Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: The Foundation of Hinduism

Grade Levels: 9th grade

Subject/Topic Areas: World History

Keywords: India, Hinduism, Brahmins, caste system, Mathura, Ayodhya,

Calcutta, Ganges River, Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, Kali, Brahman,
reincarnation, Law of Karma, Moksha

Designed by: Molly Simons

Time Frame: 4 class periods; 1. History of Aryan People/India, Rig Veda,

2. Philosophy of Hinduism, The Chandogya Upanishad, The
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, The Bhagavad Gita 3. Philosophy of
Hinduism Continued: Deities and Sacred Sites, 4. Puja and Prasad: Daily
Hindu Ritual

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

On day 3 of this unit, students will be working with primary sources to further
understand the philosophies and values of Hinduism. Students will be paying
particular attention to four Hindu deities: Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, and Kali.
Students will also be examining images of the four deities and analyzing their
relationship to various religious sites and structures. Throughout the unit,
students will be using analytical skills to determine the connections between
these important religious symbols and the teachings of Hinduism. Compiling their
new knowledge students will add to their passports and continue working on their
World Religion blogs.
--Throughout this broad unit, students will be creating a blog organizing and
illustrating their journeys as travelers exploring the major world religions of this
time period, including Islam, Hinduism, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Christianity.
(An example is provided later in the packet.)

Michigan High School Content Expectations/World History and

Geography (9th-10th):
4.1.2 World Religions Using historical and modern maps and other documents,
analyze the continuing spread of major world religions during this era
-including Hinduism in South Asia

Michigan High School Content Expectations:

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SS_HSCE_9-15-09_292358_7.pdf
 Stage 1Identify Desired Results

Established Goals:

Students will analyze important primary source documents that showcase the
values and key elements of the Hindu religion in India. They will evaluate and
discuss the purpose and teachings of the deities Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, and Kali.
Using the information they gather through class discussion and individual
analysis, students will gather and record information from the varying documents
and images into their passports. Students will also be illustrating and collecting
brief information on some revered religious sites throughout this activity. These
passports will be briefly checked throughout the lesson and become tools for
students to utilize during the creation of their blogs.

What Understandings are desired?

Students will understand . . .

-How to decipher primary sources.
-The beliefs associated with Hinduism.
-The importance of deities to the Hindu religion.
-That the sources used and produced in this time period would have contained
some religious bias.
-The significance of sacred religious sites.
-That artifacts are a tool to pose questions about the past and foster discussion in
accordance to NCHEs habits of mind. This included pictures.
-That all aspects of Hinduism cannot be explored in this unit.

What essential questions will be considered?

-How did the values of Hinduism effect India?

-Is religious history inevitably biased?
-How can a student assess the reliability of a primary source?
-Why is Hinduism such a fast growing religion?
-What purpose is there in studying this religion and the history of India?
-Why should the deities be a point of discussion when examining Hinduism?
 What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this
unit?
Students will know . . .
-The major foundations of Hinduism.
-Three sacred texts of the Hindu
religion.
-Four deities commonly associated with
Hinduism.
-The key characteristics of the caste
system.
-Society's attitude towards social class.
-Key terms associated with Hinduism.
-Four religious sites in India.
Students will be able to . . .
-Compare and contrast Hinduism with
other common religions in Era 4.
-Decipher primary source documents
and the messages sent.
-Discuss the importance of primary
sources from this time period.
-Relate the values expressed in sacred
texts and the images of the deities.
-Create a passport of the major
religious sites in India.
-Discuss the key philosophies of
Hinduism.
 Stage 2Determine Acceptable Evidence

What evidence will show that students understand?

Performance Tasks* (summary of GRASPS form):

-Day 2: Your task is to analyze four of the deities heavily present in Hindu texts.
Around the room, you will choose a station to begin your journey through the
sacred sites of India. Each station has a different site. In your passport, on your
map you need to mark the site that you are visiting. Also, provide one fun fact
from the information you discover. Underneath your location, you will find an
image of one deity. You will want to quickly take some notes on the backside of
your passport page. You only have two minutes at each station. So, work quickly!
After two minutes, you will continue to the next station. I will travel through the
room and stamp your passport as you work.

-In your blog, you will continue updating your information about your religious
tour through the East. Consider entering information about the religious site you
found most interesting. Express some characteristics of the Gods and Goddesses
that seem most interesting to you. Most importantly, be creative!

*Please do not limit yourself to these examples. Demonstrate your understanding

in a creative way.

*Complete a Performance Task Blueprint for each task (next page).

Other Evidence (quizzes, tests, prompts, observations, dialogues, work

samples):

-Short quiz (Kahoot!) on the history of Hinduism.

-Ticket-out-the-door: Questions, from in class discussion, on The Chandogya
Upanishad, The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, and The Bhagavad Gita.
-Passport: Each station will be an assessment on students discovery.
-Students will constantly be assessed on their efforts and contributions to
discussions.
-Final quiz, on the 5th day, reviewing all aspects of Hinduism examined.
 Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:

-On the final quiz, students will have to list any topics that they feel they need to
further examine to reach a better understanding.
-Students will reflect on the primary source they found most valuable in this
lesson.
-Students will rate the importance they find in examining primary sources.
 Performance Task Blueprint
What understandings and goals will be assessed through this task?
Students will -discuss the connections between
-analyze primary source visual images religious sites and deities.
-identify four deities and their -assess the values that certain deities
prevalence in the religion. encourage in the religious followers.

