Wife of Jesus link?

Click here to access the link.

The Life of Jesus Christ - Timeline Assignment

Good starting points to begin your research: click here ... and here!

The Pianist - Holocaust Survivor Project

Much of Jewish religious celebration centres around recognizing the past history of suffering and persecution that Jews have endured over the millennia - something unique in Judaism when compared to most other religions.   In fact it is sometimes the basis for modern thinking about Judaism because it still exists in modern times, for example the Holocaust. This leads us to our next task - The Pianist and Holocaust: The Survivor Project Access the project at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x4XyYO7swSHgEl8MVvBuaYCFYpJFeWsp1AE3a-7xh-w/edit As a part of our Judaism unit we are looking at events that hurt, destroy and decimate the Jewish culture … the most significant of these events in recent history is the Holocaust of World War Two. After having watched the film The Pianist, you will try to put their life during World War II into pictures and words. Your task is to capture the life of a Holocaust survivor.

Nov 13 - The Western/Wailing Wall

Click here to find today's powerpoint lesson/ lecture. We had another great discussion today!

Nov 9 (Friday) - Moses

Click here to find the Introduction to Judaism powerpoint... containing the slides (toward the end) about Moses. Please review (especially if you were not in class that day). And to help you learn/remember the 10 Commandments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K4q22kMzm4

Introduction to Judaism

Click here to find the link to the Introduction to Judaism slide presentation.

Field Trip!

Please bring in your completed field trip forms and $5 to attend this Thursday's trip to the Bookshelf Theater in Guelph to see The Wallflower!

Oct 25 - Buddhism Unit

For the past few weeks, we've been wading our way through the (somewhat difficult) unit on Buddhism. Please click here to find the powerpoint on Buddhism, and click here to find the ppt. on monks. Now that you (should) feel comfortable talking about the life of Siddartha Gautama (the Buddha), his Four Sites (and your own Four Sites), the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path ... we are moving into our learning about the Dalai Lama (perhaps the most famous monk in the world at current time). You will be completing an interview assignment with him, and demonstrating your knowledge/understanding and ability to apply this to current day events.

Oct 4 - Hinduism Test Review

Hindu Unit Considerations (now that you’re an expert!) 1. You should be familiar with all terms used in the unit (Vedas, Brahmin, Brahman, Brahma, Vishnu, caste system, atman, Hindu trinity, karma, maya, Shiva, prasad, dharma, moksha, samsara, ahimsa, meditation, yoga, puja, salvation, karma, reincarnation ... among others!) 2. Give your opinion of what the three most important Hindu beliefs are and explain why you think this. 3. The Hindu concept of God: some say that it is monotheistic, while others say that it is polytheistic. And of course, some would even say that it is monistic. Explain what this all means! 4. It is interesting to note that many Hindu beliefs and practices are presented in fours. Describe three beliefs and practices that are based on the number four. 5. Symbols play an important role in most religions. Explain how the “Om” and Swastika symbols are important in Hinduism. 6. “What goes around comes around.” “As you sow, so shall you reap.” “I have a sense of déjà vu.” “Life is a merry-go round.” Explain your understanding of each of these sayings and explain how each reflects Hindu teachings. 7. Draw a five-spoked wheel – for each spoke identify a way in which Hindus express their faith. See handout. 8. “An eye for an eye only ends up making the world blind”. Using this quote, how did Mahatma Gandhi use religion to oppose prejudice and discrimination? 9. Hinduism suggests that you are a result of your past actions. Describe three past actions that will have an important effect on the person you will become.

Sept 25 - Oct 3 (Gandhi Days)

Over the past week we have been learning about Gandhi, and why he is a significant figure in world history. You are working on your Gandhi Project: His Life and Works in Pictures. To help you with your research, here are some websites: BBC Gandhi - http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/people/gandhi_1.shtml Gandhi's Life According to TIME Magazine - http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988159,00.html

Day 15 (Sept 24)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Today's topic was the Hindu Caste System. Please see the 'extras binder' for the handout if you were not present. We had an interesting discussion about the 'untouchables' (also known as 'Dalit'). Do you think we have a caste system in Canadian society? In our school? An interesting link: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0306/feature1/

Day 14 (Sept 21)

We started class with a discussion about the significance of the Holy Cow in India. I provided a handout, and we looked at the different reasons why the cow is considered holy (think! what things does a cow provide for survival?) Next, I did a brief introduction to a dear old friend: Mohatma Gandhi. Why do most students know this man? Why is he immortalized in our psyche? We started watching the Oscar-winning film ('Gandhi') to learn about the life and legacy of this great man. We will be connecting much of the film to Hindu beliefs (ie: ahimsa, the caste system).

