<www.tdsb.on.ca/equity> Days of Significance: A Curriculum Resource 2007–2008 Days of Significance: A Curriculum Resource 2007–2008 © 2007 Toronto District School Board Reproduction of this document for use by schools within the Toronto District School Board is encouraged. For anyone other than Toronto District School Board staff, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Toronto District School Board. This permission must be requested and obtained in writing from: Toronto District School Board Tel: 416-397-2595 Library and Learning Resources Fax: 416-395-8357 3 Tippett Road Email: [email protected] Toronto, ON M3H 2V1 Every reasonable precaution has been taken to trace the owners of copyrighted material and to make due acknowledgement. Any omission will gladly be rectified in future printings. This document has been reviewed for equity. Acknowledgements Equity Department, TDSB Human Rights Office, TDSB Library and Learning Resources, TDSB Special thanks to our community contributors: Another Story Bookstore; City of Toronto: Social Policy Analysis and Research (SPAR); Encounter World Religions; Far Eastern Books; Ontario Multifaith Council; Scarborough Missions; Thank you to members of the Planning Team: Patricia Hayes, TDSB Human Rights; Wayne Lee, Equity, TDSB; Joy Reiter, Principal, Kingsview Village Public School, TDSB; Maggie Rose, Social and World Studies and The Humanities; Moira Wong, Equity, TDSB Cover: The Interfaith Banner from <www.sevenplanes.org/banner.html> This banner portrays the holy symbols of many of the world's religions. Below is a description of the symbols and their meanings. UPPER ROW, left to right: Great Goddess From the ancient Middle Eastern tradition, this Goddess image and many like it were the earliest known religious symbols, and represent the fertile Mother from which life springs. African Goddess The Aku Aba is a Goddess symbol used for good luck in many parts of Africa, and is especially worn by women and children as a charm to lend protection, fertility, and good fortune. It is from the Ashanti tribe in Nigeria. Mayan The Hunab Ku symbol represents the centre of our Galaxy. The complex and highly developed Mayan system of astrology is based on our relationship at our birth with this center. The Mayan tradition is an ancient Native set of beliefs from Central America. Native American Medicine Wheel The four directions of the east, south, west, and north are honoured in the wheel of life, hung with sacred eagle feathers. These primal directions represent the stages of energy cycles such as the cycles of time: spring, summer, fall, winter. Hindu Om The OM is the sound of the universal vibration, the primal source from which all creation manifests. It is the mantra mantrika, or “Mother of all sounds,” the first of all creative spells spoken by the world’s original Goddess. The original meaning was “womb.” Buddhist Prayer Wheel The Buddha taught the eightfold path to enlightenment, represented here by a prayer wheel. The paths are right conduct, right contemplation, right effort, right faith, right occupation, right resolve, right self-awareness, and right speech. Jain Jainism contains many elements similar to Hinduism and Buddhism. Nearly all the world’s almost four million Jains are located in India. They practise Ahimsa: non-violence. Taoist Ying Yang The interplay between primal opposites is an eternal dance, such as light/dark, male/female, day/night, life/death, and within the heart of the light is a core of dark, and within the core of darkness lies light. Confucian The social ethics and moral teachings of Confucius are an ethical system to which have been added rituals at important times during one’s lifetime. They deal primarily with individual morality and ethics. This symbol is a Chinese image meaning “Joy together.” There is no official symbol for the Confucian tradition. LOWER ROW, left to right: Shinto Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion with no written scriptures. Ancestors are deeply revered and worshipped. All human life and human nature are sacred. Tradition and the family are very important. Wicca Wicca is a shamanic nature religion from Europe. Symbolic of life and health in ancient times, the Wiccan pentacle has been used as a strong protective charm. It shows an image of how energy flows through stages of life and corresponds to the five points of the sacred human body. Zoroastrian Flame The sacred fire burns on an altar, representing the light which gives all life. Following the prophet Zoroaster, this tradition emphasizes purity and Divine light. Jewish Star of David The traditional interweaving of the upward pointing and downward pointing triangles represent