Belief+Systems


 * Grade 6 Humanities**

Big Understanding: Belief systems influence culture and individual actions.

Essential Questions: 1. How do the origins of major belief systems affect their development? 2. What are your personal beliefs? 3. How do people develop and practice their personal beliefs?

include component="comments" page="Belief Systems" limit="10" =__Assignment 2__ - Visual Speech Project= Our goal for this quarter is to try to answer the essential questions. We will use our answers to write a speech modeled after the stories we read in the book __What I Believe: Kids Talk about Faith.__ Your speeches will give you and the class insights into your personal beliefs. Your speech will include visuals that relate and illustrate your beliefs and views. As you work on this speech, you will learn more about belief systems and organized religion.

Final product: One and a half (1 1/2) to two (2) page essay in Humanities class format to be presented as a Manuscript Speech (Read word-for-word) with visuals on Powerpoint, Keynote, etc., to the class.

Assessment on Essay and Speech will be done on the Oral Presentation Rubric: Ideas, Organization, and Oral Presentation delivery skills.

The first step is to gather information from your family and to think about what you believe. Please answer these questions **as fully as possible**//.// If there are any questions that you don’t want to share answers to, please feel free to omit (remove) them from your speech. Think about the following questions and **discuss them with your parents**. Then record your answers as the **pre-writing** for your speech. Follow the steps below (after the questions) to create a fantabulous speech.

1. Where were you born? 2. What are your hobbies? 3. Where did you get your beliefs? 4. What are the historical origins of your beliefs? 5. Do you consider yourself religious? 6. Do you believe in a supreme being? How do you communicate with this supreme being, if you do? 7. What is your faith (religion)? 8. Do you attend a place of worship? What is it called? Where is it? 9. When do you attend your place of worship? 10. Why was the world created? Why are we here? 11. How should people live? 12. What are some concepts that guide you in your daily life? 13. Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why do bad things happen to people? 14. What happens after we die? 15. What are some of the religious festivals or holidays you and your family celebrate? 16. Are there any other questions that you would think would add insight into your personal beliefs? Write them down and answer them.

> you are and how you relate to the world and others (who may believe differently than you do)? (2-3 visuals)
 * Step 1: In your notebook**, answer each question clearly with specific details. You don't have to write the questions down but you should number your answers.
 * Step 2:** Read your answers to a classmate. Your classmate should put a check next to the questions you answered clearly with good details and an X next to the questions you didn't answer clearly or with good details.
 * Step 3:** Look at your answers and decide which answers should go together in the same paragraph. Create an essay organization plan/outline.
 * Step 4:** Start writing your speech by organizing your paragraphs in a logical and clear way. Your speech should be between 1 1/2 pages to 2 pages.
 * Organize your speech like this:**
 * 1) Intro-Personal background (2-3 visuals)
 * 2) Faith/values background (2-3 visuals)
 * 3) Big Questions/ideas, Core values/beliefs-how do they affect your life? (2-3 visuals)
 * 4) Practices-how do you show what you believe/value? Do/did you practice/show your beliefs differently in your home country, or other places you have lived(2-3 visuals)
 * 5) Conclusion-Reflection-how does what you believe show in the kind of person
 * Step 5:** Format your speech like this:
 * 1.5 line spacing
 * 12pt font (Cambria)
 * Title is **//What I Believe//**
 * Heading (Name and Date)
 * Step 6: Turn in a copy of your final speech to your teacher. (May 24th) Make a 2nd copy of your speech in size 14-16 font to make it easier to read.**
 * Step 7:** Find visuals that match up to each paragraph. You should have 2-3 visuals for each paragraph. Make sure your pictures match what you are talking about. Visuals may be photos of you and your family or photos from the web (this means you must cite your sources if you use pictures from the web.)


 * Step 7:** Choose a way to present the pictures. You can use PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, or others. Choose one that you are most comfortable with using. This is not the time to learn a new program!


