Unity in Diversity

Freedom Employability Academy

Teacher Version
Dear Teachers,

The Unity in Diversity curriculum is designed to help us learn about how to overcome prejudice
and discrimination as well as how to contribute to unity in our communities and insociety. In
going through the curriculum, you will have the opportunity to encourage and support students
in their learning and, at the same time, learn alongside them.

The curriculum consists of a workbook with three units. The first unit is about The Nature of a
Human Being. The second unit is about Unity in Our Community. The third unit is about Unity
in Society. Each of the three units contains a number of lessons. Each lesson and unit ofthe
workbook, and indeed the workbook as a whole, goes through a particular sequence of concepts
and helps students develop knowledge, abilities, positive qualities and attitudes, as well as skills.

To facilitate the workbook effectively, you may wish to keep three points in mind. First, when
students respond to questions in the workbook and engage in discussions, you will want to
continually draw their attention back to the text of the curriculum. Second, the lessons will not
just ask students to read and write, but will rather give them many chances to think, discuss,
use arts, and complete activities. Third, the lessons will frequently ask students to conduct acts
of service and then reflect on their acts of service. Action and reflection, in the context of service,
are especially important for developing students’ capabilities. As the teacher, you will want to
avoid “book learning” in which students just try to remember information and instructions.

This booklet is the teacher’s version of the curriculum. It includes the same content as the
workbook that students will receive as well as additional material for the teacher. The extra
material for the teacher, in red color in each lesson, includes:

● Instructions for the teacher,

● An outline of key concepts,
● A list of difficult terms (vocabulary),
● General guidelines on how much time different parts of each lesson will take.

As you go through the curriculum with the students, more than anything else, you will want to
create a positive atmosphere of learning. Everyone should humbly, and respectfully, share with
and listen to each other. This will go far in encouraging the participants to overcome prejudice,
contribute to the well-being of their communities. and work towards building a better society.

– Unity in Diversity Curriculum Team

1
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR HELPING STUDENTS COMPLETE THE
EXERCISES IN EACH LESSON:

1. In almost every lesson, there are questions and exercises.

2. Students should first copy (write down) each question or exercise in their
personal notebook.

3. When reflecting on a question or exercise, individually or in a group, the

student should down write his or her response in the personal notebook.

4. Give students enough time to answer each question. Some questions will
need more time than others.

5. As students are reflecting on and discussing the questions and exercises,

move around the room.

6. Listen to what students are saying and see what they are writing. Make sure
they refer back to the original text as much as possible. Get an idea for how
much the class is understanding.

7. When appropriate, think about which students you might call on to share
their answers.

2
The Unity in Diversity curriculum is meant to be conducted over 22 days. Here is
the schedule for the lessons and approximately how long each lesson will each take:

Day Duration Unit Workbook Lesson(s)

1 2:00 1 Introduction, Unit Title, Purpose, and 1
(Mark Lesson 300 in the LMS)
2 2:00 1 2-3 (Mark Lesson 301 in the LMS)
3 2:00 1 4-5 (Mark Lesson 302 in the LMS)
4 1:55 1 6-7 (Mark Lesson 303 in the LMS)
5 2:00 1 8-9 (Mark Lesson 304 in the LMS)
6 2:00 1 Review, Makeup and Consolidation
(Mark Lesson 305 in the LMS)
7 2:00 2 Unit Title, Purpose and 1
(Mark Lesson 306 in the LMS)
8 2:00 2 2 (Mark Lesson 307 in the LMS)
9 1:55 2 3 (Mark Lesson 308 in the LMS)
10 1:55 2 4 (Mark Lesson 309 in the LMS)
11 1:50 2 5 (Mark Lesson 310 in the LMS)
12 1:55 2 6 (Mark Lesson 311 in the LMS)
13 2:00 2 7 (Mark Lesson 312 in the LMS)
14 2:00 2 8 (Mark Lesson 313 in the LMS)
15 2:00 3 Review, Makeup and Consolidation
(Mark Lesson 314 in the LMS)
16 2:00 3 Unit Title, Purpose, and 1
(Mark Lesson 178 in the LMS)
17 2:00 3 2 (Mark Lesson 316 in the LMS)
18 2:00 3 3 (Mark Lesson 317 in the LMS)
19 2:00 3 4 (Mark Lesson 318 in the LMS)
20 2:00 3 5 (Mark Lesson 319 in the LMS)
21 2:00 3 6 (Mark Lesson 320 in the LMS)
22 2:00 3 Unit 3 Review: Unity in Society
(Mark Lesson 321 in the LMS)

3
 Teacher Instructions:

Use 1-2 minutes to:

1. Read the Table of Contents

with the class.

Table of Contents
2. Then immediately go to the
Introduction on page 5.

Introduction

Unit 1: The Nature of a

Human Being

Unit 2: Unity in Our

Community

Unit 3: Unity in Society

4
 Introduction Teacher Instructions:

Use 10 minutes to do the following:

1. Read the first paragraph

together.

All of us wish to live in a prosperous and peaceful Ask: What kind of society do we
society. To build that kind of society, we first need to want to build? What do we need to
build that kind of society? Is it
build unity in our homes and in our communities. easy? What does it require?
Building unity is not easy, however. It is something
2. Read the second paragraph
we have to learn about. It requires constant effort and together.
practice.
Ask: Do we want to only read the
lessons alone? What is the benefit
The lessons in this workbook will help you learn of learning as a group?
about how you can build greater unity in your family, 3. Read the third paragraph
community, and even society. You will study the together.
lessons of the workbook with your classmates in Ask: What are the benefits of
different ways, sometimes in pairs and small groups, writing down and completing the
and sometimes all together. Your teacher will guide exercises? Why are there arts and
skits? Why are there acts of service
you and your classmates through the lessons. and reflection on those acts?

4. Read the fourth paragraph

In the lessons, you will be asked to read, discuss, together.
and experience new ideas together. You will often be
Ask: What is the spirit with which
asked to write down the answers to specificquestions we will learn together?
and exercises in a notebook. Sometimes you will
have chances to use arts and perform skits that will
deepen your understanding. And you will have
chances to carry out acts of service outside of class
and then reflect on your service with yourclassmates.
In this way, you will learn in actiontogether.

During this entire process, the hope is that you will

humbly learn from and support each other. It is also
hoped that you will experience great joy. After all,
what greater joy can there be than to help bring
unity and peace, happiness, and well-being to those
around us?

5
 Unit 1
The Nature of a
Human Being

6
 Teacher Instructions:

Use 2-3 minutes to do the following:

1. Read the purpose of the unit

together with the class. Ask students
to summarize the two objectives that
together make up the purpose.

2. As you go through the lessons,

please keep the purpose of the unit
in mind.

3. Review the purpose of the unit

Purpose with the class from from time to
time, so that they remember why
they are studying this unit.

1. To reflect on the nature of a human being.

2. To understand how we might best see and

treat people according to their inward
intellectual, moral, and spiritual
characteristics rather than their outward
physical and material characteristics.

7
 Teacher Instructions:
Lesson 1: What is a human being? Who am I?
Approx. 15 minutes for steps 1-2 below:
Mark Lesson 300 in the LMS
1. Ask students to quietly write down
their answer to question 1. Ask each
Exercise 1: Reflect on the following two questions.
student in the class to share out their
answer.
1. Do you think of yourself as a good person? Why? Please explain your
answer. 2. Ask students to quietly write down
their answer to question 2. Ask a few
students to share out their answers.

Approx. 10 minutes for step 3 below:

3. Ask students to copy down the

2. Do you think people in society are good or not? Please reflect on this
statement from Exercise #2 in their
question and discuss your answer with the class. Write some key ideas notebooks. Then read the statement out
from your discussion in the space below. loud. Help the class understand the
words in the statement. Finally, help the
students understand the meaning of the
statement.

Ask: What are gems? (answer: gems

are good, positive qualities).
Exercise 2: Read and discuss the following statement about human nature.
Ask: What “alone” can reveal the gems
"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education in a person? (answer: education)
can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to
benefit therefrom."[1] Ask: What helps us bring out our gems?
(answer: true or proper education
Exercise #3: Now, please discuss the following questions with your class. helps us bring out our gems. A proper
education can take different forms. We
1. What does the first sentence tell us about the nature of a human being? can learn from others in our family,
community, country, or even across the
world.)

Approx. 15 minutes for step 4 below:

4. Have students complete Exercise #3

2. What are some of the gems you have within yourself? and share out their answers.

***

Key Concepts:
a. All humans have great potential. We
all possess gems.
3. What does the second sentence tell us can help reveal the treasures in a b. These gems (e.g. kindness, patience,
person? love, justice, humility) represent our
inner goodness.
c. Proper education allows us to bring
out these gems for the benefit of
ourselves & society.

***
Difficult Terms:
Mine (such as a “gold mine”), gems,
inestimable value

8
Please read the following story from Africa and reflect on the
Teacher Instructions:
questions below.[2]
Use 25 minutes for steps 5-9 below:
There once was an eagle’s nest on a mountain. The nest had
three eagle eggs. An earthquake struck, and one of the eggs 5. Read the story together as a class.
rolled out of the nest into a chicken farm in the valley below. Ask four students to read. Each
reads one paragraph.

6. Ask the class if there are any

words or phrases they would like to
understand better. Explain the
meaning of those words and phrases
Chickens found the egg, took care of it, and kept it warm until to the class.
it hatched. A beautiful eagle came out of the egg.
7. Ask students to write down the
two questions at the end of the story
in their notebooks. Have students
first quietly answer questions.

8. Then ask students to share their

Raised among chickens, the eagle believed he was a chicken. responses with the rest of the class.
He copied their behavior and never realized his true nature. One
day, he looked up and saw great animals soaring in the sky. 9. Ask the class: what are some
Curious, he asked a chicken about them. The chicken replied voices in society that make us forget
that those animals were eagles. we are eagles? (example answers:
social media, other people’s
The eagle dreamed of soaring in the sky just like the great birds opinions)
above. However, the chickens laughed at his dreams and told
him that chickens could never fly so high. So, he returned to his
chicken life, eating worms, and never understanding his full
potential. As time passed, he forgot about his dreams. In the
end, after a lifetime of thinking he was a chicken, he died
without discovering the grand life he could have lived as an
eagle.

1. How are you like the eagle in the story?

2. Do we sometimes act like chickens and forget that we

are eagles? Explain your answer.

9
 Teacher Instructions:
Exercise #2: Please draw your understanding of the statement Approx. 20 minutes for steps 10-14:
below. Share your drawing with the class, and use it to explain
how we might understand the nature of a human being. 10. Read the instructions and the
quotation with the class.

11. Ask students to draw their

understanding of the quotation.
"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Give them 5-7 minutes.
Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and
enable mankind to benefit therefrom."[1] 12. Ask some of the students to
share their drawing and explain it to
the class, take 5 minutes.

13. Summarize the lesson: each

person, each of us, is a mine rich in
gems of inestimable value. Each
person needs proper education to
bring out the gems.

14. Ask the class: how does this

lesson change how we view
ourselves? How we view others?

10
 Keeping a “Gems” Journal
Teacher Instructions:
We want to develop the habit of identifying gems in each and
Approx. 20 minutes for steps 10-12:
every person we meet. We can develop this habit by regularly
searching for gems in different people and reflecting on what we 10. Have students take turns reading
find. this page.

