{"id":1467,"date":"2015-05-06T19:28:17","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T00:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/?page_id=1467"},"modified":"2023-04-30T08:07:05","modified_gmt":"2023-04-30T13:07:05","slug":"golden-rule-curriculum-1","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/golden-rule\/golden-rule-curriculum-1","title":{"rendered":"Golden Rule Curriculum #1"},"content":{"rendered":"
Table of Contents<\/b><\/p>\n This document is available for download in <\/a> and <\/a> formats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n This curriculum unit was inspired by the Scarboro Missions Golden Rule Poster which features texts of the Golden Rule as found in 13 of the world\u2019s religions.<\/p>\n By way of these lessons, young people will be invited to reflect on the role which rules, values and moral principles play in their lives \u2013 at home, at school, in sports and in the local community.<\/p>\n Often, young people feel that they live in a world where rules are thrust upon them, making it difficult for them to live their lives. In these lessons, the students will come to understand that they, too, create rules and guidelines for living to which they adhere on a daily basis. In fact, in Curriculum Section One, they will participate in a decision-making experience in which they determine the rules and guidelines for living in a given community context.<\/p>\n In this curriculum, the students will explore the concept of the circle and the place of circles in their lives. The students will discover that qualities associated with the circle such as unity, equality, community, reciprocity, and interconnectedness can have significance in terms of the students\u2019 relationships from the local to the global level.<\/p>\n The students will also be introduced to a universal, moral principle known as the Golden Rule<\/i>. And they will consider how the Golden Rule, the ethic of reciprocity<\/i>, can be applied in their lives \u2013 at home, at school, in the local community and in the global community (i.e. as global citizens.)<\/p>\n It is my hope that this unit will help to develop in your students a greater appreciation for ethical living.<\/p>\n We welcome your feedback on this unit. If you have any suggestions as to how this document might be improved, please forward them to the Paul McKenna at\u00a0interfaithgold@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n Gregory McKenna<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This curriculum unit is geared to an international audience and can be used in public schools, religious schools and private schools as well as with youth organizations.<\/p>\n But given the obvious connection between the content of this unit and the field of religion, these lessons can easily be adapted for use in religious schools. This curriculum will also be useful in youth education programs in synagogues, mosques, temples, meditation centers, churches, gurdwaras, and spiritual fellowships. Another audience I see for this curriculum unit are youth organizations that do not identify themselves as explicitly \u201creligious\u201d or \u201cspiritual.\u201d<\/p>\n This unit is geared to students at the Grade 7 (age 13) to Grade 12 (age 18) levels. Some of the language used in discussion questions and journaling questions in this document will have to be adapted for use in lower grades.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this unit:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The teacher may want to encourage the students to journal their reflections. Students are free to use a poetic or prosaic form. To facilitate this journaling process, the teacher may want to provide each student with a small journal.<\/p>\n The journaling can be done after each lesson or during a silent reading period in class. The teacher may wish to provide the students with a specific question, quotation, or statement to stimulate their reflection. Sample journal questions for the lessons in each of the four curriculum sections are provided in the Appendices section.<\/p>\n This journal activity provides expression for those students who may be reluctant to contribute to the class discussions. It is important that the teacher read, review, and comment on the students\u2019 journal reflections on a daily basis. It has been my experience that students do more journaling if the teacher comments on their writing.<\/p>\n The teacher may ask some students to read their journal to the class. It is important that this be an optional exercise for the student. Some students are more comfortable contributing something orally if they can read it, particularly if the instructor has suggested that the reflection is well-written. Some students prefer to have their journal read aloud by the teacher or a fellow student. The oral presentations may also serve to stimulate further discussion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this section, students are invited to reflect on the place that rules, \u201crules for living\u201d or guidelines for living play in their lives, and specifically in four areas: peer group, home life, community\/societal life and sports activity. In Lesson Four, the students will participate in a decision-making experience in which they determine the rules in a given community.