Activity 1 - What do you know?

Activity Tasks
  1. Think, Pair, Share - What is Taoism? Have you heard of it before? Think about what you know of this major world religion. Then share your ideas with a partner, before sharing with the class.
  2. Discuss -  Has anyone been to a Taoist Temple? Any parents Taoists? What does it mean to be a Taoist? What are the main beliefs of Taoism?

Activity 2 - What is Taoism?

Activity Tasks
  1. Discuss - In pairs or small groups, examine this image (-->) then discuss the following questions about Taoism:
    1. We think this picture is…
    2. We think it represents…
    3. It makes us think about…
    4. How might it represent a religious belief?
  2. Watch - Watch this brief introduction to Taoism. Find out more about Taoism by listing as many factual points as you can about the religion. 
    1. What is Taoism?
    2. Who created Taoism?
    3. When was it created?
    4. Where was it created?
    5. Why was it created?
  3. Reflect - As a class, share your ideas about Taoism that you gathered from the video. If you have time, watch this video as well. Then discuss the importance of the following key ideas to Taoism:
    1. The Way - effortless action (Wu wei)
    2. Being in touch with ourselves
    3. Nature
    4. Relevance to life today

Activity 3 - Putting Taoism into practice

Activity Tasks
  1. Mindfulness - Go for a walk and find somewhere quiet to just sit and do nothing – Practice effortless action as you walk. Try to be still and empty the mind so that you are only aware of natural sounds around you. Try to listen to the birds, the sound of the river as the fish jump, the wind etc
  2. Reflect - Having completed the mindfulness task, with a partner discuss these questions then share with the class:
    1. What was the experience like?
    2. How do you feel after the experience?
    3. Did you like the experience or not? Why?
    4. If you did this again, what would you want to do differently?
  3. Watch - Watch the short video of Yoda explaining ‘The Force’ to Luke Skywalker. In what ways is this similar to the Taoist concept of ‘The Way’?

Activity 4 - What is Buddhism?

Activity Tasks
  1. See, Think, Wonder - In pairs, you will each examine a different image of the Buddharupa and then discuss these questions before sharing with the class:
    1. What do you see?
    2. What do you think about? 
    3. What do you wonder?
    4. How might it represent a religious belief?
  2. Discuss - Is anyone in the class a Buddhist? Are any one’s parents Buddhists? What does it mean to be a Buddhist? What are their main beliefs? 

Activity 5 - What is impermanence?

Activity Tasks
  1. Define - What does impermanence mean? With a partner, discuss what this concept means, then try to write a shared definition. Share you definitions with the class. 
  2. Reflect - Consider the concept of impermanence by reflecting on these questions:
    1. List all the things that have changed since you woke up this morning? 
    2. List all the things that have changed since you were born?
    3. Is there anything that never changes? Can you think of anything that lasts forever?    
  3. Evaluate - Discuss the quote from Heraclitus (-->). To what extent do you agree with it?
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” ​

Activity 6 - What are the four noble truths?

Activity Tasks
  1. List - Make a list of five things that make you happy, and five things that make you unhappy. Of these things, which would you consider ‘impermanent’?
  2. Identify - Which five things do you want or desire that might make you more happy? Will this last?
  3. Consider - Think of a time you really wanted something – How long was it before you got bored?
  4. Watch - Watch this video on the four noble truths, and make notes on what they are.

Activity 7 - What is the eightfold path?

Activity Tasks
  1. Identify - Watch this video about the eightfold path. As you watch, take notes on what the eightfold path is, recording any quotations or key facts to help you explain. 
  2. Discuss - To what extent is the eightfold path a helpful guide for living your life? Which aspects do you agree and disagree with?
  3. Consolidate - Watch this summary video on Buddhism and add any new information to your books. 
  4. Reflect - With a partner, reflect on what you have learnt about Buddhism by completing this visible thinking routine - use these sentence starters to write two reflective sentences:
    1. I used to think...
    2. But now I think...

Activity 8 - What is Confucianism?

Activity Tasks
  1. Discuss - In groups, choose one of the quotations here. Discuss what you think about each quotation and whether you agree with it or not. Share your ideas.
  2. Read - Read through the information on this worksheet and make notes using the following headings: the importance of learning; importance of family; and how to rule successfully.
  3. Watch - Now watch this video on Confucius. Add details and facts about him to your notes, using the same headings as for task two.

Activity 9 - Is Confucianism still relevant?

Activity Tasks
  1. Examine - Read through the information on slide four and then examine each of the five images on the following slides. Which Chinese ceremony is shown in each image?
  2. Apply - Examine the quotations from Confucius in this article. Pick two quotations that you agree strongly with. For each one, explain what you think the quote means and explain you agree. ​

Activity 10 - How do beliefs influence HK?

Activity Tasks
  1. Watch - Watch this video about the three core beliefs of Chinese culture: Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. As you watch, take notes on these three core beliefs and how they have influenced Chinese culture over the years.
  2. Debate - Out of the three beliefs, which one has influenced Chinese culture in Hong Kong the most? To help you discuss and consider this question, try to think about:
    1. Temples and religious places of worship around Hong Kong
    2. Festivals and celebrations that take place in Hong Kong
    3. The culture of your family or local area in Hong Kong
    4. The values of your community or the government
  3. Research - Get into groups of 2-3. Using this website, each group will research a different Hong Kong Chinese religious festival. Make bullet point notes on:
    1. Spring Lantern Festival
    2. Ching Ming Festival
    3. Birthday of the Buddha
    4. Seven sisters Festival
    5. The Hungry Ghost Festival
    6. Birthday of Confucius
    7. The Monkey God Festival
    8. Chung Yeung Festival
Share - Walk around the room and find someone who has taken notes on a different festival to you and spend a few minutes teaching each other about what you have found.

Further Reading

STANDARD READING
  1. Ancient China for Kids: Religion. (2019). Retrieved 5 November 2019, from https://www.ducksters.com/history/china/religion.php 
  2. Society, N. (2019). Chinese Religions and Philosophies. Retrieved 5 November 2019, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/news/chinese-religions-and-philosophies/
CHALLENGING READING
  1. Foy, G. (2019). Chinese Religions and Philosophies. Retrieved 5 November 2019, from https://asiasociety.org/chinese-religions-and-philosophies 
  2. Planet, L. (2019). Religion & Belief in Hong Kong, China. Retrieved 5 November 2019, from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/hong-kong/background/other-features/af97b38c-7398-4ff0-94a1-5fe469b38888/a/nar/af97b38c-7398-4ff0-94a1-5fe469b38888/355975
HARD READING
  1. History of Chinese Religion. (2019). Retrieved 5 November 2019, from http://www.religionfacts.com/chinese-religion/history 
  2. Zhu, W. (2019). What is religion in China? A brief history. Retrieved 5 November 2019, from https://tif.ssrc.org/2013/10/01/what-is-religion-in-china-a-brief-history/

MYP - Y7-8

Y7 - MYP 1
Y8 - MYP 2
Further Reading

Futures - Y9-11

Elements
Entrance
Explorations

IBDP - Y12-13

History / Global Politics / Philosophy
Economics / Business Management / Psychology
Geography / Environmental Systems and Societies
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