Activity 6: The rules

Level

Middle and Upper Primary

Lesson overview

This lesson asks students to consider the role of rules in their lives, reinforcing the notion that there are different sets of rules, and also that different people follow different rules. It also reinforces the common function of religious rules in creating a safe and cohesive community and highlights the similarities of rules across religions, hopefully leading to greater understanding and acceptance.

Main learning outcomes

English
Society and Environment

Materials required

Copies of rules (see below)

Procedure

Ask students, ‘What is a rule?’
Ask, ‘Who makes the rules?' and ‘How many different sets of rules do you follow?’ After some suggestions, students should complete the following activity to help organise their ideas.
Each student should draw a small figure in the middle of a piece of paper to represent himself or herself, with a series of concentric circles around the figure. Demonstrate this on the board first. Students then write in the circles the sets of rules they obey, starting with those closest to them. For example, they might have a circle for their own personal rules, a circle for family rules, a circle for religious rules, a circle for classroom rules, a circle for school rules, a circle for community rules, etc.
Students then gather in groups to compare their diagrams and discuss why they labelled circles as they did. Encourage them to question each other about their diagrams: ‘What are the religious rules you follow?’, ‘Why did you put family rules so close to the middle?’
Ask the groups to develop three different answers to the question, ‘Why do we follow rules?’
Ask a representative from each group to write their answers on the board.
Divide class into four groups. Give each group rules from a different religion. First ask students to read through the rules, discuss with their group what they mean and check dictionaries/ask about any unfamiliar words or concepts. Ask the following questions, giving a few moments for group discussion, then ask one person from each group to answer, giving the rule if appropriate.

• Does the religion have a rule about marriage, or respecting marriage?

• Does the religion have a rule about respecting other people's property?

• Does the religion have a rule about telling the truth?

• Does the religion have a rule about respecting human life?

• Does the religion have a rule about respecting animal life?

• Does the religion have a rule about respecting your parents?

• Does the religion have a rule about believing in God?

• Does the religion have a rule about possessions?

• Does the religion have a rule about eating?

• Give an example of another rule that we haven’t talked about yet, from the religion.

Ask students why all religions don't have exactly the same set of rules.
Ask students to work in groups to find examples of rules that support their answers on the board from the earlier activity.
Ask students to find rules that are the most similar across the different religions and to explain why there are similar rules.
In closing the lesson, ask students to write down the questions that they are left with at the end of this lesson (that is, what they would like to know more about). Collect these questions and use them as the basis of further study.

The rules

(Note: Different wording is often used to describe the rules set out below)

Christianity: The Ten Commandments

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and with all your mind.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Keep holy the Sabbath Day.
Honour your father and mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.

Buddhism: The Teachings of the Buddha

The Eightfold Path

1. Understanding the teachings of the Buddha

2. Having good thoughts about how you should treat people

3. Not using words to hurt people (by telling lies or gossip)

4. Not doing wrong things, such as killing or stealing

5. Having a job that doesn’t hurt other people

6. Working hard at being as good as you can be

7. Understanding how important it is to be peaceful and wise

8. Clearing your mind so you can think good thoughts

The Five Precepts

1. not to kill or harm any living things

2. not to steal

3. not to commit adultery

4. not to lie

5. not to drink alcohol or take drugs

Islam: The Five Pillars of Islam

All Muslims must carry out the following five duties:

1. Faith (Shahada)

Every Muslim believes in the greatness and oneness of God. Anyone who says (and believes) the following words can become a Muslim: There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.

2. Prayer (Salat)

Muslims must pray five times a day. This prayer is a direct link between the worshipper and God. Before prayer, Muslims must follow a special ritual of washing, known as ‘wudu’.

3. Charity (Zakat)

As everything belongs to God, Muslims should give up a share of their wealth each year to others who are less fortunate. This act of charity will cleanse them from selfishness and greed.

4. Fasting (Saum)

Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims go without food or drink from first light until sunset. The fast is to remind Muslims how difficult it is to be poor, hungry and thirsty in a hot place. It also reminds them to thank God for his gift of the Quran, and to grow spiritually.

5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Muslims have a duty to try to make the journey to the Ka’bah in Mecca at least once in their lives. About two million people go to Mecca each year.

Judaism: Rules for Living and The Ten Commandments

Rules for Living

Jewish people must carry out certain requirements in their daily lives:

they must circumcise male children eight days after their birth
a boy must celebrate his bar mitzvah at 13, marking his acceptance into the community
they must marry and start a family
they must pray in the synagogue
they must keep the Sabbath day holy
they must strictly follow the laws of diet laid down in the Bible, only eating food that is kosher.

The Ten Commandments

I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; And showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath in honour of the Lord thy God; on it thou shalt not do any work, neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother; in order that thy days may be prolonged upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.