To help us develop this habit, we will keep a “gems” journal. For Ask: Why is keeping a gems journal
each journal entry, you will want to meet someone and have a important ?
conversation with them. Before the conversation, you may wish
to personally reflect on the statement: (possible answer: when we
reflect on our gems, we better
“Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. understand others and ourselves. In
Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and doing this, we can further build
unity in our community).
enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”[1]
Ask: Why do we want to connect
After the conversation is finished, you will want to write down with individuals who we do not
four things in your entry: (1) the date you met the person; (2) the know, or who are different?
name of the person; (3) the gems you found in the person; (4)
how finding the gems might make you see and act differently (possible answer: when we
towards the person. connect with others that we do not
know, it opens our hearts to seeing
An example of what you can write is given below: gems in everyone we meet).

Date: 06-10-2024 11. Have students share possible

people they may select for their
Name of the person: My neighbor Armaan. journal entry.

12. Remind students that some will

Gems: While talking with Armaan, I saw gems of loyalty, dedication,
be selected at the start of next class,
hard work, and, enthusiasm. to share their gems journals.

How I now see and act towards them: I do not usually talk to 13. 10 minutes for this step (Urban
Armaan because of our different backgrounds. However, after talking teachers to skip this step):
with him, I now see many more similarities than differences. I Prepare yourself by taking notes
from student retention techniques
learned we both love to read. I hope to share books with him. I am
document.
eager to interact with him more. • For 5 mins: Counsel
irregular students. It could
be either an individual
For your first journal entry, you may wish to have a conversation (minimum 2 students) or
with someone you already know and are friendly with. For later group counseling.
journal entries, try and connect with people you do not know well • For 5 mins: Make phone
or who may be quite different from you. calls (minimum 2 calls) to
students who have been
For the next several class sessions, your teacher will ask you and absent for more than 2
your classmates to share your journal entries. Sharing and days. Update the phone log
reflecting on these entries as a class will help us learn more about with a follow up date for
how to identify gems in everyone we meet. As such, please write each call.
Note: This step is compulsory.
a new journal entry each day and be ready to share it with the
Please use the last 10 minutes of the
class.
session to conduct this step. Please
do not miss out on this step.
11
 Teacher Instructions:

Lesson 2: What is a human being? The view of biology Approx. 10 minutes

Mark Lesson 301 in the LMS Review the key concepts from Lesson 1,
checking for understanding. Next, ask
Please read the following passage from the National Museum of some of the students to share their
“gems journal” entries.
Natural History at the world-famous Smithsonian Institution: [3]
It is suggested that you set aside time to
The billions of human beings living today all belong to one check student journals. If you find that
students are not completing their
species: Homo sapiens. journal entries, you can have a
discussion with the class exploring the
As in all species, there are differences among individual human reasons why. Then you can brainstorm
beings, from size and shape to skin tone and eye color. But we solutions.
are much more alike than we are different. We are, in fact, Approx. 15 minutes for steps 1-2 below:
remarkably similar. The DNA of all human beings living today is
1. Read the passage as a class. (10
99.9% alike.
minutes).

We all have roots extending back 300,000 years to the Ask: How are human beings similar?
emergence of the first modern humans in Africa, and back more What common roots do human beings
share?
than 6 million years to the evolution of the earliest human
species in Africa. This amazing story of adaptation and survival 2. Watch the video. Remember to
is written in the language of our genes, in every cell of our prepare it ahead of time and have
subtitles turned on (5 minutes).
bodies—as well as in fossil and behavioral evidence.
***
This ancient heritage is yours. Key Concepts

-All human beings belong to the same

species: homo sapiens.
Now, please watch the following short 4-minute video:
-The physical differences between
human beings are negligible compared
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHIBYTBe_hc
to how similar we are.

-Along with physical commonalities, we

have shared a history of social
adaptation and survival.

-Concepts such as race, which have led

to practices of dehumanization, are
social constructs and do not define a
person’s worth.

-When we focus on being all one human

species we focus on the similarities
rather than the differences. We then we
can work together, and we can
overcome challenges.

***
Difficult Terms:

DNA, Homo Sapiens, genes, behavioral

science
12
 Teacher Instructions:

Exercise: Please answer the following questions. Approx. 20 minutes for steps 3-4:

3. Read the three questions as a

1. According to the video, how different are human beings from class. Then have students answer
each other biologically? them in pairs (10 minutes).

4. Have a few students share their

answers to questions 1 and 2. For
question 3, open it up to the class
and have a longer discussion (10
minutes).
2. What are some of the many ways in which human beings are
similar to one another?

3. How might the awareness that we are all one human species
affect our relationships with those around us?

13
 Teacher Instructions:
Lesson 3: What is a human being? The view of spirituality Review key concepts from Lesson 2,
checking for understanding. (2
Mark Lesson 301 in the LMS minutes)

Please read and reflect upon the following passage. Approx. 25 minutes for step 1 below:

1. Read the entire page together as a

Many spiritual traditions say that human beings reflect class (different students can read
intellectual, moral, and spiritual qualities that come from a different parts).
Divine Source. For example:
Ask: What do many spiritual
traditions say about human beings?
➢ In the Old Testament, we read: “Let us make man in Our (answer in the text)
image, after Our likeness.”[4]
Ask: What is not our core identity?
(answer in the text)
➢ In the Gita, we read: “Wherever you find strength, or
beauty, or spiritual power, you may be sure that these Ask: What is our core identity?
have sprung from a spark of My essence.”[5] (answer in the text)

Ask: What does it mean to have a

➢ In a Hadith, we read: “Man is My mystery, and I am his
core identity that is intellectual,
mystery.”[6] moral, and spiritual? (answer:
human beings have the ability to
reflect special qualities such as…)
The above quotations imply that the core identity of humans is
Ask: Why is it important to see other
not physical or material. Rather, the core identity of human people as intellectual and spiritual
beings is intellectual, moral, and spiritual. beings? (answer in the text)

***
In other words, human beings have the ability to show special
qualities. These include intellectual qualities such as knowledge, Key Concepts
understanding, and wisdom. These also include moral and -Many spiritual traditions talk about
spiritual qualities such as kindness, love, justice, and patience. the nature of a human being and
how each person possesses divine
qualities or virtues.
When we see ourselves as intellectual, moral, and spiritual
beings first, we become more confident in our ability to -Our human identity consists of
transform ourselves and help others. When we see other people intellectual, moral and spiritual
elements.
in the same way, we can see their true value as human beings.
-Recognizing that these elements
characterize human existence is a
stepping stone for rejecting all forms
of prejudice.

***

Difficult Terms:

Mystery, detachment, greed,

hopelessness, prejudice
14
Exercise #1: Based on the passage above, circle the qualities you
think reflect the true nature of a human being. Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 25 minutes for steps 2-3:

2. Let students quietly answer

Exercise 1. Then discuss the answers
kindness thoughtfulness with the class. Help students
understand difficult vocabulary. (15
generosity jealousy minutes total)
greed thankfulness
3. Complete Exercise 2 with the
helpfulness outer beauty class (5 minutes).
extreme competitiveness inner beauty Ask: If all these positive qualities
service to others physical strength represent our true nature, then why
do we still have negative qualities
anger spiritual strength such as anger, envy, and hate?
justice hate
(answer: We can remember the
unity fear quotation from lesson one. We all
have the beautiful gems inside of us,
patience sadness but they are in a mine which is dark,
hopelessness intelligence cold, and dirty. A proper education–
one that is focused on bringing out
caring scientific thinking our intellectual, moral,and spiritual
qualities–can help our gems come
envy striving for excellence forth from the mine, become cut
and polished, and shine to the
benefit of the world.

Exercise #2: Based on what we have read and discussed in the unit We will continue to reflect on this
so far, how would you describe the true nature of a human being? question in the next lesson).

15
Exercise #3: “The Legend of the Two Wolves”
Teacher Instructions:

Up until now, we have discussed how we all have priceless gems Approx. 25 minutes for steps 4-5:
hidden inside ourselves. Despite this, we all sometimes show
4. Discuss the opening paragraph as
negative qualities in our daily lives. Why?
a class.

To help us reflect on this question, please watch the video 5. Play the video for the class and
below: include subtitles.

6. Give students 5-10 minutes to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95_BTeanI8 answer the questions and discuss
them as a class for 5-10 minutes.
After watching the story, please write down your responses to
answer for question 2: we have
the following questions: to strengthen (feed) our true or
higher nature and not our lower
1. Describe the two wolves in your own words. Which one of nature.
them represents the true or higher nature of a human being?
You may wish to give examples of
how to strengthen our higher
nature. Examples can include
behaving with pure intention,
having good habits (e.g. enjoying
uplifting music, art and literature),
and being of service to others.

You may also wish to discuss the

2. What does the grandfather mean when he says the wolf you idea that a lot of things in society
feed will win? feed and strengthen our lower
nature. Examples might include
negative influences from social
media, a culture of excessive
competition, and unrestrained
materialism.

16
 Teacher Instructions:
Lesson 4: What is dehumanization?
Approx. 10 minutes
Mark Lesson 302 in the LMS
Review the key concepts from
Lesson 3, checking for
Read the below paragraphs together as a class: understanding. Next, ask some of
the students to share the latest
entries from their gems journal.
We “de-human-ize” other people when we see and treat them
according to their outward, physical and material characteristics. Approx. 35 minutes for steps 1-3:
When we dehumanize other people, we do not treat them as real
human beings. 1. Read the two paragraphs as a
class and go over vocabulary. Then
read the paragraph as a class again.
Unfortunately, it is easy to dehumanize others. For example, we (15 minutes)
may give too much importance to a person’s good looks, material
wealth, or job title. Rather than emphasizing a person’s outward 2. Ask the students to answer
questions 1-3 in pairs (10 minutes).
characteristics, we can instead put greater emphasis on a person’s
consciousness, reason, intellectual powers, moral and spiritual 3. Have a class discussion about
qualities.[7] the answers to questions 1-3 (10
minutes).
Exercise #1: Please read and respond to the questions below. For question 3, teachers may wish
to provide a couple of examples to
1. What does it mean to dehumanize someone? get the conversation started.
Examples of dehumanization in
history or society include: the caste
system, fear or mistreatment of
strangers.

***
2. How do you feel when someone puts too much importance on
your physical and material characteristics rather than your Key Concepts
intellectual, moral, and spiritual characteristics? -Dehumanization means seeing
and treating people by their
outward physical and material
characteristics rather than their
intellectual and moral
characteristics.

***
3. Give examples of dehumanization in human history or in
society today. Difficult Terms:
Dehumanization, consciousness

17
Lesson 5: A human being is more than a physical being—the
Teacher Instructions:
story of the sphinx
Review the key concepts from
Lesson 4, checking for
Mark Lesson 302 in the LMS
understanding. (5 minutes)

The sphinx is an ancient symbol of Egyptian culture that can help Approx 30 minutes for steps 1-4:
us think about the true nature of a human being.[8] The sphinx has
1. Have a student read the
the body of an animal and the face of a human being. The human
paragraph out loud to the class. Go
face means that the human being historically came out of nature. over difficult terms. When
The human face also means that, compared to the rest of nature, a explaining the meaning of “sphinx”,
human being is characterized by consciousness, reason, and point out the image of the sphinx
below the paragraph.
spirit. The most important aspects of a human being are
universal qualities such as kindness, honesty, patience, caring, 2. Ask the students to answer
and friendship – all of which come from the mind and heart of a questions 1-2 in pairs.
person. Unfortunately, we often dehumanize one another rather
3. Have a class discussion about the
than treating each other as beings with this beautiful “human answers to questions 1-2.
face.”
You may wish to ask students about
the relationship of this lesson with
the lesson about the two wolves.

