What Does It Mean to Belong to the Sikh Family?

Manor Primary School

RE. Year 2 .Spring Term.

What does it mean to belong to the Sikh Family?

Overview of the Learning
In this unit of learning pupils will be learning about the historical and living aspects of Sikhism. Children are given the opportunity to learn about current beliefs, practices and lifestyles by studying the holy days, artefacts, festivals and leaders. There are also opportunities for children to respond to some of the key ideas and values of the religion they are studying, and to develop their understanding of their importance for those who belong to the religion. This unit extends and deepens children’s knowledge about beliefs and practices by enabling them to experience the atmosphere of a place of worship (Gurdwara).
Core Aims
·  know about the basic beliefs and practices of a religion and retell the events of the main festivals;
·  name certain religious artefacts and understand how and when they are used;
·  name a key religious leader and the events of his or her life;
·  describe the main features of the religious building they have visited, exploring how it is used by the members of the faith community;
·  identify symbols and explain their meaning;
·  know that the building is special to the people who use it; / Pupils should be taught
·  explore a range of religious stories and sacred writings and talk about their meanings
·  name and explore a range of celebrations, worship and rituals in religion, noting similarities where appropriate
·  identify the importance, for some people, of belonging to a religion and recognise the difference this makes to their lives
·  explore how religious beliefs and ideas can be expressed through the arts and communicate their responses
·  identify and suggest meanings for religious symbols and begin to use a range of religious words.
· 
Expectations
·  Children can reflect on and consider religious and spiritual feelings, experiences and concepts such as worship, wonder, praise, thanks, concern, joy and sadness
·  ask and respond imaginatively to puzzling questions, communicating their ideas
·  identify what matters to them and others, including those with religious commitments, and communicate their responses
·  reflect on how spiritual and moral values relate to their own behaviour
·  recognise that religious teachings and ideas make a difference to individuals, families and the local community.
Learning Objectives / Suggested Learning Opportunities
To understand what it means to belong to Sikhism. / What does it mean to belong?
What does it mean to belong to the Christian family? What other groups/clubs do we belong in?
Introduce the chn to Sikhism and explain that they will be finding out what it means to belong to the religion Sikhism.
What is Sikhism? http://espresso.schoolint.wolverhampton.gov.uk/modules/t2_faiths/sikhism/things_to_do_belonging.html Look at signs and symbols – do the children recognise the Sikh symbol? Explain who Sikhs are etc.
Where did it begin? Who founded it?
Watch espresso clip about where Sikhs come from.
http://espresso.schoolint.wolverhampton.gov.uk/modules/t2_faiths/sikhism/video_where_from.html
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Explain what Sikhism is and how you know someone belongs to the Sikh religion.
·  Explain how Sikhism began.
To know that religious leaders in history influenced believers because of their relationship with God / What is a leader?
What does it mean to be a leader? (E.g. leader of a group of musicians, leader of a school)? What special responsibilities does a leader have? What makes a good leader?
Read or tell the story of the religious leader. Watch ‘Guru Nanak’s Birthday (2 parts) video on Espresso. Talk about Guru Nanak (use fact files on Espresso to provide children with information) What is the main contribution of this leader to the beliefs of this religion? Why do believers still remember?
Suggested learning opportunities:
Provide children with picture of Guru Nanak (accessed from Espresso). Ask them to write a character profile. What do you know about him – name, leader of which religion etc.
Over a series of lessons - Explain to the class that Sikhism has had 10 Guru’s altogether and it is them that they follow. Investigate the different Guru’s and record their findings in a variety of ways – e.g. factfile, character profile, first hand letter explain their significance etc.
To identify Sikh artefacts.
To know the significance of Sikh artefacts. / What symbols are used to in Sikhism?
Ask children to bring in something that is special to them. Introduce the topic through class discussion. Do you have special things that remind you of happy or sad times? Show a selection of souvenirs, eg postcards, sea shells, toys, items with ‘A present from …’. What are memories? Can we remember feelings, smells and atmosphere? Ask the children to describe what memories are prompted by a particular item.
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Draw their special object and write about why it is special, where it came from, who gave it to them, what does it make you remember etc.
To use artefacts to find out about Sikhism. / What is an artefact?
Show children a concealed collection of artefacts, show them one at a time. What do the children think they are? Explain that these objects are very special to some people.
Explain that artefacts are special to Sikhs. Discuss how to handle artefacts with care and respect as they are so important/special in the Sikh religion. Choose artefacts that symbolise a key belief. (Sikh symbol, Turban the 5 K’s)
Show the children a religious artefact and explain that for people of faith this has meaning, memory and atmosphere. An artefact can remind religious people of an important story to do with their religion.
Discuss key beliefs represented by the artefact. How do you think a believer would feel when they use a religious artefact? Do you think it is helpful to have something to look at, to hold, to smell, to touch?
To know that religious festivals are celebrations of symbolic significance for believers / What festivals are celebrated in the Sikh religion?
Discuss how Baisakhi is a Sikh New Festival, which marks the foundation of the Khalsa, the community of Sikhs.
Watch the video of the story of Guru Gobind Singh and the formation of the Khalsa. ( BBC Celebrations Baisakhi p26.)
Read the story about the Khalsa (BBC Celebrations p28). Discuss the courage of the Sikhs who stepped out. What did they think would happen? Did they think it would be good or bad? Discuss the times when it takes courage to do what you know is right – for example to tell the truth.
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Children draw a simple storyboard and add appropriate captions. Share the storyboard with a partner.
