Running head: LESSON PLAN 3

Subject: Ethics and religious culture

Desired results: This lesson plan is designed with the goal of getting the students to
understand that we should all pursue the common good. To do so, some small
objectives are targeted; to raise awareness about other peoples feelings, to empower
students who are being bullied (they should be proud of their respective religions) and
to make the students reflect on the actions that they take on an everyday basis that
could be directed to the pursuit of the common good.

Cycle/Level: Cycle 1 Grade 2 Big idea: RESPECT and all its facets.

Subject specific competencies: Key features of the competencies:

1: Reflects on ethical questions
o 3: Engages in dialogue
Objectives for this particular cycle:
Can indicate the responsibilities a
human being has towards another
human being
Can recognize a value named by
the teacher and the norms that
make human beings act in a
certain way, in a given situation
Can deal with a situation in
regards of the needs of humans
and other beings
o Can express their point of view
o Can listen to others
o Can respect the rules of dialogue
o Can express their feelings, ideas or
preferences regarding a concrete
and simple subject
Cross-curricular competencies:
- 2: To solve problems
3: To exercise critical judgement
Identifies a situation from an
ethical point of view
Evaluates options or possible
actions
Examines several cultural, moral,
religious, scientific or social
references
o Organizes his/her thinking
o Develops a point of view
o Interacts with others
Essential Question(s):
- What is religious bullying?
- How does religious bullying have
an impact on community life?
- What is an injustice?
- How can we help resolve religious
bullying?
Key Features of the cross-curricular
competencies:
- Analyse the components of a
situational problem
- To formulate possible solutions
Running head: LESSON PLAN 4

To form an opinion
To express his/her judgment
To qualify his/her judgment

Broad areas of learning:

Citizenship and Community life

Learning plan
1- Preparation
Pre-assessment: Our goal here is to understand which knowledge the students have
about religion, in order to direct our lesson. We want to target the preconceptions that
they might have due to a lack of knowledge. We also want to gather information on
their knowledge about bullying, since they are young and might not have had any form
of lesson on the subject. We believe it is important to teach those two subjects hand in
hand because of the growing diversity in our classrooms and the more than growing
possibility for religious bullying to happen.

Activity 1 Handout
The students will be asked to complete, individually, a handout that tests their previous
knowledge (please see the handout below). The teacher will collect the handouts and
take into consideration the answers. We plan on getting answers such as; - I know
about God, Jesus, Allah, Shiva, Vishnu (since our classroom has students from
Christian, Islam and Hindu faith). Also; - I can see something that people wear on their
heads (whether it stands for the hijab or the keski/dastaar). We do not expect the
students to know the exact names of the religious apparel at this stage, but we expect
them to eventually get there. After having taking into account the different information
that the students know, the teacher will better be able to direct the following activities.

Time allowed: 15 minutes

Material needed: Handout (See appendix)

Activity 2 Discussion
The teacher will be able to conduct a discussion after having seen the results of the
handouts. Questions that will be asked in this discussion will aim to develop their
religious literacy. For example; if the teacher notices that in the part religion I see
the students describe religious apparel without using its proper name (e.g. Hijab,
Dastaar, Dupatta, Kippah) then the teacher could conduct an activity where the
students have to link a picture of the piece of apparel and link it to its name. Then the
teacher could ask the students their answers and why did they answer in a certain way
and conduct a discussion on the visible/invisible religions. The teacher could make
the students come to the general consensus that some religions are easier to see than
others.
- Which religions are not represented here? (We expect to have Christianity,
Buddhism and maybe Judaism to not be represented)
- Why dont you think about these religions when I ask you to tell me what do
Running head: LESSON PLAN 5

you see? (We expect answers such as; - because they dont wear anything, -
because we cant see that these people have a religion)
- Then do we agree on the fact that the visible religions are the ones we can
identify with our eyes? (Yes)

On the other hand, if the teacher sees that the students have a lot of knowledge on
different religions, then she/he might want to ask the students to make a list of
keywords that they know (any word) and write it on the board. It would then be
interesting to ask the students to work in small groups and construct a simple graphic
organizer where they would link the keywords to the religion it goes with (e.g. Mosque
Islam). Afterwards, the teacher could conduct the same kind of discussion with the
questions mentioned previously, to bring the students to the same kind of conclusion;
there are some religions that are more easy to target. The bullying concept will be left
out for now, as we will address it in another activity.