the unity of earthly and heavenly energies. It also represents the union of God and the Shekina, the male and female energies in harmony. Christian Cross The traditional cross reminds us not only of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, but also of the older symbolism of an intersection of two energy flows, one flowing between earth and heaven, and the other spreading out from side to side, representing the four directions. Winged Sufi Heart The awakened heart, which contains the star of perfected light and the receptiveness of the moon, becomes capable of soaring to the heights of Spirit. Sufism is a mystical path from the Middle East. Islamic Moon and Star This shows the star of perfected light, which can be seen as the perfected human, and the receptiveness of the moon, which allows the light of the Divine to fill it. Islam is a tradition from the Middle East, emphasizing devotion and community. Sikh symbol The circle of unity contains the double-edged sword representing the power of truth, and is surrounded by two curved daggers, representing the act of willingness to defend the faith. Baha’i Star The Baha’i religion is one of the newest of the religions of the prophets, and encourages world peace by teaching tolerance and honoring all paths to God. Table of Contents Page Introduction 1 Purpose of Days of Significance: A Curriculum Resource 2007–2008 1 What Is Interfaith Education? 1 What Are the Goals of Interfaith Dialogue? 1 Why Is It Important to Include Interfaith Education in Secular Classrooms and Schools? 2 • Policy/Program Memorandum No. 112 2 • Memorandum of Agreement: Province of Ontario and Ontario Multifaith Council 4 • Excerpts from Guidelines and Procedures for the Accommodation of Religious Requirements, Practices, and Observances, Toronto District School Board, 2000 7 Facts and Statistics 10 City of Toronto Faith Demographic Maps 10 • Buddhist 11 • Hindu 11 • Jewish 12 • Muslim 12 • Sikh 13 • Aboriginal Spirituality 13 2001 Census: Analysis Series—Religions in Canada 14 Frequently Asked Questions 15 FAQs by Teachers 15 • How do we provide accommodation for our students? • FAQs about Halloween in TDSB Schools FAQs by School Administrators 19 • How do we create inclusive school environments? The Toronto District School Board’s Equity Foundation Statement 23 The Toronto District School Board’s Commitment to Equity Policy Implementation 24 ____________________________________________________________________________________ © 2007 Toronto District School Board - i - Days of Significance 2007–2008 Instructional Strategies 26 A Note to Educators: How to Use the Resources in This Document 26 The Role of Planning: Implementation of the James Banks Model for Days of Significance Curriculum Topics 27 The Role of School and Family of Schools (FOS) Equity Committees 27 Using Equitable Schools: It’s in Our Hands to Set Goals and Action Plans 29 Excerpts from A Teaching Resource for Dealing with Controversial and Sensitive Issues in Toronto District School Board Classrooms: “Role of the Reader” 30 Questions to Consider about Holidays 31 A Suggested Curricular Research Activity for Classes and Schools 32 Suggested Fresh AER (Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting) Strategies 36 Information 37 Resource: Excerpts from An Interfaith Celebration of Spiritual and Religious Care (Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care): 37 • I am a Baha’i… 37 • I am a Muslim… 38 • I am a Buddhist… 38 • I am a Jew… 39 • I am a Jain… 40 • I am a Christian… 41 • I am a Zoroastrian… 41 • I am a Hindu… 42 • I am a Sikh… 43 • I am a Wiccan… 43 • I am a Unitarian Universalist… 44 • Aboriginal World View 45 Calendar Systems 46 A Note on Resources Included in This Guide 47 ____________________________________________________________________________________ © 2007 Toronto District School Board - ii - Days of Significance 2007–2008 2007–2008 Days of Significance ♦ * Holy days usually begin at sundown the day before this date ♦ ** Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of this date. September 8, 2007: International Day of Literacy (United Nations) 48 September 11, 2007: New Year (Christian – Coptic/Egyptian/Ethiopian) 50 September 13–14, 2007*: Rosh Hashanah (Judaism) 51 September 13 – October 13, 2007*: Ramadan (Islam) 53 September 21–22, 2007*: Yom Kippur (Judaism) 55 October 5, 2007: World Teachers’ Day (United Nations) 57 October 8, 2007: Thanksgiving (Canadian) 59 October 12–20, 2007**: Navaratri (Hinduism) 60 October 13, 2007**: Eid-Ul-Fitr (Islam) 61 October 17, 2007: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (United Nations) 63 November 9, 2007**: Diwali (Hinduism/Sikhism/Jain) 66 November