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SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5: and Melas

What this unit contains The Sikh festival year, relating this to the lives, teachings and deaths of some of the . These are called Gurpurbs or Melas. This unit also provides an opportunity to consider the age of the religion, the youngest of the six faiths studied. Issues of community, meaning and purpose in . The concept of ‘Saint-Soldier’.

Where the unit fits and how it builds upon This unit provides an opportunity to develop knowledge about the Gurus from Units 1 – 4. previous learning It introduces pupils to knowledge about the martyrdom of some of the Gurus and their families and followers.

As pupils collate information about the festivals studied and sequence them, they will develop further understanding about the context in which the religion developed.

Extension activities and further thinking  Consider the relevance of the inner meaning of one Sikh festival to today.  Apply Sikh beliefs about equality and freedom of worship to a current world or national situation.

Vocabulary SMSC/Citizenship

Mela diwa/diva  Community celebrations persecute  Learning from the past karah prasad persecution  Fighting / standing up for your values under persecution Katha  Rights of the individual

Lambeth Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education Teaching unit SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5:1

Unit 5: Gurpurbs and Melas SIKHISM Part 3

Unit 5 Sessions 1- 4 A A Learning objectives T T Suggested teaching activities Sensitivities, points to 1 2 note, resources Pupils should: √ Talk about why people like to remember things from their past and from the past of  consider why their family or country. Resources remembering the past Sikh calendar information can benefit the √ √ Suggest lessons about oneself and one's beliefs that might be learnt from a range of sheet. present; celebrations or anniversaries. Consider for example Remembrance Day or the Sikh festivals worksheet. anniversary of someone's death, e.g. that of a member of the family or a Saint's day. Assessment sheet.  know some of the Summarise why remembering the past is important to individuals and communities. festivals that are celebrated during the √ Recall what is already known about Sikh festivals. Give out the Sikh calendar year by Sikhs; information sheet, locate recalled festivals and explain the difference between a mela and a Gurpurb. Record definitions.  know that some festivals recall the Set up the group task for the next 3 lessons: lives and deaths of √ Explain that during sessions 2 - 4 pupils will work in groups to research one or two the Gurus (Gurpurbs), times of celebration and / or reflection from the Sikh calendar. Organise groups and whilst others which allocate Festivals. Explain that homework will be further research. are times of celebration are called Give out the recording sheets and explain the process by which the research will be Melas; recorded. If necessary exemplify how the information sheet would work using the birthday of as a model.  know when the Homework festivals take place in Initial research on allocated festival. the year; whether they are a gurpurb or Festivals for research a mela and how they Guru Nanak's birthday; / Baisakhi; relate to the Gurus. Martydoms of and Birthdays of and

Lambeth Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education Teaching unit SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5:2

Unit 5: Gurpurbs and Melas SIKHISM Part 3

Unit 5 Sessions 2- 4 A A Learning objectives T T Suggested teaching activities Sensitivities, points to 1 2 note, resources Before the lesson set up a timeline with the names of the Gurus. The outcomes of Pupils should: √ the pupils' research should be attached to this alongside the name of the Guru Resources whose life / work initiated the festival in order to give pupils a sense of historical Video : 'What's it like to be a  as above continuity. Sikh' - Central

√ Ensure that all pupils have access to a range of materials for research. This could Websites, e.g. : include e-mailing local Sikhs about the festivals, using CD Roms, the Internet and The Sikh Net textbooks. http://www.sikhnet.com/ The Sikh Home Page In session 4 groups should present their findings to the class in as imaginative and http://www.sikhs.org/ creative a way as possible. Collate all materials and attach to the timeline. If General Sikh Information possible link to world events occurring at the same time to contextualise.? http://allaboutsikhs.com/gur u.htm When doing the research: http://www.sikhpoint.com . to achieve level 3 pupils need to describe the story and how it is celebrated; . to achieve level 4 pupils also need to explain at least 1 symbolic action or http://www.sikhworld.co.uk/p artefact; age1.html . to achieve level 5 pupils also need to explain in the inner-meaning box how Baisakhi the festival is important for both the individual Sikh and the Sikh community; http://www.123baisakhi.com . to achieve level 6 pupils need to demonstrate differences in the way the Pilgrimage sites festival is celebrated in India and Britain; http://www.indiantravels.co . to achieve level 7 pupils must also explain where the festival comes from m/pilgrimage-in-india/sikh- and whether there is a relationship to any other religions. pilgrimage.html