You may also wish to say:

“dehumanization means covering up
one face--the true face--and only
looking at the animal face of the
human being.” While you say that,
you might wish to use hand gestures
to cover and uncover your face.
Exercise #1:
4. Use the remaining session time to
conduct the group activity on the
1. Based on the passage above, how would you explain the body next page.
and face of the sphinx?

***

Key Concepts

-The human being emerges from

nature and also stands out from it.
2. The passage above states that kindness, honesty, patience,
caring, and friendship are universal qualities possessed by human -All humans possess universal
qualities.
beings. Please list at least five more.

***

Difficult Terms:
Sphinx, emerge, consciousness,
universal, dehumanize

18
 Teacher Instructions:
Lesson 6: Group identity affects how we treat others
Mark Lesson 303 in LMS Approx. 20 minutes

Review the lessons from the last

A famous sociologist, Emile Durkheim, session. Next, ask some of the
pointed out that human beings identify students to share the latest entries
themselves by the group to which they from their gems journals.
belong.[9] They create a boundary around
Approx. 50 minutes for steps 1-4:
their own group and treat the people who are
inside their group differently from the people 1. Have a student read the paragraph
who are outside their group. People outside out loud.
their group become strangers, objects, and
even enemies. People of one group may even Ask the class: What are some
believe that excluding, fighting, and examples of group identities?
dominating people in another group is a (possible answers: identity by
heroic thing to do. caste, nationality, religion)
Exercise: Please answer the following questions. 2. Ask the students to individually
write down their answers to
1. What problems might arise when we see people as being part of questions 1-3 in their notebooks.
other groups? Can you give some examples?
3. Ask a few students to share and
discuss their responses with the rest
of the class.

4. Read and discuss the “practice” at

the end of the lesson with the class.
Link the practice to the “gems
2. Do you think we should treat people from the same caste differently journal” exercise. Encourage the
students that, for their next journal
than we treat people from another caste? The same ethnicity? The same
entry, it is time to meet someone
social class? that is from a different social class,
caste, or religious group.

***
3. Do you think it is possible to extend the boundaries we have created Key Concepts
between groups to include others? If we limit our boundaries, what
might that say about how we view others and ourselves? -Human beings have a tendency to
identify themselves with groups.

-Group identity affects our

behaviors. We may create group
boundaries such that we treat people
Practice: After class, have a conversation with someone who is of a inside the boundary differently from
those outside the boundary.
different social class, caste, or religious group. The person could be
from work, a fellow classmate, a neighbor, or someone else. The -It is possible to extend group
conversation could be about any topic. After your conversation, write boundaries to embrace more and
down what you spoke about and how you felt. more people.

***
Difficult Terms: Sociologist,
excluding, dominating, boundary
19
 Lesson 7: Dehumanization, oppression, and prejudice
Teacher Instructions:

Mark Lesson 303 in the LMS Review the key concepts from
Lesson 6, checking for
Human history is full of dehumanization, oppression, and understanding. (5 minutes)
prejudice, each of which occurs when we mainly think of human
Approx. 20 minutes for steps 1-2:
beings as physical, material, and biological objects.[10] Unfortunately
many types of dehumanization still exist today. 1. Have 5 students each take turns
reading a paragraph out loud to the
For example, the caste system reduces humans to the level of their class.
natural and biological characteristics. A human being’s rights, value,
2. Make sure students understand
and opportunities are defined according to which family they were
the meaning of the bolded terms.
born into. Before moving on to questions you
can ask students the meanings of the
Racism is another form of dehumanization. Racism reduces the terms. For example: “What is
value, identity, and social rights of a human being to the color of that racism?” Or “What is
person’s skin. Racism can occur when a human being is viewed dehumanization?” (Remember:
dehumanization is when we cover
only in terms of their biological and physical characteristics. up the true face of the human being
and only see the animal face.)
Patriarchy, a system in which men dominate women, is another
form of dehumanization. In patriarchy, the value, worth, and the Approx. 20 minutes for steps 3-4:
rights of human beings are determined by their gender.
3. Ask students to answer the four
questions in pairs. Walk around the
An extreme form of dehumanization is slavery. Slavery is
classroom and help students find the
reducing a human being to the level of an object. The human being the answers in the text.
is treated as someone else’s object without his or her agreement.
4. Ask one or two pairs of students
to share their answers with the class.
Exercise: Please fill out the following sentences based on the Discuss any thoughts or questions
students might have.
paragraphs above.
***
1. In the caste system, human rights, values, and opportunities are
Key Concepts
defined according to .
-Racism, patriarchy, slavery are
2. Racism reduces the value, identity, and social rights of a human different forms of dehumanization,
oppression and prejudice.
being to .
-Each form serves to dehumanize
3. In the culture of patriarchy, the value, worth, and rights of human people in specific ways.

beings are determined by . -Dehumanization is still present in

society nowadays in the form of
various unfair practices.
4. In slavery, a human being is treated as .
***
Difficult Terms:

Dehumanization, oppression,
prejudice, biological, racism,
20
characteristics, patriarchy
 Lesson 8: What dehumanization means for our lives
Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 304 in the LMS Approx. 10 minutes:

Let us summarize what we have read and discussed so far. We Review the key concepts from
have read that history and society have had many instances of Lesson 7, checking for
understanding. Next, ask some of
dehumanization. The reason for this is that we have identified
the students to share the latest
ourselves and others by our outward characteristics and not by entries from their gem journals.
our inward characteristics. Based on outward characteristics such
as caste, race, and gender, we have sometimes formed social Approx. 10 minutes for step 1 below:
groups that actively exclude others.
1. Have a student read the paragraph
out loud. Ask: What does
Exercise #1: Please read and reflect on the following two dehumanization mean? (students
questions. can go to lesson 4 for the answer)

1. How might you limit yourself if you define yourself mainly by Approx. 15 minutes for steps 2-3:
your outward traits such as beauty, weight, height, race, caste, 2. Read questions as a class. Then
social class, or job title? have students answer them in pairs.

3. Have students share their answers

with the class.

***
2. How might we limit our healthy relationships with others if we Key Concepts
define them mainly by their outward characteristics?

-We limit ourselves and our

relationship with others by defining
people by their outward traits.

***

Difficult Terms:

Dehumanization, (This word

appears often in the text, so have a
student define it in their own
words.)

21
 Teacher Instructions:
Exercise #2: Please complete the following “Iceberg” activity.
Approx. 25 minutes for steps 4-8:
Imagine you are an iceberg. Above the waterline is what the
world sees. In that part, write what most of the world sees when 4. Read directions with the class.
Help students understand what is an
they look at you (for example, your favorite food, your eye
“iceberg”.
color, etc.). Below the waterline is what the world does not
easily see. In that part, write the qualities and characteristics you 5. Draw an iceberg on the board. Fill
see inside yourself. out the iceberg yourself as an
example to the class.

6. Give students 10 minutes to

complete their own iceberg in their
notebooks.

7. Ask students to share their

icebergs with a partner for 5
minutes.

8. If there is time, have a couple of

students share their icebergs with
the class.

22
Exercise #3: Please reflect and write about the following questions. Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 15 minutes for step 9:

9. Give students about time to write

a) What is a healthy relationship you have had with a classmate or down their responses to Exercise #3
co-worker? What has made your relationship with that person on their own and then discuss the
healthy and why have you held that person close to you? responses as a class.

b) Why do you think it is important to build relationships with

people based on inward characteristics such as kindness, friendship,
truthfulness, and patience?

23
 Lesson 9: Unity and diversity
Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 304 in the LMS 1. Read the passage as a class.
Ask: Why is diversity in a garden
Consider the flowers of a garden. Though they are different in important? (10 minutes)
color, form and shape, they are refreshed by the same rain and
Approx. 20 minutes for steps 2-3:
receive power from the same sun. The diversity of the flowers
increases their charm and adds to their beauty. It would be boring 2. Have students answer the
if all the flowers, plants, and trees of that garden were all of the questions in Exercise #1 in pairs.
same shape and color! Differences in color, form and shape
3. Ask a few students to share their
beautify the garden and increase its attractive effect. In the same answers with the rest of the class.
way, when different thoughts, personalities, and characters are
brought together in unity, the beauty and glory of human ***
perfection can show itself.[11]
Key Concepts

-There is a difference between unity

and uniformity.

-True unity promotes and depends

on diversity.

***

Difficult Terms:
Exercise #1: Discuss the following three questions with the Diversity, refreshed, empowered,
person next to you. attractive, glory, uniformity,
distinctive, predictable,
1. Is unity the same thing as uniformity (where everything is the perspectives, complementarity,
opposition
same)? Why or why not?

2. How would you feel if everyone was exactly the same as you?

3. Can you think of one or two other examples of unity in

diversity in nature or society? How does unity depend on
diversity? How does diversity depend on unity?

24
Exercise #2: Discuss your feelings about the following short passage
with the class. Teacher Instructions:

4. Read and discuss Exercise #2 as a

“Diversity makes India distinctive from other places in the world. A class (5 minutes).
land without diversity would be like a house without people, boring
and predictable.”[12] 5. Read and discuss Exercise #3 as a
class (10 minutes).

Exercise #3: Read and discuss the meaning of the following

statement with the class.

“To create an environment of unity, we need to learn how to bring

together different talents, opinions, styles, and perspectives. Where
there is disagreement, we must find complementarity. When there is
opposition at one level, we must find cooperation at a higher
level.”[13]

25
 Unit 1 Review: The Nature of a Human Being Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 305 in the LMS
Goals for Unit 1

a) To reflect on the nature of a human being.

You have 2 hours for this review
and consolidation day:
b) To understand how we might best see and treat people according to their inward
intellectual, moral, and spiritual characteristics rather than their outward physical and material 1. Arrange for absent students to
characteristics. pair up with and learn from
Questions: Please answer the questions below. students that already took the
lessons that they missed.
1. Fill in the blanks for the quote and answer the question below.
2. Return to the “Purpose” page of
"Regard man as a rich in of inestimable . can,
Unit 1. Reflect on the purpose of
alone, cause it to reveal its , and enable mankind to therefrom." Unit 1 as a whole.

What is the meaning of the quote above? 3. Review the sequence of ideas in
the lessons of Unit 1. Ask students
to recall the main ideas from each
2. What is a human being? lesson.

a) View of biology: 4. Ask students to complete this

Unit 1 Review page in pairs. Go over
b) View of spirituality: the answers with the class.
Important: This should be done as
a group so that the teacher can
3. What are some of the positive, universal qualities that exist in every human being? check for student understanding
and make sure everyone has clear
and correct answers.

4. What is dehumanization? What are some examples of dehumanization?

5. How does the act of dehumanizing others hurt our lives? Why is it harmful for society?

6. Why is unity necessary for diversity and why is diversity necessary for unity?

26
 Unit 2
Unity in Our Community

27
 Teacher Instructions:

1. Start Unit 2. Read and discuss the

purpose with the class (10 minutes)

Note: When you facilitate the

lessons of Unit 2, review the purpose
with the class from from time to
time, so that they remember why
they are studying the unit.

***
Purpose
Difficult Terms: community,
qualities, attitudes, behaviors,
continually

1. To explore which qualities, attitudes,

behaviors, and skills help a community
build unity.