<\/p>\n These reflections will help the students understand the role and importance of rules in society. The students will be asked to brainstorm as to the place that rules or guidelines for living, play in their lives. Prior to the lessons, the teacher may want to ask each of the students to write about their ideas on these subjects.<\/p>\n There are seven lessons in this first section. The teacher may decide that it is not necessary to teach all seven lessons before proceeding to Curriculum Unit Two.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 40 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n The teacher introduces this lesson and the first section of the unit by exploring with the students the concepts of values, rules and \u201crules for living.\u201d The students are informed that they will have the opportunity to reflect on values and rules in four dimensions of their lives: peer group, home life, sports and society.<\/p>\n The students are asked to name any rules or guidelines for living that are observed or followed in their peer groups. The teacher may want to give the students a little time to write these rules in their notebooks. Or, prior to the class, the teacher may invite the students to reflect and write on this subject.<\/p>\n The teacher should be aware that among the students, there will be some variance in terms of these rules and guidelines. If some students are unclear about or uncomfortable with the whole issue of \u201crules\u201d in their peer group, the teacher may need to stimulate discussion on this subject and provide a few examples.<\/p>\n As the students share their \u201crules\u201d or their thoughts on the issue of rules, the teacher or a student records these reflections in a \u201cbrainstorm\u201d fashion on chart paper, under the heading \u201cPeer Group Rules\/Guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n Some sample rules or comments which may emerge from the brainstorm:<\/p>\n When the list of rules and reflections is completed, the teacher or one of the students read aloud some of the rules that have been listed on chart paper. Then, the teacher invites the students to discuss the content of the entire list. Here are some trigger questions that the teacher may wish to use to stimulate discussion:<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 2<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 60 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n In this lesson, the teacher invites the students to reflect on the rules that they are expected to observe at home. The students are invited to name any of the rules or guidelines for living that their parents have established in their homes or rules in the home that have been co-operatively established by parents and children.<\/p>\n Caution:<\/b> The teacher needs to conduct the discussion in such a way as not to trigger conflict between home and school environments. Given the broad range of cultures, ethnicities, customs, mores, and religious beliefs within the student population in some schools, there can be a discrepancy between values taught in the home and values communicated in the school.<\/p>\n The teacher is encouraged to set the tone by encouraging students to be tolerant and to reserve judgment about the cultural, ethical, and religious beliefs and practices of other students.<\/p>\n The rules brainstormed by the students can be listed on chart paper under the title of \u201cRules at Home\u201d. Some examples which may emerge:<\/p>\n When the list is completed, the teacher continues to stimulate discussion about the list and its content.<\/p>\n Art activity<\/b><\/p>\n Each student is invited to create a poster that depicts him or her putting into practice rules that have been established in the home. Each student is provided with a sheet of paper (suggested size: 18 x 24 inches.) The student draws a large circle on the paper and then divides it into four equal sections (as in dividing a pie in four sections.)<\/p>\n In each section of the circle, the student draws a sketch of him\/herself putting into practice an important rule in his\/her household. Under each sketch, the student writes the wording of the rule which is depicted in that particular section. Accordingly, each student is responsible for drawing sketches of four rules that are being implemented.<\/p>\n Sample rules:<\/p>\n When the artwork is completed, some students volunteer to display and explain their sketches. The teacher encourages discussion.<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 2<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 60 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n The teacher invites the students to name and comment on rules found within society, particularly rules that affect the lives of the students. These rules are recorded on chart paper under the title, \u201cRules in Society.