What criteria and implied in the standards and understandings regardless

of the task specifics?
What qualities must student work demonstrate to signify that standards
were met?
Students will be able to... -compare and contrast the values of
-intelligently and sensitively discuss different religions.
varying religions. -explain opinions with textual support.
-determine and analyze the central -present information to their peers to
ideas in a help further the classes knowledge.
primary document.

Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate

understanding?
Students will begin to demonstrate understanding through the completion of their
passport. They will have to provide information on a religious site and deity. This
passport will prove that students have made the connection between the sacred
sites of India and deities.

What student products and performances will provide evidence of desired

understandings?
The discussions students will be having with their classmates with my facilitation
and prompt questions will show the growth they made in the hour. After each
student visits all of the locations, they will be given one image to become an
expert on. Each student will also be provided with additional information on the
specific deity they are presenting in our discussion.

By what criteria will student products and performances be evaluated?

For this day, the passport is the main product that will be evaluated. Yet, students
will be informally evaluated on their contributions to class discussions and the
presentation of their deity.

Performance Task Blueprint

What understandings and goals will
Students will...
-analyze primary source excerpts.
-use maps and traveling to further
understand the expansion of religions.
be assessed through this task?
-be able to share and support findings
that correlate to a variety of religions.
-identify religious sites and their
purpose.

What criteria and implied in the standards and understandings regardless

of the task specifics?
What qualities must student work demonstrate to signify that standards
were met?
Students will be able to... -understand the importance and
-analyze multiple documents to find the purpose of primary sources.
message that author is trying to convey. -support their ideas with textual
evidence.

Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate

understanding?
Students will create a new blog entry to highlight the foundations of Hinduism. In
this blog, they will use their historical thinking skills and creativity to write an
informal account of the information they have gained through their travels
throughout India. Students must include both religious sites and primary sources.

What student products and performances will provide evidence of desired

understandings?
The blog completed at the end of each unit, documenting their world travels, will
assess the knowledge that each student gained throughout the study of Era 4
from the discussions and lessons on various religions.
 By what criteria will student products and performances be evaluated?
The blog will serve as a review at the end of each unit. I will be able assess the
student's ability to transfer the new found knowledge from the lessons to a
creative outlet that is entertaining for their age group.

Stage 3Plan Learning Experiences and

Instruction
Consider the WHERETO elements:

Students will initially begin the day by viewing four images. We will briefly view
and discuss the purpose of these images.
What is similar? What is different? What are the structures? Where are the
structures? What characteristics are particularly noticeable?

Today, it is important to revisit the lessons throughout the unit. First, we will have
a gentle reminder of Hinduism. Particularly, students should be focusing upon the
ideals and philosophies that we have already examined when considering
Hinduism.

Using the bulletin board, we will revisit some of the topics that we previously
discussed. This becomes a tool that students can use throughout the week. This
resource board constantly changes throughout our lessons.
What personal characteristics were significantly important to Hindu teachings?
What did the religion value in societal characteristics?

Returning to the images at the beginning of the lesson, we will begin to discuss
the influence these religious sites have on the entire country. Students will be
shown a current map of Indias sacred sites. These locations have the same
names. This helps them make connections between the past and present.

Throughout the room, there will four religious sites that students are visiting. The
students will be traveling to Ayodhya, Mathura, Calcutta, and the Ganges River.

At each location, students will be responsible for recording their travels in their
passport book. They must identify and mark the region they are visiting on the
map provided in their passports. Also, students should be writing a fun fact to help
them remember the significance of the site they examined.

At each location, students will also find an image of a deity that has some
connection to that location. The four deities that will be examined are Vishnu,
Shiva, Krishna, and Kali.
Each student will spend two minutes at a station. Students will rotate with their
passports throughout the room. They need to briefly take notes on both the
location and the deity they are examining.

After the students have traveled across India, they will return to their seats and
closely examine one of the images again to present in small group discussion. For
their specific image, each student will receive additional information.

The students will continue working on their blogs. This entry will show their
reflection on Hinduism. They will have creative freedom.
Guiding Questions for Discussions:

1. What is Hinduism?
2. What is the final goal of all people who practice Hinduism?
3. What is the idea of Brahman?
4. Explain the difference between Brahmins and Brahman.
5. Is Hinduism a monotheistic or polytheistic religion?
6. What is a deity? What do deities represent?
7. What is the caste system?
8. Do the lowest levels of the Hindu society have any opportunity
for advancement? If so, how can they accomplish this?
9. What is reincarnation? Are all people reincarnated? What is the
purpose of reincarnation in the Hindu religion?
10. Are primary sources or secondary sources more powerful
in historical research?
11. How do the deities examined through images compare to
the values that the sacred texts presented for the religion?
12. In the primary sources we viewed today, who was the
intended audience? Point to textual evidence to support.
13. What characteristics make discussions of religion so
controversial?
14. Are primary sources influential in this lesson?
15. Are these sources considered bias? Why or why not?
16. Using our historical thinking skills, how did women
respond to these rules? Did they have the opportunity to disagree
with any of the teachings?
17. What is the purpose of learning about religious sites
alongside deities?
18. How did the beliefs we carry today affect this lesson?
19. Was it difficult to examine a belief that may be far
different from your own?
20. In 2016, why are we still discussing these elements of
history in India? Why did I teach you this lesson?
Primary Sources:

"Holy Places." Heart of Hinduism: Holy Places. Accessed November 29, 2016.
http://iskconeducationalservices.org/HoH/practice/503.htm.