2. To explore which qualities, attitudes, and

behaviors prevent a community from
building unity.

3. To continually develop the wide range of

qualities, attitudes, and behaviors, as well
as practice the skills, that contribute to
unity in the community.

28
 Lesson 1: Unity of Purpose, Vision, and Action
Teacher Instructions:

Mark Lesson 306 in the LMS Approx. 30 minutes for steps 1-3:

Your teacher will ask you to take turns reading the followingtext 1. Have students take turn reading
page out loud.
out loud in class. You will then be asked to discuss the questions
as a group. 2. Ask: What are the three aspects of
unity discussed here?
We are fortunate to be part of several communities:
Make sure students understand the
distinction between each of them.
● At FEA, we have a diverse community of
classmates and teachers. 3. Ask: How do these three aspects
● In our personal lives, we interact with friends, of unity work together?
family and neighbors.
***
● At school or in our work, we collaborate with
classmates, colleagues, and clients. Key Concepts

-Unity is necessary for the

To build and maintain a thriving community, its members must prosperity and well-being of a
become more and more united in their purpose, vision and action. community.
Let’s discuss these three aspects of unity:
-We have many spaces in which we
can work for unity: at FEA, at home
a. Unity of purpose: When the goals of individuals are with our family and friends, in our
in alignment with the goals of the whole community. neighborhoods, in our schools, and
in our occupations.

-We need to understand and work

towards greater unity of purpose,
vision, and action.

b. Unity of vision: When the members of the ***

community have a common idea of how to work for the
Difficult Terms
betterment of the community.
Alignment, harmonize, maternity
leave

c. Unity of action: When individuals have both unity of

purpose and unity of vision, and then work together for the
betterment of the community.

29
We will explore the idea of unity in our community in much
Teacher Instructions:
greater depth in the lessons below. Before we turn to those lessons,
however, please discuss the following questions with your teacher. Approx. 35 minutes for steps 4-6:
In discussing the questions, remember what we learnedbefore: that
unity does not mean uniformity but rather unity based on diversity. 4. Have a student read the text at the
top.

1. What does unity of purpose look like for our FEA community? 5. Before starting the questions,
Can you give an example? have students read out loud the
“Team FEA Poster”. This will help
students see the similarities between
the unity curriculum and FEA’s
purpose and vision.

6. Have students answer questions

1-3 on their own for 10 minutes.
Give students time to share their
answers with the class.

2. What does unity of vision look like for our FEA community?
Can you give an example?

3. What does unity of action look like for our FEA community?
Can you give an example?

30
Class Activity: To live and work together with others effectively,
we will need to create and harmonize unity of purpose, vision, and Teacher Instructions:
action. In this activity, we will look at two examples of members of Approx. 20 minutes for step 7:
a group trying to achieve unity.
7. Do Example 1 together with the
class. Read the example together.
Have students share their answers
to question 1 and write them on the
Example 1 (Work): Coworkers in a company are trying to decide
board. Do the same thing with
how to allocate time on a project together. Each coworker has question 2.
different goals. Coworker #1 feels overworked and wants to work
less hard; coworker #2 is energetic and excited about working on a As students do this exercise, remind
them to think about unity of
new project; coworker #3 is new to the company and needs help; “purpose”, “vision”, and “action”
coworker #4 plans to go on maternity leave. and how they are all related.

1) How might the different goals of each coworker conflict or

disagree?

2) How might the coworkers address the differences in their goals

and achieve unity of purpose?

31
Example 2 (Family): Imagine that the members of a family are
trying to decide how to divide up household responsibilities. Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 25 minutes for step 8

1) Before they talk to each other, what are some different goals that
each family member might have in this situation? 8. Have students work on Example 2
(Family) questions in pairs for 15
minutes then review answers as a
class for 10 minutes.

2) How might the different goals of each family member conflict or

disagree?

3) How might the family members address the differences in their

goals and achieve unity of purpose?

32
 Lesson 2: Kindness, love, and respect Teacher Instructions:

Mark Lesson 307 in the LMS Approx. 40 minutes for steps 1-5:

1. Ask one student to read the first two

Ideally, we want to show kindness, love, respect to everyone in our paragraphs on the page (before “First,
please…”).
community. This kindness, love, and respect should not be
temporary and superficial. Instead, our kindness, love, and respect 2. Read the quotation about kindness
and love with the students in class.
should be deep, sincere and lasting, extended to every human being Make sure they understand the words
without exception. and the overall meaning.

Let us explore kindness, love, and respect further below. 3. Ask the students to copy the
quotation in their journals. Then, repeat
the quotation together with them a
First, please read the following quotation about kindness and love: couple of times.

4. Read the statement starting with

“Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone. Let “Discuss:” to the class. Give the
your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your students a minute to reflect on the
question in light of the quotation. Then
path.”[14] ask the students to share their thoughts.
Discuss: What does it mean to show friendship in words alone? Important: help students understand
What should we do instead? that fire shines in all directions. In the
same way, we want to build a fire of
kindness and love in our hearts that
Discuss: A candle shines light in all directions. A fire gives heat in shines on everyone we meet.
all directions. With that in mind, what condition does our heart need 5. Read and discuss the passage about
to have to show love and kindness to every single person that we Respect with the class.
meet?
***

Next, read this passage about respect, adapted from the Native Key Concepts
-We want to extend love, kindness, and
American Code of Ethics:[15] respect to everyone.

● Respect means to feel or show honor for someone or -Love, kindness, and respect are not
temporary or superficial feelings. They
something and to treat someone or something with courtesy.
are our inner gems. They reflect our
● Treat every person from the tiniest child to the oldest elder nobility and how we see each other as
with respect at all times. noble beings.
● Touch nothing that belongs to someone else without -We want to learn how to express
permission. increasingly higher levels of kindness,
love, and respect.
● Listen with courtesy to what others say, even if you feel that
what they are saying is worthless. Listen with your heart. -Kindness, love and respect are
● No person should be made to feel “put down” by you; avoid expressed through service to others.
hurting other hearts as you would avoid a deadly poison. ***
● Show deep respect for the beliefs and religion of others.
● Treat the earth as your mother. Show deep respect for the Difficult Terms:
Superficial, content (as in "to be
mineral world, the plant world, and the animal world. Do content"), honor, deference, courtesy,
nothing to pollute our Mother, rise up with wisdom to defend privacy, intrude, inspirational
her.
● Showing respect is a basic law of life.
33
Discuss: Is respect just about our words and gestures? What else is
required to show real respect to each other? Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 25 minutes for steps 6-7:

6. Have students answer the

discussion question about respect.
Then discuss the answers as a class.

7. Have students watch the video.

After watching, you can select a few
students read the lyrics out to the
class. Some words or phrases may
Now, please watch and reflect on the video called “Fresh Eyes” need to be defined and discussed.
(the lyrics are below):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bgemCaaQkU

I got these fresh eyes, never seen It's human nature to miss what's
you before like this under your nose
My God, you're beautiful 'Til you, 'til you remind a fool
It's like the first time when we
opened the door Maybe all of this is simple
Before we got used to usual My heart's unconditional, yeah
You dress up just a little and I'm
It might seem superficial like, "Oh, damn"
Stereotypical, man
You dress up just a little and I'm [Repeat Chorus]
like, "Oh, damn"
If I could bottle this up, bottle,
[Chorus]: So suddenly, I'm in love bottle this up, I would
with a stranger I would bottle this up, bottle, bottle
I can't believe that she's mine this up, I would
Now all I see is you with fresh 'Cause you're gorgeous in this
eyes, fresh eyes moment
If I could bottle this up, I would
Appreciation, well, it comes and it
goes [Repeat Chorus]
But I, I'll ride that wave with you

34

4
Exercise: What does the video have to do with love, kindness, and Teacher Instructions:
respect? Why is it inspirational? Write a few sentences to express
Approx. 25 minutes for step 8:
your thoughts and share them with the group.
8. Have students answer the
exercise on their own for 5-10
minutes, then discuss as a class for
5-10 minutes.

(possible answer: The video

shows people who are homeless and
that are often looked down upon by
Act of Service: We are learning that it is important to try and show society. Because society fails to look
upon them as noble human beings,
kindness, love, and respect in all our interactions and with
they sometimes even forget their
everyone. Knowing that these qualities are important is a first step. own nobility. However, after a
But we also need to practice kindness, love and respect so that simple “refresh”, they see
more and more they become part of who we are and how we themselves and each other with
“fresh eyes”. In other words, they
behave. To help each other practice kindness, love, and respect,
are reminded of their own nobility –
let’s engage in the following activity: that they are human beings.)

9. Ask students to read the “Act of

Choose one act of service that you would like to practice before Service” paragraphs. They can take
the next class. Some examples of acts of service include: turns reading in pairs (10 minutes).

● Listening to and empathizing with someone who is Ask: Why should we engage in this
experiencing challenges act of kindness every day? This can
help students understand the
● Helping a classmate or coworker finish a task importance of the lesson.
● Helping your family members with chores
● Sharing what you learned in today’s lesson with a friend (possible answer: We can express
kindness, love, and respect through
acts of service. Furthermore, acts of
When you practice the act of service, think about the spirit in service are most effective when they
which you would like to do it. For example, you may think about are done in a spirit of kindness, love,
and respect.)
letting "your heart burn with loving-kindness.”
Please share your experience with the class the next time. You can
share what act of service you picked, the spirit with which you did
it, and the effect it had on you and those around you.

35
 Keeping an “Acts of Service” Journal Teacher Instructions:

We can increase our ability to show kindness, love, and respect Approx. 30 minutes for steps 10-12:
by regularly carrying out acts of service and reflecting on them.
10. Have students take turns reading
this page.
To help each other develop this habit, please keep a journal. In
the journal, write down the date, the act of service for the day, the
Ask: Why do we want to reflect on
spirit in which you carried out the act of service, the effect the act our acts of service every day?
of service had on you, and the effect the act of service had on
others. (possible answer: when we
reflect on our acts of service, we
An example of what you can write is given below: better understand how we can show
kindness, love, and respect in our
Date: 11-12-2023 everyday lives.)

Action: I helped my younger sister with her math homework. 11. Have students share possible
“Acts of Service” they might carry
Spirit: While helping her, I tried to practice patience and caring. out before the next class. Then give
students a few minutes to plan an
Effect on me: It gave me a lot of joy to help my sister with her act of service they can carry out.
homework. I can see she has a lot of capacity.
12. Remind students that some will
be selected at the start of the next
Effect on others: She learned more math today. Helping her is
class, to share their act of service.
making us feel closer to each other.

Each day, the teacher will ask some students to share their
journal entries. Sharing and reflecting on these entries as a class,
will help everyone learn more about how to better express
kindness, love, and respect in our everyday lives. As such, please
keep writing new journal entries and be ready to share each day.

36
Lesson 3: Unity: Avoiding and Dealing with Conflict (Part 1) Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 308 in LMS
Approx. 10 minutes:

Your teacher will ask you to take turns reading the following After briefly reviewing lesson 1-2,
text out loud in class. You will then be asked to discuss the ask a few students to share from
questions as a group. their “acts of service” journal.

