape in northern India. Hinduism has no single founder.
• About 1000 BCE: Judaism, one of the earliest faiths to teach belief in one God, is well established among the people of ancient Israel.
• 551 BCE: Confucius is born in China, according to tradition. His teachings about family, respect, and good government still shape life in East Asia.
• About 500 BCE: Siddhartha Gautama, later called the Buddha, teaches in northern India. Around the same time, Taoism grows in China around the ideas linked to the teacher Laozi.
• First century CE: Christianity begins in Judea among the followers of Jesus and spreads across the Roman Empire.
• 610 CE: Muslims believe Muhammad begins receiving revelations from God in a cave near Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia.
• 622 CE: Muhammad and his followers move from Mecca to Medina. This journey, called the Hijra, marks year one of the Islamic calendar.
• 1469: Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is born in the Punjab region of South Asia.
• 1604: The Sikh holy book, the Adi Granth, is completed and placed in the Harmandir Sahib, often called the Golden Temple, in Amritsar.
• 1893: The first Parliament of the World’s Religions meets in Chicago and brings together speakers from many faiths.

Vocabulary

religion	belief	faith
worship	prayer	meditation
ritual	festival	pilgrimage
sacred	prophet	guru
monotheism	polytheism	denomination
temple	synagogue	church
mosque	gurdwara	pagoda
convert	proselytize	martyr
persecution	tolerance	respect

• WordWeb: Free downloadable dictionary software.
• Dictionary.com: Online definitions and pronunciation.

Book Resources

• The Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions: A colorful guide to the beliefs, holidays, and history of the major faiths.
• The Kids Book of World Religions by Jennifer Glossop: Short, clear chapters with photos, good for ages 8 and up.
• One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship by Mary Pope Osborne: The author of the Magic Tree House books explains seven major faiths.
• The Story of Religion by Betsy and Giulio Maestro: A simple picture book history of how religions began and grew.
• Many Ways: How Families Practice Their Beliefs and Religions by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly: Photographs of real children taking part in their family’s faith.
• God’s Paintbrush by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso: A gentle picture book of questions about wonder and the world for young children of any faith.
• What Do You Believe?: A DK book that looks at religions and big life questions side by side.
• Humanism, What’s That? by Helen Bennett: Explains a nonreligious way of looking at the world, for curious kids.
• Eyewitness Religion by Myrtle Langley: Photos of objects, places, and art from many faiths.
• Eyewitness Buddhism by Philip Wilkinson: Part of the Eyewitness series. Look for the matching titles on Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism too.
• Celebrate Diwali by Deborah Heiligman: National Geographic photos of the Hindu festival of lights.
• Celebrate Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr by Deborah Heiligman: How Muslim families around the world observe the month of fasting and the feast that ends it.
• Celebrate Passover by Deborah Heiligman: Photos and short text about the Jewish spring holiday.

Poetry and Music

• Gitanjali: A book of short poems by Rabindranath Tagore of India, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Free on Project Gutenberg. Read one or two aloud and talk about what they describe.
• Read a few poems by Rumi, a Persian poet of the 1200s whose work is loved around the world, from a library collection.
• Read haiku by the Japanese poet Basho and notice how much he says about nature in just three short lines.
• Listen to recordings of sacred music from different traditions, such as Gregorian chant, Hindu bhajans, Sikh kirtan, and the Muslim call to prayer. Compare the instruments, the voices, and how each one makes you feel.

Videos

• Religions of the World: A video series made for middle school students, with one program for each major faith.
• The Story of God with Morgan Freeman: A National Geographic series that visits holy places around the world. Best for teens; preview first.

Activities

• Comparison Chart: Make a large chart with a row for each religion and columns for where it began, about when it began, its house of worship, a symbol, and a major holiday. Fill it in as you read.
• World Religion Map: On a blank world map, mark where each religion began and draw arrows showing how it spread. Color the areas where each one is most common today.
• Religion Graph: Use the numbers from the Pew Research Center link below to make a bar graph or a pie chart showing how many people follow each religion, and how many follow none.
• Holiday Calendar: Mark Diwali, Hanukkah, Passover, Christmas, Easter, Vesak, Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Vaisakhi on this year’s calendar. Notice which holidays move around each year because they follow the moon.
• Symbol Study: Draw the symbol of each religion, such as the Om, the Star of David, the Dharma wheel, the cross, the crescent and star, and the Khanda, and write one sentence about what it stands for.
• Houses of Worship: Find pictures of a Hindu temple, a synagogue, a Buddhist temple, a church, a mosque, and a gurdwara. Compare their shapes, decorations, and what people do when they go inside.
• The Golden Rule: Look up how several religions express the idea of treating others the way you want to be treated, and copy each version onto a poster.
• Interview a Neighbor: With permission, ask a friend or neighbor of a different faith to share how their family celebrates a favorite holiday.
• Research Report: Older students can choose one religion and write a report on its beginnings, beliefs, practices, and how it has changed over time.

• Where Did It Begin?: Call out a religion and have players point to the right place on a wall map or globe.
• Holiday Charades: Act out how a holiday is celebrated, such as lighting lamps for Diwali or candles for Hanukkah, while others guess the holiday and the religion.
• Twenty Questions: One player thinks of a house of worship, a symbol, or a holiday, and the others ask yes or no questions to figure it out.
• Around the World Board Game: On a file folder, draw a path that visits famous sacred places, such as Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, Jerusalem, Rome, Mecca, and Amritsar. Players roll a die and answer a question card to move ahead. Add spaces like “Your flight is delayed. Lose a turn.”

