228 Early World Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 13A| Three World Religions
Note: Introducing the Read-Aloud may have activity options which
exceed the time allocated for this part of the lesson. To remain
within the time period allocated for this portion of the lesson, you
will need to make conscious choices about which activities to
include based on the needs of your students.Introducing the Read-Aloud 10 minutes
What Have We Already Learned? 5 minutes
Tell students they are going to learn more about religion in order to
understand historical events. Remind them that they learned the word
religion in an earlier lesson. Ask, “What does religion mean?” (the
belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a
God or many gods) Explain that religions began a very long time ago.
Say, “You have been studying about ancient peoples in the Middle
East. You have learned about Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.
What are some of the things you learned about the religions of those
civilizations?” (Student responses should include the fact that ancient
peoples of this region worshiped many gods and goddesses; review
the term polytheism.)
Explain that some religions are not polytheistic, but that they are
monotheistic. Ask, “Who knows or can guess the meaning of the
word part mono–?” (Mono– means one.) Explain that over the next
few days, they are going to be learning about three monotheistic
religions, or religions that have a belief in only one God.Personal Connections 5 minutes
If students know the name of a religious group, ask them to share
it. Accept all answers, even if students identify only one particular
sect or denomination of the religion. (Make a list on a chart.) Tell
students that there are many different religions in the world today.Three World Religions
13 A