\u201d The term, \u201cSociety\u201d, here refers to one or more of the following: school, local community, local municipality, county, state, province or nation.<\/p>\n Some rules which may emerge in the brainstorm process:<\/p>\n When the list is completed, the teacher stimulates discussion about the list and its content.<\/p>\n Art activity<\/b><\/p>\n The students are divided into groups of three. Each group develops an art creation that demonstrates the value of a given rule in society, for example, a school policy of anti-bullying or bike helmet regulations in the local municipality. The art creation can take a variety of forms including poetry, drawing, skit, song, dance and musical rap.<\/p>\n Each group performs or displays their art creation which, with the support of the teacher, will provoke discussion within the larger class.<\/p>\n Homework assignment<\/b><\/p>\n The students are assigned to choose an article from a local or regional newspaper (or from an Internet news source) that involves a conflict between two or more people or two or more groups. After having studied the article, the students are required to write a one-page reflection that addresses the following questions:<\/p>\n The students should be prepared to present or discuss the content of their paper in a subsequent class.<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 2<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 70 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n The purpose of this lesson is to provide the students with a decision-making experience in which they determine the rules or guidelines for living in a given community.<\/p>\n The class is divided into groups composed of three to four students. Each group is provided with chart paper and marker pens. The teacher then describes or outlines the following scenario: 40 teenagers are stranded on a deserted island far from civilization. Both genders are present and there are no adults.<\/p>\n The young people have no means to readily escape and it is unlikely that they will be rescued for a long time. They have ample food which grows naturally on the island. They also have the means to make fire.<\/p>\n The task of each of the various student groups is to develop a list of five to six rules to which this stranded group of young people on the island must adhere. The students also compose a list of consequences that are applied to those who choose not to adhere to the established rules. Some students may feel that there should be no consequences for non-adherence to the rules. Some students may feel there is no need for rules at all.<\/p>\n The students record the list of rules and consequences on chart paper. The rules can be listed in order of importance, as determined by the student group. Following this activity, each group presents their set of rules and consequences to the class using chart paper.<\/p>\n Following discussion on this matter, the teacher further stimulates the discussion by asking each group to address one of the following questions (or other questions which the teacher composes):<\/p>\n The teacher continues to stimulate discussion following each group report.<\/p>\n Following the group reports, the teacher facilitates a class discussion using one or more of the following questions:<\/p>\n After the reporting and discussion have been completed, the teacher asks the class to respond to one or more of the following questions or to questions composed by the teacher:<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 2<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 120 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n In this lesson, the students view and discuss selected scenes from the film, Lord of the Flies<\/i>. The teacher should preview the film because this movie contains a good deal of coarse language<\/i>.<\/p>\n This film rendition of William Golding\u2019s classic novel tells the story of 25 school boys stranded on an island where they are left to make their own rules. The film will provoke lots of discussion among the students on many issues including the issue of \u201crules\u201d. This lesson is also an excellent follow-up to the previous lesson (Lesson 4.)<\/p>\n Some questions to trigger discussion:<\/p>\n In the film, the boys are eventually rescued. The teacher may want to help the students reflect on a scenario in which the young people are not rescued. Accordingly, the young people would be required to establish community rules and guidelines for long-term survival.<\/p>\n The teacher may wish to record discussion themes on chart paper.<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 2<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 50 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n In this lesson, the teacher invites the students to reflect on the purpose of rules in sports. Sports activities are vital in the lives of many young people. Most sports have numerous rules.<\/p>\n In terms of the field of sports, there are numerous resources available. There are, for example, newspaper and Internet articles on sports figures who have been suspended for breaking the \u201crules.