It is suggested that you set regular

● Conflict between community members leads to pain and
times to check student journals. If
separation. you find that students are not
● For communities to become truly united, we must try to completing their journal entries, you
avoid conflict. can have a discussion with the class
exploring the reasons why. What
● To do that, it is important to recognize that conflict can
challenges do students face in
take many forms. These include: regularly writing in their journals?
Then you can brainstorm solutions.
● Strife: angrily disagreeing with others over
fundamental issues Approx. 30 minutes for steps 1-3:
● Hostility: being actively unfriendly towards or
1. Ask a few students to read the text
opposing others
out loud to the class.
● Estrangement: no longer being friendly to others
● Apathy: not caring about others 2. Go over the meaning of the
bolded terms.

Avoiding conflict does not mean that we cannot have different 3. Give students 5-7 minutes to
ideas and opinions. We can have different ideas and opinions, answer questions 1-2 on their own.
learn from each other, and come to a greater understanding Then have a few students share for 5
minutes.
together. Avoiding conflict means avoiding personal conflict or
conflict between hearts. Ask: what are some examples of
when two or more members have a
personal conflict?

***

Key Concepts
-Conflict and contention can destroy
unity in a community.

-Strife, hostility, estrangement and

apathy are different forms of
conflict.

-Personal conflict between hearts is

different from the healthy discussion
Please discuss the following two questions:
of various ideas and opinions.
1. What happens to a community when two or more members
***
have a personal conflict? Difficult Terms:
Contention, strife, hostility,
estrangement, apathy, destruction,
constructive, skit, substantial,
frustration, hostility
37
2. Why are estrangement and apathy especially harmful? Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 30 minutes for steps 4-6:

4. Read the bolded quotes out loud.

Go over difficult terms and make
sure students understand the
meaning of the quotations.
Now, please read the following two quotations:
5. Read the quotations together as a
class. Then, have the students write
“Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, the quotations in their notebooks.
well-being, restfulness, and content.”[16]
6. Ask students to answer question 3
in their notebooks. Ask students to
“Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace,
share their answers and discuss
friendship, and happiness.”[17] them as a class. As the students are
sharing, write their examples of
thoughts of war and thoughts of love
on the board.

3. What are some examples of “thoughts of war” from our own

lives? What about “thoughts of love”?

38
Small group activity (3-4 persons): Please take turns reading the Teacher Instructions:
following passage about a conflict between leaders and members Approx. 10 minutes for step 7:
of a community about where to build a new market.
7. Ask students to take turns reading
In the city of Rajkot, two community leaders, Poorvi and Nikhil, the text. Ask them brief clarifying
are having a discussion with five volunteers about where to build a questions after each paragraph to
make sure they understand the
new healthy foods market. The current plan is to build the market story.
near the southeastern part of Rajkot. The community leaders
planned on this location because it was closer to the homes of the
most regular and high paying customers. The increase in sales
could provide many economic benefits to Rajkot.
During the discussion, the five volunteers express that this plan
makes it very difficult for the majority of residents to access the
market because it is very far away from where they live and there
are no nearby bus stops. In the city, few people are able to regularly
travel long distances for healthy food and many rely on public
transportation like buses to go from place to place. The volunteers
suggest that the new market instead be built near the middle of the
city where it could be reached by walking or bus.
As the conversation continues, the community leaders and
volunteers begin to get frustrated with one another and begin to
look down on each others’ suggestions. Tensions begin to rise and
it is unclear whether they can come to an agreement about where to
build the market. Hostility begins to overwhelm the conversation.

39
How would you and your group answer the below questions?
Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 40 minutes for steps 8-11:

1. What is the main issue that the community members are
discussing? 8. Have students work in groups of
3-4 to answer questions 1-5 (10
minutes). Walk around the room to
assist groups and make sure they
are on task.

10. For question 6, give each group

2. Who are the people involved in the story? about 10 minutes to prepare a 2-3
minute role play. Walk around the
room to assist the groups and make
sure they are on task.

3. Where do the community leaders want to build the market and 11. Give the groups 20 minutes to
perform role plays in front of the
what is their reasoning?
class.

4. Where do the volunteers want to build the market and what is their
reasoning?

5. Can you give examples of how kindness, love, and respect might
be brought into the conversation by one or more of the community
leaders or volunteers? Could these qualities change the direction of
the conversation?

6. Now perform a role play with 3-4 classmates. In the role play, act
out the discussion about where to build the market, but this time
have one or two actors show positive qualities that might help the
group come to a harmonious decision.

40
 Lesson 4: Unity: Avoiding and Dealing with Conflict (Part 2)
Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 309 in the LMS
Approx. 10 minutes

Review lesson 3. Next, ask some of

Please discuss this question with a partner: In your daily life, how
the students to share the latest
do you typically deal with conflict? (please think of some concrete entries from their acts of service
actions and write them down) journal.

Approx. 50 minutes for steps 1-3:

1. Have students answer the first

question in pairs then discuss as a
class (10 minutes).
In the previous lesson, we looked at some of the different types of
conflict that we should try to avoid. The following three quotations 2. Read the three quotations to the
students. Go over difficult words.
will help us further reflect on the qualities, attitudes, and behaviors Make sure students understand the
we need to practice to deal with conflict and build unity in our meaning of the quotations. Then ask
communities. the students to write the quotations
in their notebooks. Read the
quotations out loud with the
“…concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and students a few times (approx. 25
unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger minutes).
thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a 3. Discuss the question at the
more powerful thought of love.”[18] bottom of the page with the class.
Point out how the three quotations
help us focus our thoughts, words,
“If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows and actions on avoiding conflict and
him like his never-departing shadow.”[19] building unity (approx. 15 minutes).

***
“Backbiting quench(es) the light of the heart and
extinguish(es) the life of the soul.”[20] Key Concepts
-We can avoid conflict by focusing
on love and unity, maintaining pure
Discuss with the class: How do the above three quotations help us thoughts, and avoiding backbiting.
to deal with conflict and build unity? Write insights from your ***
discussion below.
Difficult Terms:
Backbiting, quenches, extinguishes,
abruptly, frustrated, unreasonable

41
 Teacher Instructions:
3. Small group activity (3-4 persons): The following conversation
is about two individuals having a disagreement at work. Please 4. Split up the class into small
take turns reading the conversation in a small group. groups of 3-4 students. Within each
small group, ask the students to take
Priti and Ahmed work at a local technology company in turns reading the small group
Bengaluru. Their supervisor asks them to create a presentation activity (25 minutes).
and share it in two weeks. Priti and Ahmed decide to meet and
start working on the presentation.
In their first meeting, it quickly becomes clear that Priti and
Ahmed have different approaches for creating presentations. Priti
starts by saying: “I think it is very important for the presentation
to provide detailed information. We should speak to the audience
for at least 30 minutes.” Ahmed responds to her idea somewhat
abruptly, “That is a bad idea! We should only share a few major
details and present many images instead. The presentation should
only last 10 minutes. Otherwise the audience will quickly become
bored, and we will hurt our reputations.”
Neither Priti nor Ahmed are willing to change their opinions.
After going back and forth for nearly one hour, they both leave
the first meeting feeling frustrated. Later that day, Ahmed tells a
close colleague how much he dislikes Priti’s ideas and how he
wishes his supervisor would let Ahmed do the presentation on his
own. Priti also talks to a coworker, saying that Ahmed is being
unreasonable.
Priti and Ahmed continue to meet several times during the week
but are unable to overcome their disunity. They continue to
complain about each other to their colleagues. The more they
complain, the more they don’t want to meet each other and the
more the work on the presentation suffers. By the end of the
week, Priti and Ahmed notice that some of their more friendly
colleagues start avoiding them.

42
Now discuss and answer the following four questions in your small
group: Teacher Instructions:

1. Is either Priti or Ahmed necessarily right about how to create the 5. Within each small group, ask the
presentation? students to answer the questions on
the next page (20 minutes). Walk
around the room to assist groups
and make sure they are on task. If
students are confused tell them to go
back in the text and look at previous
pages and previous lessons if
needed.

6. Go over questions 1-4 as a class

2. How could Priti and Ahmed have acted differently in their first
(10 minutes).
meeting? After the meeting?

3. How could the coworkers have avoided engaging in backbiting

about Priti and Ahmed?

4. Priti and Ahmed still have one week to resolve their differences.
What can they do to build unity and make sure they get their
presentation done on time? What can they do to restore their
coworkers’ trust in them?

43
 Lesson 5: Unity: Avoiding and Dealing with Conflict (Part 3)
Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 310 in the LMS
Approx. 15 minutes
Please reflect on the following quotations with your class: Review the lesson from the last
session. Next, ask some of the
“Whenever you recognize the fault of another, think of students to share the latest entries
yourself! What are my imperfections? -- and try to remove from their acts of service journal.
them…Thus you will grow, become more perfect.”[21]
Approx. 35 minutes
“Easily seen is the fault of others, but one's own fault is
1. Read the quotations to the
difficult to see.”[22]
students. Help students understand
“One must see in every human being only that which is worthy the meaning of the quotations. Then
ask the students to write the
of praise. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole
quotations in their notebooks. Read
human race.”[23] the quotations out loud with the
students a few times.
Please discuss the below questions with a partner. Then share your
Approx. 30 minutes for steps 3-4:
observations with the class.
3. Read the questions to the
students. Then, ask the students to
1. The above quotations suggest that it is not helpful to focus on
answer the questions with a partner.
other people’s faults. What might we focus on instead if we want
to build unity with others? 4. Discuss the answers as a class.

***

Key Concepts

-Focusing on people’s imperfections

2. What are some types of conflict that you face when you are leads to unhappiness and disunity.
interacting with family and friends? What might you be able to do
to deal with these types of conflicts? -We can focus on our own faults
rather than the faults of others.

-If we properly deal with conflicts as

they arise, we can maintain unity
and create greater unity in the
community.

***
3. What are some types of conflict that you may face in the
workplace? What might you be able to do to deal with these Difficult Terms:
conflicts? Praise, resolutions, worthy

44
4. Matching Activity (do this with one other classmate):
Conflict occurs in our daily lives. Please read the list of Teacher Instructions:
conflicts in the first column below. For each conflict, find an
Approx. 35 minutes for steps 5-6:
appropriate resolution in the second column.
5. Ask students to complete the
matching activity with their partner.
Conflicts Resolutions
6. Go over the answers as a class.
Your friends are arguing with one Instead of staying upset with the
another and you are stuck in the family member, you approach
middle hearing them backbite them after dinner and tell them
about one another. how the comment made you feel.
You forgive them because you
know their intention was not bad
and because you value your
family's unity.
Your boss has accidently made a When you arrive at work, you
mistake with your monthly decide to approach your colleague
paycheck. You get angry because with kindness and ask if
you are not sure they will pay you everything is alright. Then you
what they owe you. ask if they would like to ride the
bus together on another day.
Your brother agreed to wash the You ask your friends to come
dishes after family dinner but together to have a discussion
after the meal walked away about what they are arguing about
without helping. You become and discuss ways to forgive each
very unhappy with him. other and heal.

At dinner one evening, your After dinner, as your brother is

family is having a discussion and walking away, you kindly remind
someone makes a comment that him that he promised he would do
you find personally hurtful. You the dishes. Out of love, you offer
become very hurt and decide to a helping hand too.
ignore that person for the rest of
the evening.

You ask one of your co-workers if You meet with your boss to have
they want to ride the bus with you a conversation about the error.
on the way to work tomorrow. With kindness and respect you
The next morning, your ask about the mistake and how it
co-worker does not show up. You could be fixed.
ride the bus alone to work and
become upset.