·  Re-tell the story of the Khalsa.
·  Role play the story.
·  Freeze frame the story, print out and add captions
To know what the 5 special symbols of Sikhism are.
To know what the 5 special symbols of Sikhism are called. / What are the 5 k’s?
Using Sikh doll as stimulus object, look at and discuss the 5K’s in greater detail. See espresso fact file and video about the Khalsa. http://espresso.schoolint.wolverhampton.gov.uk/modules/t2_faiths/sikhism/factfile_khalsa.html Explain that these are the symbols of Sikhism and are very special to Sikh people. See also:
http://espresso.schoolint.wolverhampton.gov.uk/modules/t2_faiths/sikhism/www_sikhism_for_children/www_frame.html
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Draw a Sikh person wearing all the 5 K’s and label them correctly.
·  Retell the events of the Khalsa.
·  Write a description of each of the 5 k’s.
To know the key features of a Sikh place of worship.
To know the uses of a Sikh place of worship. / What is a Sikh’s place of worship?
Introduce the topic through video extracts using Expresso.
Discuss the Gurdwara focusing on the outside of the building. http://www.fairlands.herts.sch.uk/gurdwaratour/sikh_gurdwara.htm is also a useful website.
Explore the Khanda symbol and Sikh flag. Discuss what the symbol represents and why there would be a flag outside the building.
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Provide chn with information for them to research and find out about the Gurdwara – record their research in a variety of way.
·  Ask the chn to draw and label key features of a Sikh Gurdwara.
·  Write about what makes it a Sikh place of worship.
·  Write questions they would like to find out about the building or Sikhism.
To understand what happens inside the Gurdwara. / What is it like inside the Gurdwara?
Show chn a picture of the different rooms inside a Gurdwara. Tell the chn that we are going to be looking at each room and what happens.
Introduce the Shoe hall. Talk about why this is a special place and what Sikhs do, e.g. shoes off, wear something on head, wash hands. Discuss any special preparations that are required, e.g. heads covered, shoes removed before entering. This will vary between and within faiths. Whatever the requirements are, make sure that you have talked about them and that children understand the religious reasons.
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Write a set of instructions telling someone what they must do when they visit a Gudwara.
To find out what the Langar is and how it is used. / What is the Langar?
Refer back to the Sikh picture of the inside of a Gurdwara. Introduce the Langar hall and kitchen using the Expresso website. The kitchen is a place where festival food, donated, prepared and cooked by the Sikh families of the community is shared with any visitors to the Gurdwara on that day. This meal is always vegetarian and is called the Langar.
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Chn draw a vegetarian meal of their chose and write about who they would give to and why.
·  Create a menu of a vegetarian meal for someone to enjoy.
·  Explain how the Langar is important and what it is used for.
To know what a Sikh prayer hall is.
To know what happens in the Sikh prayer hall.
To know how you are expected to behave in a Sikh prayer hall. / What is the prayer hall?
Refer back to the Sikh picture of the inside of a Gurdwara. Introduce Prayer hall using the Expresso website, (Worship 2).
Talk about the key features - The focal point of a Gurdwara is the canopy over the platform on which the Guru Granth Sahib is placed. The Guru Granth Sahib is holy book In front of that are gifts of food for the langar and a box for offerings of money. Beyond that are mats where the community will sit facing the Guru Granth Sahib. Build up a sense of anticipation and talk about the idea that this is a special place to the people who go there. Discuss the reasons why this is.
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Label a picture of the prayer hall.
·  Prepare any questions they would like ask for the visit.
To meet and talk with members of faith communities about what their place of worship means to them.
To know how the building is used for worship and other activities. / Visiting the Gurdwara
When you enter the area used for worship make time for children to experience the atmosphere. Ask them to sit or stand quietly and think of words to describe how they feel. These can be written down by the adults working with groups so that these important first impressions are not lost in the subsequent deluge of new experiences
.
Provide opportunities for children to talk with religious leaders and members of the community. This is an opportunity for them to ask the questions they have prepared in school.
Enable them to record what they have seen in words and pictures. Provide guidance on this. Let them respond to what they are seeing, hearing, smelling and touching; identifying things which they like or which particularly interest them. Ask them which part of the building they think is the most important and why.
To reflect on the experience of the visit and use information to help them to build up a picture of some of the beliefs and practices in the religion they are studying / Follow-up to the visit
The visit can be a stimulus for a wide range of work. As soon as possible give the children time to share their impressions and feelings and to ask any questions which were not answered on the visit.
• Use photos taken on the visit to help them to recall the visit.
• Tasks could include:
– reflective writing, eg ‘what I particularly liked and why’
– handling and identifying artefacts they saw on the visit, matching artefacts with words
– making a display
- preparing a presentation for other children, eg an assembly about what they learnt on their visit
– writing thank you letters to the people who met and talked to them, about what they learnt about that religion
– inviting someone from the faith community to talk to them in school or to see their display or presentation
To identify similarities and difference between the Sikh Gurdwara and the Christian Church. / How is the Gurdwara different to a church?
Start by asking chn to explain the Gurdwara and what it looked like inside.
How is it different to the Church? What things are the same? Use the chn’s knowledge of year 1 unit or video from espresso to refresh their memories:
https://central.espresso.co.uk/espresso/primary_uk/subject/module/video/item339366/grade2/module648491/index.html
Look at the photos of the Gurdwara and compare them to photos of the church.
Suggested learning opportunities:
·  Create a list of same/different features.

Manor Primary School