Time allowed: 30 minutes

Material:
Board/smart board
Cardboard/ Bristol board (graphic organizers)
Markers

2- Execution
Activity 1
Students will have already covered the ideas of Religious Bullying and have
identified what it means, this next activity is a an interactive religious game that
allowed for students to express their knowledge, and to actively learn from others.

The activity would consist of a student having to act out/describe three parts of a
religion, which their team members would later have to guess the religion based on the
actions/descriptions. This allows for students to share their knowledge on the religion,
and for the other students to actively listen and acquire knowledge they may not have
known.

Parts of a religion that can be acted out/described, could include:

Visible/Invisible: whether the religion is visible or invisible. Therefore, there
are some religions that are clearly identifiable by appearances, which would
make it a visible religion. Other religions that cannot be identified visually are
seen as invisible religions. Students will have already touched upon this
subject in the previous activities.
Symbols: the religions symbol which they could name or describe.
Dress/Attire: what people of that practicing religion wear? Men? Women?
Place of Worship: The name/description of the place of worship
Festivals: a religious festival associated with the religion

An example of Religious Charade, could be:

Running head: LESSON PLAN 6

I am a visible religion,
My place of worship is a Gurdwara,
Men of my religion wear a turban.
Which Religion Am I?

I am an invisible religion,
The founder was Moses,
I light a Menorah during Chanukah.
Which Religion Am I?

Time Allowed:
15 minutes

3- Integration
Final activity The wrinkled heart
Here is the activity that should give the students an opportunity to expand their
knowledge and integrate the information they have previously received. This activity
primarily touches upon bullying, but as the links with religion are not explicit, we will
press on the students for them to find the links by themselves during the storytelling.
The teacher will read the book Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. This book is
narrated by a girl in elementary school, and describes the experience she lives when a
new girl comes into her class. The narrator and the other students exclude the new girl
because of her clothing, they also mention the weird food she
eats at lunch time. Then, one day, the girl does not come back
to school because her parents had to move again and instantly
the narrator regrets the way she treated her.

Here is the idea; during the storytelling, every student in the

class would have a paper heart in their hands. While the teacher reads the book, every
time she/he comes across a moment where there is any form of exclusion or
discrimination, the students will crush the heart in their hands. At the end, they will
unwrap the heart and look at its wrinkles. Then the teacher will ask them to try and
make it like it was before. As it is impossible, the teacher will ask the students to
reflect on the story, on the heart, and on what relations we could find with out previous
activities on religion.
- How is the clothes of Maya (the new girl in school) related to the religious
apparel we talked about previously?
- How is the food that Maya eats related to the different cultures/religions we
find in a community?
- In the end, how does Chloe feels about her behaviour?
These are all questions that would bring the kids to reflect on a solution to bullying in
general, and religious bullying in particular. The teacher could end this lesson by
making a collage, composed of the rules that the students would find (and have to
follow) to create a safe space in the classroom and with all the wrinkled hearts. The
kids would be invited to sign their names on a band-aid and stick it on the heart, as a
Running head: LESSON PLAN 7

signature. That would demonstrate their involvement in respecting others beliefs and
contributing in a positive manner to the well-being of the community.