45
 Teacher Instructions:
Lesson 6: The Relationship between Unity and Truth
Mark Lesson 311 in the LMS Approx. 15 minutes:

Review the lessons from the last

Please read the following text out loud as a class and discuss the session. Next, ask some of the
questions below. students to share the latest entries
from their acts of service journal.

To achieve unity, we have to be full of truth. Truthfulness in our Approx. 35 minutes for steps 1-3:
thoughts, words, actions, and relationships is essential for the unity
1. Ask students to take turns reading
of our communities.
the text to the class.

To help us see why truthfulness is important, read the following 2. Go over difficult words. Make
words from Mahatma Gandhi: sure students understand the basic
meaning of the quotations. Read the
quotations out loud with the
“…for me, truth is the sovereign principle, which students a few times.
includes numerous other principles. This truth is not
only truthfulness in word, but truthfulness in thought 3. Have students answer questions
also… 1-2 on their own. Then, reflect on
the answers together as a class.

…The seeker after truth should be humbler than the ***

dust...the seeker after truth should so humble himself
that even the dust could crush him. Only then, and not Key Concepts
till then, will he have a glimpse of truth.”[24] -Absolute truth is beyond our reach.
However, we should always try to
search for and get closer to the
truth.
Gandhi says that he is searching for the truth. Even after a great
deal of effort, he only catches a glimpse of it. He also says that any -To seek truth, we have to be
person who is seeking the truth must be humbler than the dust. detached from our own
preconceived ideas and opinions.
Exercises: -Having prejudices and
superstitions keeps us from finding
1. In everyday situations, do we ever completely know the truth? the truth.
Why not?
-Humility is essential for getting
closer to the truth.

-Truth is essential for unity.

***

Difficult Terms:
2. What kind of qualities should a seeker of truth possess?
Sovereign, principles, attachment,
outmoded, dogma, superstition,
preconceived, trivial, receptive,
obstacle

46
 Teacher Instructions:
Now, please read the below passage about unity and truth from a
book called Arising to Serve: Approx. 60 minutes for steps 4-6:

4. Read the two paragraphs to the

We must be lovers of light no matter from what lamp it appears. We students. Go over difficult words.
must be lovers of the rose no matter in what garden it blooms. We Make sure students understand the
must be seekers of truth no matter from what source it comes. meaning of the paragraphs. Then
Attachment to one lamp can prevent us from appreciating the light ask the students to read the
paragraphs to each other in pairs
when it shines in another… We must abandon prejudice and (30 minutes).
outmoded traditions if we are to succeed in finding the truth. There
is a difference between dogma, superstition, and prejudice on the To check understanding, ask:
one hand and truth on the other.
What is the light? answer: the
truth. What is the lamp? answer:
In seeking the truth, we must free ourselves of all our opinions and the form through which the truth is
preconceived ideas. We must give up our prejudices and trivial expressed.
notions. An open receptive mind is needed. If our cup is full of self,
What is more important - to seek the
there is no room in it for the water of life. The fact that we think we light or the lamp? What is more
are right and everyone else wrong is the greatest obstacle in the important - to see the light of truth
path to unity. And unity is necessary if we are to reach the truth, for or the lamp of truth? answers: the
truth is one.[25] light and the light of truth

5. Ask the students to answer

questions 1-3 in pairs (15 minutes).

Response for part of question 1

(What does the image of the lamp
and light have to do with prejudice
and superstition?):
Exercises:
Answers: When we have prejudice
and superstition, we may not like a
1. Can you describe the above image of the lamp and the light in certain lamp. That may prevent us
your own words? What does the image have to do with seeking from seeing the light in that lamp. It
truth? What does the image of the lamp and the light have to do could also be that we are too
attached to a certain dark lamp. In
with prejudice and superstition?
that case, we may not see the light
which is shining from another lamp.

Our superstitions may also make us

focus too much on one lamp and not
the light (the truth).

6. Discuss the answers together as a

class (15 minutes).

Help students understand that

when we search for and get closer
to truth, we achieve greater unity.
Also, when we have greater unity, it
helps us search for and get closer to
truth.
47
2. According to the above passage, what do we need to do when
seeking the truth? Can you give some examples?

3. What is the relationship between truth and unity? How does

each lead to the other?

48
 Lesson 7: Unity is a Cause of Strength Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 20 minutes:
Mark Lesson 312 in the LMS
Review the lessons from the last
Please read the following story from Aesop on your own:[26] session. Next, ask some of the
students to share the latest entries
A certain Father had a family of Sons, who were forever arguing from their acts of service journal.
among themselves. No words he could say did the least good, so he Approx. 35 minutes for steps 1-4:
looked for an example that would make them see that conflict
would lead them to misfortune. 1. Ask the students to read the story
on their own. Walk around the room
One day when the arguing had been much more violent than usual, and help students if they do not
he asked one of them to bring him a bundle of sticks. Then handing understand any words or phrases.
the bundle to each of his Sons in turn he told them to try to break it.
2. Ask a few students to summarize
But although each one tried his best, none was able to do so. the meaning of the story. You may
The Father then separated the bundle and gave the sticks to his wish to bring some sticks into the
classroom and do a role play.
Sons to break one by one. This they did very easily.
“My Sons,” said the Father, “do you not see how certain it is that if 3. Ask the students to answer the
questions in pairs.
you agree with each other and help each other, it will be impossible
for your enemies to injure you? But if you are divided among 4. Ask some of the pairs to share
yourselves, you will be no stronger than a single stick in that their answers with the class.
bundle.”
***

Exercises: Discuss the following three questions with a partner. Key Concepts

-Unity strengthens the community.

1. What is the main lesson of the story?
-Individuals can achieve much more
when they work together with
others.

-Unity is not “achieved” once and for

2. Please share an example of where unity led to greater strength in all. We can always strive for
increasingly higher levels of unity.
your family.
***

Difficult Terms:
Misfortune, bundle, obstacles

3. What would society be like if it were united? How would it

benefit the individual? Please explain your thoughts.

49
 Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 20 minutes for steps 5-6:

5. As a class, read and discuss the

two discussion questions on this
page.

For the first discussion question,

help students understand the
importance of always striving for
unity. It is true that it is not easy to
achieve unity and that it requires
constant effort. At the same time,
more unity gives us more strength.
When we strive for and achieve
more unity, we gain more strength
to overcome obstacles. In this way,
The previous story and discussion can give us added confidence unity is not only our goal but also
that individuals can achieve much more when they work shoulder the solution to our problems.
to shoulder with others. To build better communities and societies
For the second discussion question,
then, it is clear that we need to learn to work together. help students understand that unity
is not about everyone simply
agreeing with your way of thinking
Class Discussion: What would you say to someone that said the or doing things “once and for all”.
following statement: “Our community will never overcome its Rather we have to constantly
obstacles. There are too many problems. Unity is impossible” consult, act, and reflect with others.
We will learn about consultation in
the next lesson.
***

It is important to realize that we do not “achieve” unity

once-and-for-all. Rather, we have to constantly work together to
reach higher and higher levels of unity, especially as
circumstances change.

Class Discussion: What would you say to someone that said this:
“If only we could get everyone to agree on the right way to do
things once-and-for-all, we could make great progress.”

***

50
 Teacher Instructions:
Now, read the following statement from Baha’u’llah about the purpose Approx. 40 minutes for steps 5-7:
of a human being:
5. Read the quotation to the class.
Go over difficult words. Help
students understand the meaning of
“That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicate(s) himself to the the quotation. Ask the students to
service of the entire human race.”[27] write down the quotation in their
journals. Read the quotation out
loud and together with the students
a few times.
Please complete the exercises below with a partner and discuss your
answers with the class. 6. Ask the students to do exercises 1
and 2 in pairs.
Exercise #1: From each pair of descriptions of a person below, which
one do you think best describes a true human being? 7. Review the answers to the
exercises together as a class.
● Someone who focuses on their own needs before they are
willing to help others
● Someone who thinks of others’ needs before their own

● Someone who is kind and patient when other people act

poorly
● Someone who waits for others to be kind before he will be
kind to them

● Someone who does service occasionally when he or she has

time
● Someone who integrates service for others into their daily life,
study, and work

Exercise #2: Would you label the following statements true or false?

● A true human being wants to control others.

● Caring about everyone, no matter who they are, is what makes
us human.
● Human society should be a place where striving for excellence
in the service of others is more important than competition.

51
 Lesson 8: Consultation
Teacher Instructions:

Mark Lesson 313 in the LMS Approx. 10 minutes:

Review the lessons from the last

Read the below text together as a class. Then discuss the questions
session. Next, ask some of the
together. students to share the latest entries
from their acts of service journal.
In order to build unity in our communities, we must learn the art of
consultation. Consultation is an approach for group decision-making. Approx. 35 minutes for steps 1-3:
Through consultation, a group not only makes collective decisions but
also establishes a way forward for collective action. 1. Read the first two paragraphs
together as a class.
If done well, consultation can lead to increased awareness and
understanding. It helps the group move forward in unity. Consultation 2. Ask the students to write down
their answers to questions 1-2 in
ultimately increases the well-being and welfare of the group.[28]
their notebooks. Then discuss the
answers with the class.
Discussion questions:
3. Read the rest of the text on this
1. How does the above text describe “consultation”?
page together as a class. Go over
difficult words. Help the students
understand the meaning of the
bullet points.

You can ask students to share their

2. According to the above text, what are some of the benefits of understanding of the bullet points in
consultation? their own words. Or, if there is time,
you can ask students to draw their
understanding of each of the bullet
points on the board or on a sheet of
paper.
***
The above statements mention that the act of consultation can benefit
a community and its members. But what does effective consultation
look like? What are its main steps? When we consult, we can: Key Concepts

- Consultation is an approach to
● turn our hearts towards the truth and search for it group decision-making that can
● express our views with courtesy, dignity, care and moderation build unity.
● allow others to express their views, with freedom
- Consultation consists of a number
● weigh all views and opinions with calm and composure of steps or procedures. It also
● carefully consider other people’s views before expressing our consists of positive attitudes or
own qualities that should be adopted as
well as negative attitudes and
● accept another view if it is more worthy than our own qualities that should be avoided.
● vote if differences arise – and fully support the decision of the
majority ***
● create an atmosphere of fellowship, unity, and love
Difficult Terms:
Ultimately, dignity, moderation,
composure, atmosphere, fellowship,
anxious, harmoniously, belittling,
procedures, authority
52
Discussion Questions: Teacher Instructions:
1. According to the above points, how might we express our views Approx. 25 minutes for steps 4-5:
during consultation?
4. Ask students to answer questions
1-4 with a partner.

5. Ask students to share their

answers with the class and discuss.

2. According to the above points, how might we treat others’ views

during consultation?

3. What can we do to help people who feel shy or anxious about

expressing themselves in group consultation spaces?

4. If a group consults harmoniously, will it always be necessary to

vote on a decision?

53
 Teacher Instructions:
For consultation to be effective, there are certain kinds of Approx. 25 minutes for steps 6-8:
behaviors that should be avoided. We should avoid:
6. Have a student read the text at
● insisting on our own opinions the top of the page. Help the class
● belittling (“looking down on”) the ideas of others understand the difficult words and
phrases. If you think it is helpful for
● manipulating others the students, reread the text
● dominating conversations together as a class.
● feeling superior to others
● criticizing decisions that were made by the group, inside or 7. Ask students to answer questions
1-5 with a partner.
outside of meetings
8. Ask students to share and discuss
Discussion Questions: their answers with the class.

