Students learn the life story of Buddha and how he came upon the Four Noble Truths concerning the universality of suffering and the Middle Way. Then they follow the spread of Buddhism in India through the conversion of Emperor Ashoka and his campaign of sending missionaries through the land. Next, they explain the cultural influence of Buddhism in India. Finally, they elaborate upon its expansion through Asia and the West.
Students are introduced to the experience focus on Buddhism as a response to Hinduism and its influence on India. They view an image of a brass Buddha statue and respond to a word cloud prompt describing what they see. After reading a Buddhist proverb about hatred and love, they answer a poll selecting the most accurate restatement of the proverb. Students then complete a two-column table, listing what they already know about Buddha and Buddhism and questions they have about the religion.
Teacher MovesPreview the experience by summarizing how students will study the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths, Ashoka’s role in spreading Buddhism, and Buddhism’s cultural influence. Review the lesson objectives. Facilitate a class discussion of the proverb, prompting students to give real-life examples and making connections to similar teachings in other religions (such as the Golden Rule). Use students’ entries in the K–W table to surface prior knowledge and questions and to guide follow-up discussion.
Students view an image of Tiger’s Nest Monastery and read background text comparing Hinduism’s development with religions that have individual founders. They learn that Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) and watch The Philosophy of the Buddha (or read equivalent text selections) to learn about his life and core ideas, including the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, nirvana, suffering, and the Middle Way. As they watch or read, they complete a graphic organizer by taking notes in labeled sections on Buddha’s early life, nirvana, suffering and humanity, the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path. Finally, they post a brief written summary of the Buddha’s life journey on a class wall.
Teacher MovesEnsure students understand the context of Buddhism’s founding and direct them to use the graphic organizer to capture key information while viewing or reading. After students post their summaries, lead a discussion to confirm that they have a basic understanding of Buddha’s life and teachings. Note that different retellings emphasize different details, and invite interested students to read The Life of the Buddha for another version of the story.
Students examine a map of the spread of Buddhism in Ashoka’s time and read about Emperor Ashoka’s conversion from a warlike ruler to a Buddhist king who promoted nonviolence, public works, religious tolerance, and missionary activity. They learn that Ashoka sent Buddhist missionaries across Asia and beyond, and they use The Birth and Spread of Buddhism to deepen their understanding of this early expansion. In a word cloud, they supply a single word that best describes Ashoka before his conversion. Students then answer a multiple-choice question about how Buddhism changed as it spread to other Asian countries. Next, they read Influence of Buddhism on Indian Culture and complete a graphic organizer by taking notes on eight categories of Buddhist influence (such as popular religion, moral teachings, monastic system, language and literature, art and architecture, contact with other countries, universities, and respect for animal life). Finally, they post an explanation in their own words of how Buddhism spread beyond India.
Teacher MovesClarify Ashoka’s transformation by guiding students toward describing his pre-conversion rule as “cruel” or a similar term. Use the multiple-choice item to reinforce that different forms of Buddhism developed as it spread. Support students as they extract key details from the article into the graphic organizer, emphasizing the lasting cultural impact of Buddhism in India. After students post their explanations of Buddhism’s spread beyond India, highlight and share an interesting or exemplary response to prompt whole-class discussion.
Students view an image of Buddhist monks in Tibet and read a short text tracing Buddhism’s continued spread from India into Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, and later into Western countries, including the United States. On a class wall, they respond to two prompts: why Buddhism was so successful in many parts of the world, and which elements of Buddhism might apply to all people regardless of religion. They then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesEncourage students to connect Buddhism’s teachings and practices to universal human concerns as they explain its global appeal. Use students’ wall responses and peer comments to spark a broader discussion about cultural diffusion, shared values across religions, and the modern presence of Buddhism around the world.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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