World Faiths Go Fish Card Game

Make a set of four cards for each religion: one with its name, one with its symbol, one with its house of worship, and one with a major festival. For example, Sikhism could be Sikhism, the Khanda, gurdwara, and Vaisakhi. Buddhism could be Buddhism, the Dharma wheel, temple or pagoda, and Vesak. Hinduism could be Hinduism, Om, mandir, and Diwali. Judaism could be Judaism, the Star of David, synagogue, and Passover. Islam could be Islam, the crescent and star, mosque, and Eid al-Fitr. Christianity could be Christianity, the cross, church, and Christmas. Deal five cards to each player and play Go Fish. When you collect all four cards for a religion, lay the set down and tell the other players where that faith began.

These cards also work as question cards for the Around the World board game and any other homemade board games for this unit.

GeoSafari Card Ideas

• Where It Began: Locate the birthplace of each major religion on a world map.
• Sacred Places: Find famous holy sites such as Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, Jerusalem, Mecca, Rome, and Varanasi.
• Symbols: Match each symbol to its religion.
• Houses of Worship: Match each building name to its religion.
• Holidays: Match each holiday to the religion that celebrates it.

Recipes

Food is a big part of many religious holidays. Both of these recipes are naturally gluten-free, but check every label for a gluten-free claim so they are safe for anyone with celiac disease. Be extra careful with ground spices: asafoetida (hing), which many Indian recipes use, is usually mixed with wheat flour unless the package says gluten-free.

Coconut Ladoo for Diwali (Gluten-Free)

• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, plus a little extra for rolling
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (labeled gluten-free)
• Chopped pistachios or raisins (optional)

Stir the coconut and condensed milk together in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Keep stirring for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Stir in the cardamom and turn off the heat. When it is cool enough to touch, roll spoonfuls into small balls and roll them in extra coconut. Press a piece of pistachio or a raisin on top if you like. Sweets like these are shared with family and neighbors during Diwali.

Simple Langar-Style Dal (Gluten-Free)
Every Sikh gurdwara serves langar, a free shared meal for anyone who comes, no matter their religion. Lentil dal with rice is one of the most common langar dishes.

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Cooked rice for serving

Put the lentils, water, turmeric, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are soft. In a small pan, melt the butter, add the cumin seeds, and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, then add the tomato and cook a few minutes more. Stir this into the lentils and serve over rice.

Field Trips

• Many houses of worship welcome visitors and offer tours or open houses. Call ahead, ask about the best time to come and what to wear, and prepare your questions before you go.
• Visit a gurdwara. Visitors are usually welcome to join langar. Everyone covers their head and removes their shoes, and most gurdwaras have scarves to borrow.
• Look for cultural festivals in your area, such as Diwali celebrations, Greek festivals, Jewish food festivals, or Lunar New Year events.
• Go to an art museum and look for paintings, statues, and objects from different religious traditions. Many museums have free family guides.
• Ask your librarian to help you find books, music, and movies about a religion you know little about.

Art and Craft Ideas

• Rangoli: Rangoli are colorful patterns made at doorways for Diwali. Draw one with sidewalk chalk, or glue colored rice, lentils, or dried beans onto a paper plate or a piece of cardboard.
• Mandala: Buddhist monks make detailed mandalas from colored sand. Draw a circle design with a compass or a plate, color it with markers or crayons, or fill it in with salt colored with a little food coloring.
• Geometric Patterns: Many mosques are decorated with repeating star and tile patterns. Use a ruler and a compass, or graph paper, to design your own.
• Diya Lamp: Shape a small bowl from air-dry clay. For a homemade clay without wheat flour, stir 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, and 3/4 cup water in a pot over low heat until it forms a soft dough, then let it cool before shaping. Paint the lamp when dry and add a battery tea light.
• Prayer Flags: Tibetan Buddhists hang strings of colored flags in the wind. Cut rectangles from fabric scraps or construction paper, write kind wishes on each one, and string them across a window.
• Paper Stained Glass: Cut a frame from black paper or a cereal box and fill the openings with bits of tissue paper glued onto wax paper or clear plastic wrap. Hang it in a sunny window.

Information Web Resources

• Big Religion Chart: ReligionFacts compares the beginnings, beliefs, and practices of dozens of religions on one page. Good for filling in your comparison chart.
• The Global Religious Landscape: Pew Research Center numbers on how many people follow each religion around the world. Use these for your graph.

Worksheets

Lapbook Ideas

• Religions Tab Book: One tabbed page for each religion with where it began, its symbol, and its house of worship.
• Symbols Matchbook: Each symbol on the outside and its religion and meaning inside.
• Where It Began Map: A small world map with each birthplace marked.
• Holiday Wheel: A paper wheel that turns to show a holiday and the religion that celebrates it.
• Timeline Strip: A fold-out strip with the main dates from the timeline above.
• Golden Rule Pocket: Cards with the different ways several religions express the Golden Rule.
• Vocabulary Matchbook: Each vocabulary word on the outside and its meaning inside.

Evaluation Ideas

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