ThisThis Kid’sKid’s Life Life Yvonne Crawford ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 1 Introduction This Kid’s Life is a booklet that focuses on how a child lives daily life in a different religion. This particular book tracks the life of a boy named Balveer who is Sikh and lives in India. When beginning your study of this booklet, you can choose to give your students a pre-test that will check to see what understand- ings or misconceptions they have about Sikhism. Next, you can read a two-page letter from Balveer to help your students learn about daily life of Sikh children. Afterwards, have your students fill out a compre- hension worksheet to see how much information they have retained. Finally, there are several different activities that you can complete with your students: 1. Facts about Sikhism and discussion questions 2. Word Search Puzzle 3. Secret Code Puzzle 4. Create Khanda Mosaic Art 5. Create a Kangha 6. Paper Doll Acitity 7. Postcard Writing Activity 8. Different Lives Writing Activity 9. Sikhism Sayings 10. Crossword Puzzle about Sikhism 11. All about Sikhism Coloring and Writing Page 10. Similarities and Differences Organizer and Writing Activity ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 2 What I Think Sikhism is Like.... 1. What is the very first thing you think of when you think of the Sikh religion? Draw a picture of it. 2. Which of these symbols is a symbol of Sikhism? 3. Which countries are mainly Sikh countries? 4. Draw a picture of a boy wearing a turban. 5. Do you think Sikhs eat pork? Yes or No ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 3 A Letter from Balveer Hello! My name is Balveer. I live in Chandigarh. My city is the capital of the Punjab and Haryana regions of India. My religion is Sikhism. Have you heard of Sikhism before? It originated in this area of India about 500 years ago. It was started by Guru Nanak Dev. When we worship, we go to a gurdwara. This word means “Doorway to God”. Even though men and women sit apart from one another at the gurdwara, men and women are considered equal in the Sikhism religion. In my religion, there are five Ks that we live by: Kesh: We cannot cut out our hair, and men must cover their hair. Some women cover their hair as well. Kangha: This is a comb that we carry and use to comb our long hair twice a day. Kara: This is an iron bracelet that all Sikhs wear. This bracelet reminds us of God. Kachera: This is a special undergarment we all wear. Kirpan: This is a short dagger. We are supposed to wear it at all times. It is only to be used in self-defense and is more of a symbol to remind us to fight injustice throughout our life than a weapon. We also follow three central principals: 1. We must earn an honest living. 2. We must meditate. 3. We must share with others. Do you live by principals like ours? If so, what are they? ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 4 Some people think our lives are different than theirs, but we are just normal people who want to have a family and live a good life. Some of my cousins who live in the USA say that they stick out like a sore thumb there with their turbans, but they also say people are generally very nice to them. My mother plays an important role in my life. She is the one who started my spiritual journey to Sikhism. My father also plays a very active role in my life. He teaches me about Sikhism scripture. He explains the relationship between me and our creator. My grandparents also help with my religious journey. You should see my grandfather’s beard. It is quite long as he never cuts it, like his hair. There are three times that we mediate each day - morning, evening, and right before bed. We must visit the gurdwara daily or as often as possible. Every Sikh must be baptized before they are truly a Sikh. This baptism is called Amrit. At this moment we say we will abide by the code of conduct. Amrit can occur at any age. I think, but I’m not sure, that I might ask my parents if I can do Amrit next year. Don’t tell any- one yet. I want to mediate and make sure I’m ready for this huge step in my faith. ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 5 Did you know that since our religion is only 500 years old, that it is one of the youngest religions in the world? My father asked me if I wanted to study our religion as a subject at college when I go. I’m not sure as I’m still very young. As much as I love the Sikh religion, I also am fascinated by computer science. I love to pay on my Ipad every day. I think I might study to become a computer programmer, but as I said, time will tell. Next year, I plan on going with my parents to visit my cousins in the USA. I can’t wait to see how they live there. I’ve never been to the USA before. I hear it is very different. I even hear that the Indian food there is different! My family and and I do not eat meat at all. It is not forced on us by our religion, but we think it is healthier not to eat meat. My mother loves to make vegetarian curry. It’s my favorite dish! Have you ever eaten curry before? If you have, did you like it? What did you think of it? Well I had better go, it’s time for our evening meditation. Have a great weekend, Balveer ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 6 Questions About Balveer’s Letter 1. What religion does Balveer follow? 2. Draw a picture of Balveer meditating. 3. Where does Balveer live? 4. What should Balveer do with his hair? 5. What is Balveer going to become? Draw a picture of Balveer studying in college. ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 7 Facts and Discussion About Sikhism Sikhism is the world’s fifth largest religion. It was founded about 500 years ago in the Punjab region of India. Are you familiar with the Sikh religion? What do you know about the country of India? Most people who practice the Sikh religion live in India, but more than 500,000 Sikhs also live in the USA. What other religions are practiced in India? Sikh means ‘seeker of knowledge’ in Punjabi. Punjabi is the language spoken in the Punjab region of India. It is the language of the Sikh religion. What other languages are spoken in India? Sikhs don’t cut their hair. They keep their hair natural as a sign of living together with God. If you had never cut your hair, how long do you think it would be? Do you wish you had longer hair? Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. This means that Sikhs believe in one God. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in more than one God? All Sikh men and some women cover their heads at all times in order to respect their Gurus. Do you ever cover your head? Why or why not? ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 8 Facts and Discussion About Sikhism The head covering for men is called a turban. It sometimes used to show wealth and nobility, but not in this religion. Have you ever seen anyone wear a turban? The Sikhs’ scripture is unique and is called the Guru Granth Sahib. It is a compiled book full of devotional writings. What is your religion's spiritual book? Sikhs do not believe in superstitions. They do not believe one number or date is any better or worse than another. Do you believe in an superstitions? What would you do if a black cat crossed your path? Sikhs believe that the only way to please God is to love him. They do feel they have to fast. Do you fast for your religion? A female has equal status in the Sikh religion. How do you feel about men and women having equal status in this religion? Many Sikhs do not eat meat. Not eating meat is not required, how- ever. The only requirement is to eat simple and healthy food. What foods do you consider to be simple and healthy? Sikhism was started in the middle of conflicts between the Hindu and Muslim religions. Its founder decided to choose the path of God, not Hindu nor Muslim. What do you know about the Hindu and Muslim religions? ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 9 Sikhism Word Search L L Z E N C Q I M O A V P R A J M S C N U S E U Y I I N M E Q F C T N H D J N G E U N P K J V N Z O B B R I L V A L I D M Z S R N U H B H L Q J M C N A B R U T A V H S N S I H N Y H E A L T H Y G W V Words to Find one God equal Sikhism healthy Punjab turban India scripture ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 10 Secret Code About Sikhism Solve the puzzle to find out what men wear on their heads KEY A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ©Yvonne Crawford, 2016 11 Design Khanda Mosaic Art The Khanda is an emblem that represents Sikhism.