This primary source provided a map of India recognizing all of the major religious sites. For
students, it is important to examine these maps to find relevance of the topics to present day.
Most students are aware of the religion Hinduism. By looking at this map, they will truly
understand the vastness of the religion. This map shows the current affect our lesson has on the
world.

The Bhagavad Gita. In The Human Record Sources of Global History: Volume I To 1700, 70-
73. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2012.

Initially when planning my lesson, I wanted to incorporate this primary source to further discuss
the principles of Hinduism. However, many of these texts students are examined within other
courses, so I decided not to show this lesson to the class. In the broad unit, though, I would use
this primary source to continue the conversation of dharma, moksha, and reincarnation. This
source also has students consider the effects Hinduism and the impact of reincarnation on the
caste system.

The Upanishads. In The Human Record Sources of Global History: Volume I To 1700, 67-70.
7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2012.

Much like the other religious documents, this is extremely dense. The Human Record presents
primary sources that are much easier to explore. They also highlight some of the most important
parts of the larger document. In this document, some of the key concepts of Hinduism are
highlighted, such as karma, samsara, moksha, atman and the Brahman. Also, these documents
discuss self-realization, yoga, and meditation. I used it to re-educate myself on some of these
difficult concepts.

Secondary Sources:
 Brun-Ozuna, Barbara. The Importance of Teaching About Religion in the Classroom.
In Teaching World History in the Twenty-first Century: A Resource Book, 120-126.
Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2010.

This text dealt with some of the concerns that teachers face when trying to teach religion in the
classroom. As a history teacher, Brun-Ozuna understands that history and culture can not be
taught without the incorporation of religion. In this lesson, I used her ideas of teaching religion
through culture to try and alleviate some of the anxieties that can arise when teaching religion.

Drake, Frederick D., and Lynn R. Nelson. "Using Primary Sources: The First-, Second-,
and Third-Order Approach." In Engagement in Teaching History: Theory and Practices
for Middle and Secondary Teachers, 138-55. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall, 2005.

This text is extremely useful for finding varying activities to incorporate into a lesson. For this
lesson, I focused on Chapter 7 because I wanted to truly help my students engage with primary
sources. This chapter helped me develop the questions I should be asking my students regarding
the primary source documents.

"The Story of India." PBS. MayaVision International, 2002. Web. Accessed November
29, 2016. http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/

This website provided a lot of background information on Hinduism and India. If I had limited
time to work with my students on these topics, I would create a webquest for this PBS coverage.
On the website, there are many videos that explain various aspects of life in India including the
religion. It also has an informative and useful timeline.
Ayodhya is an ancient city of India, believed to be the birthplace of Rama and setting of the
epic Ramayana. Rama is considered to be a supreme being in India and a descent of the God
Vishnu. Owing to the belief as the birthplace of Rama, Ayodhya has been regarded as one of
the seven most important pilgrimage sites for Hindus.
Mathura is a city in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient period,
Mathura was an economic hub, located at the junction of important caravan routes. Mathura
is most famous for being the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
The Ganges, also Ganga, is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through the nations of
India and Bangladesh. The Ganges is the most sacred river to Hindus. The Ganges River is
equated with Shiva for they both are believed to be a part of Moksha.
Calcutta is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. The Hindu religion considers this
place to be a sacred site. Calcutta is revered for the Kalighat Kali Temple that is dedicated to
the Hindu goddess Kali.
Blog Rubric Entry:

Excellent (100%) Average (66%) Poor (33%)

Primary Source The student The student The student did not
Evaluation demonstrated the understood and provide adequate
(10 points) knowledge they discussed one of the information ensuring
gained through a teachings prevalent in that they understood
variety of primary this religion and the topics in the
sources in this unit. explored one location. primary sources.
They included both
important teachings
and concepts
alongside sacred
sites in the country.

Creativity The student let their The student prepared The student neglected
(10 points) creativity shine. They a piece that to use any form of
expertly incorporated represented their creative voice or
voice, primary source personal voice while intrigue the audience
examples, and educating the reader. with the information.
visuals. The blog
seemed to be a
genuine personal
account requiring
much thought for the
writer.

Mechanics The student carefully The student may have The student had more
(5 points) edited their blog. had a few issues in than five issues in
There were no spelling or grammar. grammar or spelling.
obscene grammar or It did not distract from The blog was
spelling issues. The the presentation and overpowered by
blog was extremely appearance of the unintentional
presentable. blog. mechanical mistakes.