Unit 1: Redefining World Society and Culture

Lesson B: Division and Diffusion — World Belief Systems

Activity 2: Tracing the Emergence of World Religions

Directions: Select each date on the timeline to learn more about each subject and to determine where world religions and belief systems were born. The dates are approximate because the exact date for some of these systems are not known for certain.

Before you begin, its important to know some key vocabulary. A religion has a belief in one or more gods. For example, Judaism is a monotheistic religion with a belief in only one god, while Shintoism is a polytheistic religion with a belief in more than one god.

Classroom Activity - Religions and Beliefs Timeline

Discussion

Directions: Prepare a response to the discussion questions below. Follow your teacher's directions to participate in your class discussion.

• Which facts about different religions and belief systems are new to you?
• How are some of the religions and belief systems the same and how are they different?
• What questions do you still have about religions or belief systems?

Select the link to review the Discussion Scoring Tool (pdf).

 

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