Aspects of Religion CD Rom

Lambeth Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education Teaching unit SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5:3

Unit 5: Gurpurbs and Melas SIKHISM Part 3

Unit 5 Session 5 A A Learning objectives T T Suggested teaching activities Sensitivities, points to note, 1 2 resources

Pupils should: √ Identify which Gurpurbs studied recall a time of war. Explain that for a Resources long period of their history Sikhs were fighting for the right of religious Story of Guru Har Gobind from  Understand that Sikhs have freedom. Retell the story of Guru Har Gobind from Divali. Groups Divali. fought for religious freedom at should identify how this theme can or cannot be seen through the significant times in their festivals that they studied. symbol. history; √ Look at relevant sections of the International Declaration of Human International Declaration of  Know that in Sikhism there is Rights. Human Rights – extract. value in fighting for your http://www.un.org/Overview/right beliefs. √ Record personal responses to the issue of the individual's right to s.html religious freedom of belief and worship. http://web.amnesty.org/pages/ab outai-udhr-eng √ Focus pupils on the symbolism of the Sikh Khanda symbol. Ask why http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbu there are 3 swords (kirpans) in this. (Those who have studied s/humanrights/declaration/index. Baisakhi should have this knowledge from their research). asp

√ Explain that Sikhs believe that there is respect for the 'saint / soldier' and that this role was particularly exemplified by Guru Gobind Singh.

√ Discuss whether this concept is a contradiction in terms and record whether there can be such a thing as a 'saint soldier' and fighting for what you consider to be right.

Lambeth Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education Teaching unit SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5:4

Unit 5: Gurpurbs and Melas SIKHISM Part 3

Unit 5 Session 6 A A Learning objectives T T Suggested teaching activities Sensitivities, points to note, 1 2 resources

Pupils should: √ Compare the Martyrdom of a Guru to the death of someone from Resources another faith, for example Martin Luther King or Oscar Romero. Video or information about either  Consider the courage and conviction Martin Luther King or Oscar needed in order to suffer and / or die √ Discuss the qualities and convictions required to face death by Romero. for your beliefs; standing up for your beliefs or values.

 Understand that people from many Write a reflective personal response to the topic of martyrdom. faiths have been prepared to stand up for their beliefs until death.

Lambeth Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education Teaching unit SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5:5

Unit 5: Gurpurbs and Melas SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5 Session 1 The Sikh calendar with festivals

Western Lunar Sikh Calendar Calendar Festivals

January Magh February

Phagan (Mela with sporting events coinciding with a Hindu March festival)

April Chait

May Vasakh Baisakhi (Mela - new year festival, celebration of initiation of the ) June Jaith Martyrdom of Guru Arjan (Gurpurb)

July Har Birthday of (Gurpurb) August Sawan September

Bhadro October

Asun Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Gurpurb) November

December Katik Birthday of Guru Nanak (Gurpurb) Diwali (Mela)

Magar Martydom of Guru Tegh Bahardur (Gurpurb) January

Poh Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (Gurpurb)

Lambeth Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education Information sheet SIKHISM Part 2 Unit 5:6

SIKHISM Part 3 Unit 5: Gurpurbs and Melas

Sikh Festivals

Name: Type of Festival: When:

Story Ways of celebrating Symbolism What story is retold at the festival? or what do people do? Are any actions / artefacts symbolic?

Inner Meaning Community and historical or cultural What does this mean to : context a) individuals?

b) the community?

Lambeth Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education Information sheet SIKHISM Part 2 Unit 5:7