Day 12 (Sept 19)

Hindu God/dess presentations ... and samosas!

Day 11 (Sept 18)

Click here to access today's powerpoint lecture on Hindu beliefs. Tomorrow we will have our Hindu god seminar!

Day 10 (Sept 17)

Workday for your Hindu God project. Please have your project ready to present in our seminar on Wednesday!

Day 9 (Sept 14)

Here is a handy 'Pocket Guide to the Hindu Guides' ... click here to access. Extra copies of the Hindu God Project are available in the classroom course binder (bright orange in colour!).

Day 8 (Sept 13)

To help you choose a Hindu god/deity for the Hindu God Card Project, watch the following 'Pocket Guide to the Hindu Gods': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ2q66Eqn7I Here is an example of a student project from 2 years ago. Instead of creating a card, she made a YouTube clip about her deity, Dhumavati: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmnLu30hMSc

Day 7 (Sept 12)

We started the day with a weeeee little quiz on the terms from Chapter 1: The Religious Impulse. The vast majority of you did very well I started our first big unit: Hinduism. I promised to post a link to the powerpoint that we'll be using for the start of the unit, so here it is: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nlpmn5tN-0wucl2ttkG8Zs_Nk-rcdTzK-r8Gi_Biz58/edit Also, I found a piece of the Departures clip shown in class on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuHJozkEqvo&feature=relmfu

Day 6 (Sept 11)

Today we worked on Chapter One questions from the textbook. The questions are from the handout entitled 'The Religious Impulse'. Extra copies can be found in the course classroom binder :) We will have a quiz at the start of tomorrow's class on the glossary terms.

Day 5 (Sept 10)

Today we started by looking at the world's greatest religions (by 'greatest' I mean by number of adherents/followers). These are 1. Christianity, 2. Islam, and 3. Hinduism. We discussed the meaning of 'Religious Pluralism' - having a positive attitude toward the existence of many faiths in one society. This led to a class discussion about religious pluralism in our school and local community. Some of you were of the opinion that we have some work to do as cultural actors. We looked at how the 2004 French government banned all religious symbols from public schools, and the implications of such a law. And finally, we finished with a short 4 corners discussion to answer the following question: "Should public schools be required to teach both evolution and creationism side by side in science classes?" Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful comments and consideration of other students' opinions :)

Day 4 (Sept 7)

Thank you for being so welcoming to our first guest speaker: Darth Vader! We considered 'Jediism' as an emerging/growing religion. Click here to find the Darth Vader VW commercial. Click here to find the news story about Jediism in England. May the force be with you ... have a great weekend!

Day 3 (Sept 6)

Today we considered our 'worldviews'. To get you thinking about this idea (as well as our 'purpose' in this life), we watched a Ted Talk by pastor Rick Warren. Click here to access the talk. The important information from the slides includes: Your Worldview (things to consider): Why do things happen the way they do? What is right, and what is wrong? What is your purpose in life? What brings meaning to your life? How do you view, or see, the world? What is Rick Warren’s Worldview? Do you agree with his Worldview? Can 2 people share the same worldview? What can happen when 2 people have very different worldviews? How does religion shape a person’s worldview? ‘Religion’ is a word we use quite often...But do we really know what it means? A working definition of religion: 1. A way of thinking, feeling, and acting. 2. Usually provides a devotion to something or someone. 3. Moves beyond what is known, to the supernatural and unknown. 4. Provides teachings that shape and guide behaviour. 5. Is shared by others and practiced and honoured within a religious community.

Day 2 (Sept 5)

Click here to find the link to the short film clip - Baraka: Rise of Religion. Thanks to everyone who participated in today's activity: Are you a believer or a non-believer? Many different ideas, beliefs, and values surfaced as a result of our discussion. You were given a Personal Creedo assignment, due: this Thursday, start of class.

Day 1 (Sept 4)

Welcome to the grade 11 World Religions class! This is one of my favourite courses to teach. I find that grade 11's have a grasp of some of the big questions in life ... and we will be talking about many of these today. Today was just a quick 25 minute class. I handed out your course outlines ... and we learned a bit about everyone in the room! Please follow this link to find a copy of the course outline: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zsrEq1QIKy0eFr4n0ovO0UiBahh-S952gx62PVptDE8/edit?pli=1