Time allowed: -
15 minutes for storytelling
20 minutes discussion/gathering ideas
10 minutes creating the collage
Material:
Red paper (for the hearts)
Bristol paper (collage)
Book: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
Markers

Assessment plan
Assessment criteria: Assessment tools:
Evaluation of options or possible
actions in order to determine Throughout this lesson, we will be using
which ones contribute to an ongoing form of assessment. The
community life beginning of the lesson was a pre-
o Adequate use of related content assessment which allows the teacher to
involving interaction with others grasp the students levels of
o Presentation of a point of view understanding.
developed using relevant elements
- Use of various and effective Over the course of the lesson, the teacher
strategies has an evaluation grid which they will fill
- Identification of successful out at every step of the lesson, and will
strategies and difficulties reflect on whether or not the student is
Well resonated justification of the working towards the goal.
judgment
Consistency between the judgment
and the criteria on which it is
based
Understanding evidence:
This lesson plan was designed with the goal of getting the students to understand that
we should all pursue the common good. Awareness was raised about other peoples
feelings, to empower students that they should be proud of their respective religions,
and to make the students reflect on the everyday actions.
Students must have a concise understanding of the essential questions. (To be able to
explain religious bullying, to reflect on how it impacts the community life, and how as
students they can make a change to resolve the issue.)

Teachers evaluation grid:

See Evaluation Grid attached.
Running head: LESSON PLAN 8

Lesson #2:

Festival of Lights
Date: December 11, 2017
Cycle: Cycle 1 (Grade 2)
Topic: Winter Celebrations Involving Lights
Duration: ~ 1 hour (60 minutes)

Learning Help students understand that:

Intentions Tackling the entire issue of religious bullying can be difficult and
quite impossible to do on your own
However, adopting small positive gestures individually that
demonstrate kindness and acceptance of others who are different
can slowly help reduce the religious bullying present in schools
Celebrating our religious and cultural differences bring us closer
together as a group or community
Rather than bullying others for their beliefs, we can celebrate each
other's differences and still function as a community
There is nothing wrong with having different lifestyles. Our
religious and cultural differences should not separate us.

Knowledge What is Diwali, Christmas and Mawlid al-Nabi

Acquired When Diwali, Christmas and Mawlid al-Nabi are celebrated
Factual: How lights are used during Diwali, Christmas and Mawlid al-Nabi
Students will know Read a text critically
Procedural: Think critically about information that is or is not important
Students will be Be able to extract important information from a text
able to: Being nice, open to one another and spreading positivity (no matter
how different we may be culturally or in terms of religions) can
slowly help reduce the religious bullying present in schools
Conceptual:
Students will
Understand:

Materials Information sheet on Diwali, Christmas and Mawlid al-Nabi:

Students will be grouped in groups of four, so there will be a total
of 5 teams in the class. 2 teams will work on Diwali, 2 teams will
work on Mawlid al-Nabi and 1 team will work on Christmas. So, 2
information sheets on Diwali, 2 on Mawlid al-Nabi and 1 on
Christmas.
Response sheet where students will have to answer the What,
When and How of each celebration: Each team will have four
of these sheets, so everyone can write on it. Therefore, there will be
a total of 22 sheets (20 per student and 2 extra sheets)
Running head: LESSON PLAN 9

Pencils, pens, erases, etc. (Material to write)

Additional hands-on material for students who need specific
sensory stimulation (stress ball, foam ball, etc.)
Lamp, candle, Christmas lights and garland

Vocabulary Bully, Religious Bullying, Diwali, Christmas, Mawlid al-Nabi, Light

TIME ACTIVITY

Introduction
I will remind the students of our lesson we did on religious
bullying. We will focus on talking about what bullying is, what
religious bullying is and how it makes victims feel (discussion).
This will serve as a refresher for all of the students to remember
what was learned in the previous lesson, especially since it it was
done around September while this lesson is done in December.
5-7minutes I will press on the students thinking and ask them what kinds of
behaviours we should adopt instead of religious bullying. I will try
to gear them into saying that one should be accepting and open to
cultural and religious differences.
With that said, I will introduce the next lesson. I will explain that
one way to respond to the current religious bullying happening is to
spread acceptance, love and positivity. I will explain that is what
we will be doing in the following lesson: celebrating religious and
cultural diversity in the classroom.