1. Why do you think we sometimes insist on our own opinions? For question #5: help the students
understand that if individual
members are not supportive of the
group’s decision, it will not be
implemented well. In that case, no
2. Why do you think we sometimes belittle (put down) the ideas of
one will know whether it was a good
others? decision or not.

On the other hand, if each individual

member supports the group’s
3. If we insist on our own opinions or belittle the ideas of others, decision in unity, the decision has a
chance to be implemented well.
how is consultation affected?
After the decision is implemented
well, the group will have a chance to
know the truth about whether the
decision was correct or not.
4. Imagine that there is a group of five people who use consultation
to make a decision together. If two of the people later start to
complain about the group’s decision, why is that harmful?

5. If everyone in the group supports the decision in unity, it will be

easier to see if that decision is working well. If not, the group can
consult again and make another decision. Discuss what the second
consultation might look like if the group maintained its unity
instead of getting upset by the first decision.

54
Consultation is not just a set of rules and procedures. Rather, the Teacher Instructions:
kinds of qualities that we bring to a consultation are very important
Approx. 15 minutes for steps 9-11:
in determining whether the group is able to come to a decision in
unity. Here is a list of important qualities that we should try to 9. Have a student read the text at
show during consultation: the top of the page. Help the class
understand the difficult words and
● kindness, love, and respect phrases. If you think it is helpful for
the students, reread the text
● a desire to promote unity
together as a class.
● pure intentions
● humility Ask: Are these qualities our gems?
● patience Do they represent our true nature?
● a mindset of service
Ask: Why do we want to show these
● being open-minded qualities during consultation?
● having a sense of justice
● detachment (avoiding being negatively affected by others’ 10. Ask students to individually
write down their answers to Exercise
opinions or wanting a certain outcome too much). 1 in their notebooks.

11. Go over the answers with the

class.

You can share: In lesson 1 of this

Exercise #1:
unit, we learned that it is important
for communities to have unity of
1. Based on the above passage, please fill in the sentences below purpose, vision, and action.
about the kinds of qualities we need for effective consultation: Consultation can help us reach unity
of purpose, vision, and action. For
a. A desire to promote unity is important because consultation to be effective, we need
to keep the ideas of this lesson in
mind and constantly practice it.
b. Pure intentions are important because

c. Humility is important because

d. Patience is important because

e. A mindset of service is important because

f. Being open-minded is important because

g. Having a sense of justice is important because

h. Detachment is important because

55
 Teacher Instructions:
Exercise #2: Please read and discuss the main ideas of the Approx. 10 minutes for steps 12-13:
following passage with your class.
12. Ask a student to read Exercise 2.

It is important to remember that the authority to make decisions is Ask the class:
not always equally shared in every situation. At work, for example, -Is it important to consult at work?
a supervisor has the authority to make decisions. Even so, it is very (answer: yes).
important to show the qualities of consultation in such situations.
That is, it is important to listen to ideas respectfully, share our -When we consult at work, do we all
have equal power to make
thoughts with courtesy, patience, and humility, and not expect or decisions? (answer: no).
insist on a particular outcome.
-What do we still want to do, even
when we don’t have a lot of
decision-making power? (answer:
show the qualities of consultation)

13. Save Exercise #3 for the next

session: “review and consolidation”.

***

Exercise #3: Now, act out the following two skits in a small group
(3-4 classmates):

Skit A: Make up a skit (role play) that shows what consultation

would look like if each of you insisted that your view was the best
one, did not listen to others, and openly criticized others.

Skit B: Make up a skit that shows what consultation would look

like if you each had different opinions but were all also committed
to maintaining friendship and building unity.

56
 Unit 2 Review: Unity in Our Community
Mark Lesson 314 in the LMS Teacher Instructions:
Goals for Unit 2
You have 2 hours for this review and
a) To explore which qualities, attitudes, behaviors, and skills help a community build unity.
consolidation day:
b) To explore which qualities, attitudes, and behaviors prevent a community from building unity.
1. Arrange for absent students to
c) To continually develop the wide range of qualities, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as practice the pair up with and learn from
skills, that contribute to unity in the community. students that already took the
lessons that they missed.
Please answer the questions below:

1. What are “unity of purpose”, “unity of vision”, and “unity of action”? Why are they important?
2. Divide students into small groups
to act out the skits from Exercise #3
the previous lesson.

3. Return to the “Purpose” page of

Unit 2. Reflect on the purpose of
Unit 2 as a whole.
2. Fill in the blanks for the quotations and answer the question below.
4. Review the sequence of ideas in
a) “Do not be with showing friendship in alone. Let your the lessons of Unit 2. Ask students
burn with for who may cross your path.”[14]
to recall the main ideas from each
lesson.
What is the meaning of the above quotation?
5. Ask students to complete this
b) Thoughts of bring to all harmony, well-being, restfulness, and Unit 2 Review page in pairs. Go over
content.”[16] the answers with the class.
Important: This should be done as
“Thoughts of are of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and a group so that the teacher can
happiness.” [17] check for student understanding
and make sure everyone has clear
What is the meaning of the above quotation? and correct answers.

c) …The seeker after should be than the dust...the seeker after

should so humble himself that even the dust could him. Only then, and not till then,
will he have a glimpse of .”[23]

What is the meaning of the above quotation?

5. What is the relationship between truth and unity? What kind of qualities should a seeker of truth
possess?

6. How does unity bring strength?

7. What is consultation? What are its benefits? How does one engage in consultation?

57
 Unit 3
Unity in Society

58
 Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 10 minutes for steps 1-2:

Purpose 1. Please share the following
thoughts with the class:

“We are now going to start Unit 3.

To help us understand the purpose
1. To recognize that individuals and of Unit 3, let us first briefly reflect
communities are affected by society on Units 1 and 2. Unit 1 was about
the nature of the human being. We
and, in turn, affect society. learned that each person, regardless
of their background, is first and
foremost a human being. Each
human being is a mine rich in
beautiful gems that true education
2. To develop a vision of society in can bring out.

which unity and justice, and not Unit 2 was about the qualities,
attitudes, habits, skills, and abilities
competition and conflict, are our that we can develop to contribute to
focus. Unity in the Community.

Unit 3 is about how we can work

together to contribute to building
Unity in Society.”
3. To reconsider the concept of power
2. Ask a few students to read each of
and understand how we might each the points of the purpose out loud.
Go over difficult terms and discuss
have access to nearly limitless power. the basic meaning of each point.
Please do not spend a lot of time on
this, as students will learn more as
they go through the unit.

4. To understand that there are both

constructive and negative forces in
society, and that we can be full of hope
in aligning ourselves with the
constructive ones.

59
 Lesson 1: The Individual, the Community, and Society
Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 315 in the LMS Approx. 35 minutes for steps 1-3:

Please read and reflect on the following two paragraphs with the 1. Select a student to read the first two
paragraphs out loud to the class.
help of your teacher:
Ask: What will we learn in this final
unit? How is it different from the
So far, we have learned about two major aspects of building unity. previous unit?
In the first unit, we learned that the true nature and value of a
human being is the gems they have inside–their intellectual, moral, Ask: What do we mean by society? Is
society just a group of individuals?
and spiritual qualities. In the second unit, we focused on [answer: No. A society has many other
developing the qualities, attitudes, behaviors, and skills that elements such as culture, laws,
contribute to unity in our communities. government, families and communities,
religion, shops and businesses, etc.].

In this third and final unit, we turn our attention to the idea of 2. As the teacher, read the quotation
out loud to the students. Go over the
unity in society. The idea of unity in society may seem far away difficult terms together. Discuss with
from what is happening in our daily lives. However, it is not the meaning of each sentence of the
difficult to see that individuals and communities are affected quotation with the class. You may wish
to use the board.
everyday by what is happening in the larger society. At the same
time, the choices and actions of individuals and communities can 3. Ask students to write the quotation
down in their notebooks. Then ask them
have a big impact on the society. The more we work for unity in
to read it to each other in pairs.
our families, schools, workplaces, and communities, the more we
***
can positively contribute to the transformation of society.
Key Concepts
-In Units 1 and 2, we learned about two
The quotation below will help us further reflect on the relationship aspects of building unity: (1) seeing the
between the individual and the society.. true nature of a human being and
treating individuals according to their
inward characteristics; (2) developing
“We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment qualities, attitudes, and behaviors, as
well as practicing skills, that contribute
outside us and say that once one of these is reformed to unity in our communities.
everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world.
His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply -However, there is a third area we need
to think about: unity in society. Even
affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding though the idea of unity in society may
change in the life of man is the result of these mutual seem removed from our daily lives, we
are all in fact impacted by what is
reactions.”[29]
happening in the larger society and we
can all play an important role in
contributing to unity in society.

-We cannot be isolated from our

environment and say that once either
the individual or the environment is
fixed, everything will be improved.
Man’s inner condition and his
environment affect each other and both
need to be reformed.

***
Difficult Terms:
Transformation, segregate, organic (as
60
in "organic with the world"), molds,
abiding
 Teacher Instructions:
Now go deeper into the meaning of the quotation with the class.
You and the class may wish to consider the following aspects of the Approx. 50 minutes for steps 4-7:
quotation:
4. Ask some students to read the text
at the top of this page out loud to the
class.
(a) the meaning of the phrase “man is organic with the
5. As a class, discuss (a), (b), and (c).
world”
Possible answers:
(b) why things do not improve if we just change the individual
heart (a) : Humans are part of the world
(society). Just as the world (society)
impacts humans, humans also
(c) why things do not improve if we just change the social impact the world (society). Both the
environment individual and the society need to
align and support each other for
them to be healthy.

Of course, feel free to share other meaningful insights you come up (b) and (c): Things do not change if
with as well. only the individual heart or the
social environment changes. Both
are required to change.

Discuss: For example, there are many other

processes and structures in society–
1. What happens to the mood of a happy person walking into a such as unfair laws, unequalchances
for education and work, andeven the
room of sad people? What happens to the mood of the sad people? caste system–that keep people in
poverty. In this way, poverty is a
structural challenge in society. To
alleviate poverty, both our inner life
(e.g. our generosity, our unity, and
our sense of justice) must develop,
2. What happens to the mood of a sad person walking into a room and the laws, processes, and
structures in our social environment
of happy people? What happens to the mood of the happy people? must improve.

6. Ask students to answer questions

1-3 in pairs. Walk around and listen
to what the students are discussing
in their pairs. They should be
3. Would the problem of poverty be solved if rich people became connecting their answers to the
quotation above. If students are
more generous? What else might be needed? having difficulties with this, help
them refer back to the quotation.

7. Discuss the answers to questions

1-3 as a class.

61
 Exercise #1: You and Your Environment
Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 25 minutes for steps 8-11:

Please find a comfortable place to sit or stand outside the
classroom. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths. Pay 8. Take your students to a
attention to what you feel, smell, and hear. Welcome any thoughts comfortable place outside the
that arise, but do your best to remain present and alert. Take about classroom. The students can choose
3 minutes for this exercise. to sit or stand - whatever is most
comfortable for them.
Now, with your eyes closed, think about the environment around
you. For example, you might hear and think about the sound of 9. Before you start going over the
birds or people walking nearby. Next, expand your thinking to exercise, help create an
include your family and community. What might your family be environment that is calm and quiet.
This will enable the students to get
doing at this moment? What might the people in the community
the most out of this exercise.
be doing? Take about 3 minutes for this exercise.
10. Ask a few students to read the
Finally, open your eyes and record what you were thinking about text out loud. Help students
your environment, your family, and your community. In the space understand the instructions in the
below, write down or draw any observations, emotions, and text.
insights you may have had:
11. Give the students approximately
15 minutes to complete the exercise.
They can either write or draw (or do
both). The idea is to give each
student a space to reflect on their
own individual relationship with the
larger environment.