 * Step 8:** Hand in your formatted speech and be ready to present it with your visuals on ** May 27th **. Presentations will continue through the week of May 27th.

= = =__Assignment 1__- Classwork=
 * Grading:** You will be assessed using the Oral Presentation rubric. (You received and reviewed a copy on May 17th in class)
 * Directions: Answer these questions in your notes. Each answer must be at least two sentences long with specific details.**
 * 1) Why was the world created? OR Why are we here?
 * 2) How should people live their lives?
 * 3) Why is there so much suffering in the world? OR Why do bad things happen to people?
 * 4) What happens after we die?

OLD ASSIGNMENT!!! Our goal for this quarter is to try to answer the essential questions. We will use our answers to write an essay/speech modeled after the stories we read in the book __What I Believe: Kids Talk about Faith.__ Your speeches will give you and the class insights into your personal beliefs. As you work on this speech, you will learn more about belief systems and organized religion.

Final product: One and a half (1 1/2) to two (2) page essay in Humanities class format to be presented as a Manuscript Speech (Read word-for-word) with visuals on Powerpoint, Keynote, etc., to the class.

Assessment on Essay and Speech will be done on the Oral Presentation Rubric: Ideas, Organization, and Oral Presentation delivery skills.

**The first step** is to **gather information** from your family and to think about what you believe. Please answer these questions **as fully as possible**//.// If there are any questions that you don’t want to share answers to, please feel free to omit (remove) them from your speech. Think about the following questions and **discuss them with your parents**. Then record your answers as the **pre-writing** for your speech. _ 1. Where were you born? _ 2. What are your hobbies? _ 3. Where did you get your beliefs? _ 4. What are the historical origins of your beliefs? _ 5. Do you consider yourself religious? _ 6. Do you believe in a supreme being? How do you communicate with this supreme being, if you do? _ 7. What is your faith (religion)? _ 8. Do you attend a place of worship? What is it called? Where is it? _ 9. When do you attend your place of worship? _ 10.Why was the world created? Why are we here? _ 11. How should people live? _ 12. What are some concepts that guide you in your daily life? _ 13. Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why do bad things happen to people? _ 14. What happens after we die? _ 15. What are some of the religious festivals or holidays you and your family celebrate? _ 16. Are there any other questions that you think would add insight into your personal beliefs and how they affect your life? Write them down and answer them.

**Step 2: Drafting your essay**

1.Suggested organization modeled on What I Believe essays:

I. Intro-Personal background

II. Faith/values background

III. Big Questions/ideas, Core values/beliefs-how do they affect your life

IV. Practices-how do you show what you believe/value?

V. Conclusion-Reflection-how does what you believe show in the kind of person you are and how you relate to the world and others (who may believe differently than you do)??? READ YOUR ESSAY ALOUD! Make any changes and print copy for revisions.

**Step 3: Revising your essay** Revising helps you to turn your drafts into more complete pieces of writing. It deals with the changes you make to improve the **ideas** in your writing. When revising, pay special attention to the following traits of of good writing: ideas, organization, and voice. Make sure your ideas are supported with examples, reasons, etc.; your organization has a clear beginning, middle, and end; and consider your voice, the way you have stated your ideas and the tone you have used.


 * READ YOUR ESSAY ALOUD!!!** Make a any final changes and print a copy for editing and proofreading.

**Step 4: Editing and Proofreading your essay** Editing and proofreading helps turn your revised writing into a clear, stylistic, and accurate copy. It deals with the line-by-line changes you make to improve the smoothness, readability of your work. Pay special attention the the following three traits of effective writing: sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions (grammar, spelling and punctuation).

READ YOUR ESSAY ALOUD!!! Make any corrections and PRINT FINAL COPY!

**Step 5: Publishing and Presenting your essay as a manuscript speech**

Practice giving your essay as a manuscript speech! Make any final changes and PUBLISH! PRESENT SPEECH TO CLASS!