Development

Explain the Instructions for the Activity:

I will go through the guidelines and rules for the activity. That is:
1. We will create a festival of lights in the class
2. Class is separated into groups: Each group will focus on a
particular religious celebration that happens near the Winter
time 2 groups will focus on Diwali, 2 on Mawlid al-Nabi and
1 on Christmas
3. I will provide work sheets and information sheets. They will
need to work as a team to answer the questions on the work
3-5 minutes sheet
4. I will go over the questions on the work sheet
5. I will explain that the purpose is to learn more about each
others celebrations and be open to them. I will say that though
we are all different, we can learn about each other and learn to
live together happily. I will stress on the fact that being positive
and open to each others differences is a much better way to
handle our differences than to bully each other.
6. I will say that at the end of this lesson, we will decorate a
Running head: LESSON PLAN 10

corner of the class using the kinds of lights that are used for the
festivals chosen for this activity

~ 30 minute (
The students will engage in the activity
depending on the
* Halfway through, I will give the students a brain break, so they get the
speed of the class)
chance to relax their brains for a short minute. Here, I will ask them to get
up and do stretches with me.

10 minutes Class Discussion:

I will go over the answers with the students and we will talk about what a
particular celebration is, when it is celebrated, and what kinds of lights it
uses. Each team will have to provide answers out loud to the class when it
is their turn.
We will start with Diwali, then Mawlid al-Nabi and end with Christmas.

Closing & Conclusion

Takeaway:
As a group, we will talk about moments where we were bullied, and how it
made us feel. Then, we will talk about an instance where someone said
kind words to us and how it felt. Similarly, I will ask them to share an
5-10 minutes instance where they said something kind to another student, and how it
made that student feel. I will show how being kind to one another feels
better than hurting one another.

I will relate this to religious bullying and explain that being more open and
accepting of other students cultures and religions feels better than putting
them down for their differences. I will stress on how adopting positive
behaviour and being kind to one another is a much better way to approach
people who are different.

3 minutes Group hug & Installation of Lights

We will end the activity by giving each other hugs, and one big class hug.
Then, the decorative lights for Diwali, Christmas and Mawlid al-Nabi will
be installed.

Formative Assessment
I will not grade the work the students do in class, because I think it is an
important activity to engage in regardless of the mark they obtain. Instead,
I will simply put an x over which answer on the worksheet that was
filled in incorrectly. I do not think it is necessary to apply a numerical
value to this activity. My goal is to focus on the message for this activity
Running head: LESSON PLAN 11

rather than on the class content. In other words, Im more interested in

them learning to develop a good moral character than learning to obtain
high marks.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Differential Stimulate the senses:

Strategies I mixed an oral, visual and hands-on approach in this activity, so students
have a variety of sensory activities to work with. For the oral portion, we
will be engaging in discussion. For the visual aspect of the lesson, we will
be creating a mini showcase of our festival of lights in the corner of the
class as a metaphor for all of us in the classroom. It would show that
though we are all different, we are still a group and a community. Lastly,
for the hands-on approach, students will be asked to look through the
information sheets and write the essential information on their worksheets.
Therefore, they are not always sitting down and taking in information from
the teacher. Rather, they are involved in the learning experience and are
sharing ideas and writing them down as a group.

No Assessment:
This activity is not assessed because skill level and knowledge is not of
much importance for this unit.

Group Work:
Groups are already assigned and in place when this activity will take place.
I have already paired students with difficulties with those who are at a
higher-level, so they can work together and help each other.

In addition, each group will have an expert student. This means that
groups working on Diwali, for example, will be composed of three
students who do not celebrate it and one student who does. Having this
expert student will help the group in case they are struggling to
understand a certain concept in the celebration they are given.

Individualized feedback:
If a student is struggling, I will give individualized feedback one-on-one to
assist them. I will keep an eye on students who normally have trouble and
need extra attention. I will assist them if need be during the activity.

Peer-Helpers:
I will assign stronger students to help students who encounter more
difficulties. They will work together. For example, a student with dyslexia
will be paired in a group where there are strong readers who will
 Running head: LESSON PLAN 12

potentially assist during the activity.