\u201d There are also biographies of great sports figures who have excelled in their sport without breaking the \u201crules,\u201d for example, former Canadian hockey star, Wayne Gretzky.<\/p>\n Below are some trigger questions to promote reflection and discussion on this subject. Prior to the class, the teacher may want to expose the students to one or more of these questions or to questions composed by the teacher. This could be a journaling exercise or a homework assignment.<\/p>\n The teacher encourages discussion.<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 2<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 50 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n The purpose of this lesson is to enable the students to appropriate and integrate their learnings from the previous lessons. The teacher facilitates a general discussion among the students on the subject of rules. The teacher may use some of the discussion questions listed below or any related questions that the teacher develops.<\/p>\n Prior to the class, the teacher exposes the students to the questions and gives a homework assignment in preparation for the class. The teacher may approach this in one of two ways:<\/p>\n Suggested questions for homework assignment and discussion:<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 2<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this section, the students will study the lives of individuals \u2013 ordinary and extraordinary persons \u2013 who have demonstrated courage in terms of adhering to their values, moral principles, and \u201crules for living\u201d. The students will examine their own values and rules for living in light of the lifestyles of these courageous individuals.<\/p>\n Some of the people studied will be individuals that the students know personally; some will be famous historical persons, many of whom have endured adversity, obstacles, conflict, challenges, and even persecution as a consequence of their commitment to the service of humanity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 55 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n The teacher begins by reviewing what has been covered in the previous section. The teacher may want to post the chart paper lists that were generated in Curriculum Section One.<\/p>\n Prior to this lesson, the students are assigned, as a homework exercise, to think about one individual whom he\/she admires, that is, a person who has demonstrated a strong commitment in terms of service to humanity by adhering to his\/her principles, values and rules for living<\/i>. This person can be a close acquaintance, a family member, a well-known citizen of one\u2019s country or community, or a historical figure.<\/p>\n As homework and in preparation for the lesson, the students are asked to record in a journal the various qualities of the person whom he\/she admires, qualities such as patience, friendliness, politeness, courage, generosity, integrity, sensitivity, compassion, and service to humanity.<\/p>\n In the lesson itself, each student gives the name of his\/her chosen individual and shares two to five qualities of that person. Student responses can be recorded on chart paper so that the recorded human qualities, values and virtues can be compared and reflected on. After each student shares, the teacher poses a question or questions to the individual student. Sample trigger questions are listed below:<\/p>\n The teacher encourages feedback and discussion among the students. This feedback\/discussion can occur after each presentation.<\/p>\n Journal activity: Let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n For journal questions to stimulate the students\u2019 written reflections after or during class, see Appendix 4<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time required:<\/b> 60 minutes Teacher instructions:<\/b><\/p>\n In this lesson, the students are assigned to research and write about the life of a famous or well-known person (living or deceased) who demonstrates or has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to the service of humanity as an expression of his\/her values, moral principles, and \u201crules for living\u201d<\/i>.<\/p>\n It is left to the discretion of the teacher as to whether this writing exercise is done during class or as a homework assignment. The teacher may wish to model the exercise for the students by researching and presenting to the students the life of one courageous person and the values that guided and inspired him\/her. The teacher can write this short paper using the guidelines for the students outlined later in this lesson.<\/p>\n As an aid to the teacher, a short biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is included in the Appendices section of this curriculum unit. See Appendix 3<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n This biography contains a reflection on the values and ideals that guided Dr. King amidst the numerous obstacles that he faced. The teacher may want to share this biography with the students as a model for their written assignments.