1. India “Religions & Modern culture”

2. Birthplace of Many Religions
Reading Charts:
What is the 2nd most practiced
religion in India?
The religions of Hinduism and Buddhism both originated in India
Today, about 80% of Indians are Hindu
Buddhism has practically disappeared in the country

3. Hinduism The Vedas are the oldest of Hindu writings
Hindu’s believe that one supreme spirit is the only reality in the universe and all living things have a soul that comes from that one spirit
Priests are the only ones who can access religion, putting them in the top caste
With the given inequality between the holy and unholy, the caste system was born!

4. Hinduism continued… Places or worship: temples
Practices: yoga, meditation, offerings at the temple
Women can become priestesses
Many gods are worshipped (polytheistic)
Language: Sanskrit
Pray 3 times a day

5. Buddhism
The religion of Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddharta Gautama (Buddha before he was Buddha)
Four Noble Truths: Life is filled with suffering, people suffer because they want wordly things, people can stop suffering if they can stop wanting by following the Eightfold Path

6. Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path
8) Practicing proper forms of concentration 7) Controlling one’s thoughts and feelings 6) Trying to free one’s mind of evil 5) Holding a job that doesn’t injure others 4) Respecting life, morality, and property 3) Saying nothing to hurt others 2) Trying to resist evil 1) Knowing the truth
All existence is suffering
Illusion and desire are the cause of suffering
Suffering should be eliminated
Eliminate suffering step by step

7. Buddhism continued Also believe in reincarnation
When people give up desire they reach nirvana
Worship in monasteries and temples
No gender bias, women tend to take domestic roles around the home
Believe humans are naturally greedy, angry, and ignorant

8. The Writing Process
Compare and contrast Hinduism and Buddhism in a Venn Diagram, giving 3 differences for EACH and 3 similarities.
Use your graphic organizer to respond to the following prompt (constructed response style):
*Hinduism and Buddhism are similar in many ways, but their differences should be noted. Explain the similarities and differences of these two religions, giving 2 differences and one similarity as detail.
3) Self-edit your spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and THAT IT MAKES SENSE!

9. Day 2: Modern India

10. Independence
During the 1600’s, European countries were setting up trading posts on India’s coasts
The British empire took over most of India
1858- Britain established direct rule over India
The British imposed taxes, took over land, and passed laws that gave the British more rights than the Indians
Indian resentment grew

11. Indian National Congress
Muslim League
Indian National Congress
Formed in 1906
Formed to include Muslim in the equal status of Indians
Also adopted the goal of independence from Britain
Formed in 1885
Formed to gain equal status for Indians
Overtime, adopted the goal of independence for India

12. Mohandas Gandhi
Worked for independence for India through nonviolence (boycotts, fasting, marches)
Wanted all Indians to be treated equally (no matter their caste or gender)
Wanted peace between Hindus and Muslims

13. Independence and Partition
The British government gave India their independence in 1947
Because of the disagreements between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, India was partitioned into two countries- India and Pakistan

14. India’s Government Representative Democracy
Federal system that divides power between the central government and it’s 28 states
Parliament consists of two houses: House of the People and Council of the States
Parliament is led by the president
The head of government and most powerful person in India is the prime minister

15. Government Challenges
Violence between Hindus and Muslims
Kashmir: a region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent; India and Pakistan dispute control of Kashmir
Kashmir: An area divided into 2 by Pakistan & India after becoming independent
Expanding population

16. Population Explosion
India is the second most populous country in the world
Providing for all those people is a challenge: housing, food, water, jobs, and healthcare
India’s government responds by encouraging people to have fewer children, trying to improve women’s lives, and improving it’s education system
Reading Graphs: What country
Is predicted to have the highest
population in year 2040?

17. Urban Life
Rural Life

18. A Booming Economy
India has many valuable resources, yet millions of it’s people are the world’s poorest
Agriculture is the main economic activity, with farmers growing wheat, rice, lentils, chickpeas
Most farmers grow enough food to live off of because their farms are so small
Cottage Industries- businesses in which workers produce goods in their homes (crafts & clothes)
Information technology jobs: including those involving computers, software, and the internet

19. Popular Culture
Bollywood: Hindu film industry that makes more films than any other country, including the US!
Sports (cricket, soccer, and field hockey)

20. Major Celebrations Clothing
Dussehra- celebrates the triumph of good over evil
Diwali- festival of the lights
Holi- celebrates the end of winter

21. Vocabulary!
Choose ONE of the following vocabulary words and create a poster that expresses the following:
The definition
An example OR picture
Use of the word in a sentence
Use COLOR and write LARGE
Vocabulary word options:
Sari -Sanskrit -Archipelago
Bollywood -Vedas -Subcontinent
Gandhi -Hinduism -Plateau
Nirvana -Buddhism -Natural Resource
Caste -Monsoon