Brain-Break
A brain-break is added fifteen minutes into the activity to give students a
chance to take a break and re-center themselves. This helps students lessen
the feeling of being overwhelmed with the material which will
consequently help them perform better. This also benefits the few students
with ADHD who have shorter attention spans and will need a moment to
calm down and re-focus.

Extra Materials for Students

I will have with me in class a stress ball for students who need constant
hands-on stimulation to play with during the activity.

References

Activity Village. (n.d.) Diwali. Retrieved from http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/diwali

 Running head: LESSON PLAN 13

ducation et enseignement suprieur Qubec. (2008). Personal development. In Quebec education

program (Chapter 9). Retrieved from

http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/site_web/documents/dpse/formation_jeunes/ecr_ele

mentary.pdf

ducation et enseignement suprieur Qubec. (2008). Cross-curricular competencies. In Quebec

education program (Chapter 2). Retrieved from

http://www1.education.gouv.qc.ca/sections/programmeFormation/primaire/pdf/educprg2001/edu

cprg2001-020.pdf

Kiddy House (n.d.) All about Christmas for kids and teachers. Retrieved from

http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Christmas/

Kiddy House (n.d.) Diwali for kids. Retrieved from http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Holidays/diwali/

Safi, O. (n.d.) The celebration of Mawlid, the birthday of the prophet. Retrieved from

http://www.onbeing.org/blog/the-celebration-of-mawlid-the-birthday-of-the-prophet/7174

Social Studies for Kids. (n.d.) Mawlid an-Nabi. Retrieved from

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/holidays/mawlidannabi.htm

Woodson, J. (2012). Each Kindness. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group.
Running head: LESSON PLAN 14
Handout Pre-assessment

Name:
Brain workout!

Subject: Religious bullying

Religion I know Religion I see/experience

Bullying I know Bullying I see/experience

 Running head: LESSON PLAN 15

Religious Bullying

Student Name: __________________________

Pre-Assessment Completed Not Completed

Discussion Student engages and participated in class Student does not engage/participate
discussion about religious issues. in class discussion about religious
issues.

Religious Student is able to accurately act Student is able to accurately act

Charades out/describe three parts of a religion. out/describe at least one part of a
Activity religion.

Religious Student is actively participating with Student is participating with other

Charades other students to accurately define students to define which religion is
Activity which religion is being acted being acted out/described.
out/described.

The Wrinkled Student actively listened to the story Student actively listened to the story.
Heart Activity and was able to reflect on a solution to
bullying.

Note(s) / Comment(s):
Running head: LESSON PLAN 16

Diwali
Diwali is celebrated by
Hindus in India and all
around the world. It is the
Hindu New Year.

This year, it will be celebrated on October 19,

2017.

It is a very exciting and colourful holiday.

Wherever Diwali is being celebrated you will
see shops, houses and public places decorated
with small lamps known as diyas. They are
usually placed in rows on window sills and
outside buildings as decorations.
Running head: LESSON PLAN 17

Christmas
Christmas is the
celebration of the birth of
Jesus Christ. Christians
celebrate it on December
25th all over the world.

Some families like to

decorate their homes with a Christmas tree.

Sometimes, they decorate the trees with

colourful lights and ornaments! Other
times, people light up candles in their
homes too.
Running head: LESSON PLAN 18

Mawlid al-Nabi
Mawlid an-Nabi is a
special holiday for
many in the Muslim
faith. It is celebrated
to mark the birthday
of the Prophet
Muhammad.

On this day, Muslims celebrate by singing

songs and saying special prayers.
This year, it is celebrated on December 1,
2017.

During this celebration, there are decorations

all over the city like banners and lights.
Running head: LESSON PLAN 19

Answer Sheet
Celebration: ______________

What is it about?
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

When is it celebrated?
________________________________________________

How are lights used during this

celebration?
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
Running head: LESSON PLAN 20