<\/p>\n Biographies (print and DVD) of famous people can be found on the Internet and in public and school libraries.<\/p>\n The length of this short paper is left to the discretion of the teacher. Some of these papers can be presented orally in class in a subsequent lesson. As an alternative to a written format, the teacher may invite some students to present their research in other forms such as poetry, song or art.<\/p>\n The students choose the person they want to research and have their choice approved by the teacher. The teacher has the option of providing a list of famous, historical people from which the students can choose. As an aid to the teacher, a list of some such personalities is available below.<\/p>\n Information about each of these individuals can be found on the Internet.<\/p>\n In their research and writing, the students will be responsible for outlining or highlighting the following:<\/p>\n Teachers in religious schools<\/b><\/p>\n Religious history contains an abundance of prophets, saints, teachers, heroes, gurus, sages, and spiritual masters. For this biographical exercise, teachers are encouraged to draw also from the heritage of great spiritual figures in their own spiritual traditions and in other spiritual traditions.<\/p>\n Journal activity \u2013 let\u2019s write about it!<\/b><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Introduction<\/h2>\n
Who is the audience for this curriculum?<\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>
\nAround the world, there is a rapidly-growing interfaith youth movement. Some lessons from this unit can be adapted for use in interfaith youth gatherings.<\/p>\nLearning Objectives<\/h2>\n
\n
How to use this curriculum unit<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/product\/golden-rule-across-the-worlds-religions<\/a><\/li>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/golden-rule\/thirteen-sacred-texts-multi-lingual-versions<\/a>
\nWhat this means, for example, is that if the teacher is fluent in English and Portuguese, he\/she could use these lesson plans with a Portuguese-speaking class. There is no Portuguese-language Golden Rule poster available at this time but still the teacher could use the English-language poster, because in this unit the poster is used mostly for its symbolic and visual content and not for its written content. Also, the teacher may choose to assign the students to design a Portuguese-language poster.<\/li>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/product\/golden-rule-across-the-worlds-religions<\/a><\/li>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/golden-rule\/golden-rule-interfaith-commentaries<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nJournaling: let\u2019s write about it!<\/h2>\n
Curriculum Section One: Rules that I live by!<\/h2>\n
\n
\n6.1\u00a0\u00a0Overview<\/h3>\n
6.2\u00a0\u00a0Lesson One \u2013 Rules in my peer group<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> chart paper and marker pens<\/p>\n\n
\n
6.3\u00a0\u00a0Lesson Two \u2013 Rules at home<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> chart paper, marker pens, art utensils, art paper<\/p>\n\n
\n
6.4\u00a0\u00a0Lesson Three \u2013 Rules in society<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> chart paper, marker pens, art utensils, art paper<\/p>\n\n
\n
6.5\u00a0\u00a0Lesson Four \u2013 Making our own rules<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> chart paper, marker pens<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
6.6\u00a0\u00a0Lesson Five \u2013 Lord of the Flies<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> chart paper and marker pens, film rendition of William Golding\u2019s novel, Lord of the Flies<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n
6.7\u00a0\u00a0Lesson Six \u2013 Rules in sports<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> none<\/p>\n\n
6.8\u00a0\u00a0Lesson Seven \u2013 Why Rules?<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> none<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/a>Curriculum Section Two: Rules that courageous people live by<\/h2>\n
\n
\n7.1\u00a0\u00a0Overview<\/h3>\n
7.2\u00a0\u00a0Lesson One \u2013 Courageous people that I admire<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> chart paper and marker pens<\/p>\n\n
7.3\u00a0\u00a0Lesson Two \u2013 Rules that some famous people live by<\/h3>\n
\nMaterials required:<\/b> none<\/p>\n
\nBabasaheb Ambedkar
\nGeorge Washington Carver
\nLeonard Cheshire
\nCesar Chavez
\nTommy Douglas
\nFrederick Douglass
\nW.E.B. Dubois
\nAbdul Sattar Edhi
\nHugh Evans (Australia)
\nDiane Fossey
\nTerry Fox
\nAnne Frank
\nMahatma Gandhi
\nJane Goodall
\nJohn Howard Griffin
\nMussie Hailu
\nRick Hansen
\nDorothy Height
\nAbraham Joshua Heschel
\nHelen Keller
\nCraig Kielburger<\/div>\n
\nThe Dalai Lama
\nWangari Maathai
\nNelson Mandela
\nRigoberta Menchu
\nGreg Mortenson
\nFlorence Nightengale
\nRosa Parks
\nJackie Robinson
\nEleanor Roosevelt
\nOscar Schindler
\nAlbert Schweitzer
\nHelen Suzman
\nMother Teresa
\nSojourner Truth
\nHarriet Tubman
\nDesmond Tutu
\nJean Vanier
\nBooker T. Washington
\nRaoul Wallenberg
\nMohammad Yunus
\n.<\/div>\n\n