62
 Lesson 2: A Vision for Society
Mark Lesson 316 in the LMS Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 40 minutes for steps 1-3:

Please read and reflect on the following passage with the help of
your teacher: 1. Ask students to take turns reading
the text out loud. Keep reading until
Virtually every culture looks forward to a day in which humanity you reach question 1.
will have unity and peace. For example, more than two thousand
years ago, philosophers in China predicted a “world of grand Ask: What does each culture look
forward to in the future? (answer:
unity” (Datong Shijie). Great thinkers in India looked forward to
“a day in which humanity will have
the day in which we could realize “the world is one family” unity and peace”)
(Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). And the great ones of Israel looked
forward to a day in which “nation shall not lift up sword against Ask: Why does not seem to “accord”
or match with this common vision?
nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:4).”
(answer: “various aspects of
everyday life”)
Even though all peoples hope for a world of peace, justice, and
unity, what happens in society does not always line up with this Ask: can you give some examples
from the text?
hope. To take a few examples:
2. For question 1, ask students to
● We face too much competition in our educational and individually and quietly write down
career paths some of their own examples. Ask
● We observe deep and persistent inequalities in wealth and some students to share an example
with the class. Discuss these
economic opportunity
examples with the class.
● We often see that women are not treated fairly compared to
men 3. Read the paragraph at the bottom
● We often see that the rich and beautiful are given special of the page. Discuss the difficult
words in bold. Help students
treatment in society
understand the meaning of the
paragraph.
1. Can you list some other examples that you see in your daily life?
Ask: What do the examples we
a. discussed earlier in the class have in
common? (answer: they are each
based on conflict)
b.
Ask: What is the image of conflict
c. and competition given in the text?
(answer: the jungle and survival of
the fittest. You may wish to discuss
In all of the above examples, conflict and competition are common, the meaning of “survival of the
and society is like a jungle in which survival of the fittest is the fittest”)
mode of life. Yet this kind of conflict and competition does not
Ask: Does a society based on conflict
seem to fit with the ideas of unity we hope for. This brings our
and competition give much room for
attention to a paralyzing contradiction in human life. On the one unity and peace? (answer: No)
hand, we all believe in unity and want to have peace with each
other. On the other hand, we tend to passively accept conflict and Ask: What is the “paralyzing
contradiction” that we face? (go
competition as being natural and unavoidable aspects of life.
back to the text)

63
2. Before proceeding, let us reflect on the following questions Teacher Instructions:
together. Does society have to be organized around the idea of conflict
Approx. 20 minutes for steps 4-6:
and competition? Are conflict and competition necessary for people to
survive and advance? Can society instead be organized around other 4. Ask students to discuss question 2
ideas such as cooperation, mutual support, reciprocity and the pursuit in pairs. As they discuss, ask them
of excellence? to write down their answers. Then
ask them to share their answers
with the rest of the class.

5. Ask two students to read the

following two paragraphs out loud
to the class. Go over difficult words.
Help students understand the basic
meaning of the text.
We naturally want to push back against the negative forces of conflict
6. As the teacher, read the last
and competition whenever and wherever they occur. However,
paragraph (at the bottom of the
pushing back against various instances of conflict, one by one, can be page) to the class. Go over difficult
exhausting. And rather than contributing to unity and peace, pushing words. Help students understand
back often creates further conflict. How then can we avoid pushing the basic meaning of the text.
back against conflict and instead work towards unity?
***
Key Concepts
A first helpful step towards a harmonious world is to find a more
positive vision of society—a vision that we can all agree on and work -Most cultures believe that one day
towards together. Instead of seeing society as a jungle in which we will have a united and peaceful
survival of the fittest determines who succeeds and who fails, we world. At the same time, our current
society is characterized by
might instead think of society like a human body.
competition and conflict, which
seem to work against unity.
To help envision how we might think of society as a human body, -Society does not have to be
read the below passage: organized around conflict and
competition in order to advance.
Ideally, human society would be organized like the human body. As
long as the different parts of the body—its cells, tissues, and -Rather than just working against
organs—are coordinated and cooperating in harmony, it is healthy in the negative forces we see in society,
we can work towards a new vision of
the fullest degree. When the different parts of the body lack a better society.
coordination and harmony, it experiences disease and death.
Similarly, when the relationships among individuals, communities, -Our vision of a better society can be
and institutions in human society have coordination and harmony, informed by the analogy of the
human body.
society thrives. Lacking coordination and harmony, society starts to
come apart and fail. ***

Difficult Terms:
Virtually, philosophers, "survival of
the fittest", compatible, paralyzing
contradiction, passively,
unavoidable, vision, envision,
capabilities, uniqueness, spinal cord

64
3. Reflecting on the parallels between the human body and human Teacher Instructions:
society, please answer the questions below:
Approx. 20 minutes for step 7:

7. Ask students to individually

a. Does each cell of the body have its own capabilities and answer question 3 (a-d). When
powers? What about each individual in society? students finish answering the
questions, discuss the answers with
the whole class.

b. When does a cell live and thrive the most – when it is part
of the body or separate from it? Is the relationship similar
for the individual and society? Why?

c. How can the uniqueness and diversity of individuals

contribute to the well-being of society as a whole?

d. Please discuss in your class how holding the vision of

society as a human body can help us, as individuals, avoid
and overcome conflict.

65
 Teacher Instructions:
Matching Activity: Different body structures have different functions. In Approx. 20 minutes for steps 8-9:
the following image of a person dancing, match the various body
structures to their corresponding functions. (15 minutes) 8. Read the directions for the
Matching Activity out loud. Make
sure students understand that they
should assign two sets of letters
(A-F for structures and a-f for
functions).

Structures 9. Ask students to complete the

Matching Activity in pairs. After
A. Heart they are finished, go over the
answers together as a class.
B. Lungs

C. Brain

D. Bones

E. Stomach

F. Spinal Cord

Functions

a. Allow for the intake of oxygen and release of

carbon dioxide during the dance.
b. Coordinate movements, keep balance, and process
music during the dance.
c. Pump blood throughout the body, bringing oxygen
and nutrients to the cells during the dance.
d. Digest food, making nutrients and energy
available for cells during the dance.
e. While moving, support the body structurally and
protect vital organs.
f. Send information from the brain to the muscles,
allowing dance moves to be executed.

66
 Social Action Journal
Teacher Instructions:

Approx. 20 minutes for steps 10-11:

In an earlier lesson, we discussed the importance of regularly
practicing acts of kindness and reflecting on them. To help us 10. Ask students take turns reading
develop this habit, we started an “Acts of Kindness” journal. this page out loud.

Having progressed in our learning, we would now like to learn Ask: Why is it important to learn
not only how to practice acts of kindness by ourselves, but also how to perform acts of kindness
with others. with other people?

To get started, find at least one other person in the class, your 11. Give students time to find
family, or your community to perform an act of kindness with. another person in the class and
When we perform an act of kindness with this other person, we decide which act of kindness (social
action) they will do before the next
can call it “social action”.
session. Remind each student to
write down their experience in their
Once you have completed the “social action”, write a reflection journals. Also remind each pair of
on your experience. The format is similar to that of the previous students that they will share their
unit. Here is an example of what you might write: experience at the start of the next
session.
Date: 4-12-2023

Action: Rahul and I helped an elderly lady buy groceries

today. She was ill and weak and appreciated the help. She
asked if she could pay us some extra money, but we refused.

Spirit: While helping her we practiced kindness and

gentleness.

Effect on me: Helping her filled us with joy.

Effect on others: After helping the elderly lady, Rahul and I

thought that there might be other elderly people nearby who
need help. We will try to meet more of the elderly people
around us and ask what they need. This will help us make
new friends and bring the community closer together.

Try to write in your “Social Action” journal every day for the next
week. In doing so, you can either choose to work with the same
person each day or choose a different person. Do not be
discouraged if you are not able to find someone to work with each
day. Just by trying to work with others, you will bring more unity
to your community and society.

67
 Lesson 3: Unity and Justice
Teacher Instructions:
Mark Lesson 317 in the LMS
Approx. 10 minutes

Justice is necessary to create unity in society. The following lesson Review Lessons 1 and 2. Then ask
will help us explore the relationship between justice and unity in pairs of students to share their social
more depth. action journal responses. After
students finish sharing, remind
them to do another kind act with a
Justice and the Individual: Each of us possesses the quality of partner, write a new social action
journal entry, and be prepared to
justice. Justice helps us see with our own eyes and not through the
share in the next class.
eyes of others. It helps us see what is real without having to depend
on the opinions of others. With justice, we are fair-minded in our As always, it is suggested that you
judgments and treat others with equity. Practicing justice—that is, regularly check student journals. If
you find that students are not
taking individual responsibility for seeing and understanding
completing their journal entries, you
reality—requires constant effort. can have a discussion with the class
exploring the reasons why. What
challenges do students face in
Discuss the following questions: regularly writing in their journals?
1. Based on the above passage, what does justice mean for the Then you can brainstorm solutions.
individual? Approx. 30 minutes for steps 1-2:

1. Ask students to take turns reading

the text out loud to the class. Keep
reading until you reach question 1.

2. Ask students to answer questions

2. Do you think we should believe whatever we see in the media?
1-3 on their own. Then discuss the
Why or why not? answers as a class.

Answers for question 1 include:

-It helps us see with our own eyes

and not through the eyes of others.
3. Do you think we should trust news shared on social media from
-It helps us see what is real and true
friends and family? Why or why not? without relying on the opinions of
others.

-It helps us be fair-minded and treat

others with equity).

68
 Teacher Instructions:
Justice and the Collective: Justice not only works at the individual
level but also at the group or collective level. When justice exists Approx. 30 minutes for steps 4-5:
in a community or in a society, everyone has fair opportunities to
4. Ask students to take turns
progress and prosper, and everyone trusts that they will be
reading the text out loud to the
protected by fair rules and standards. class.

5. Ask students to discuss and

Justice also helps us think about how the interests of the individual answer questions 1-3 in pairs. Then
discuss the answers together as a
and group are connected. It encourages us to create an environment
class.
in which everyone can share their thoughts and make appropriate
decisions together harmoniously. In this way, justice can help us Key Concepts
achieve unity in thought and in action.
-Justice is necessary for creating
unity in society.
By justice, we do not mean being overly strict or severe towards -Justice is an individual quality that
others. Rather the purpose of justice is to build and maintain unity. helps us see with our own eyes and
As such, justice is only effective when we combine it with other not through the eyes of others.
qualities such as understanding, forgiveness, and patience.
-Justice also has a collective aspect.
A just society is one in which
everyone has fair opportunities to
Discuss the following questions: progress and prosper.

1. How do you think justice operates at the group level? -The purpose of justice is to bring
about unity. As such, it must be
combined with other qualities such
as understanding, forgiveness and
patience.

-Justice also manifests in the many

2. What does the above text say is the purpose of justice? Is the
relationships we have with other
purpose of justice is to punish others or is it something more? people, and between individuals,
communities, and institutions.

***

Difficult Terms:
3. Why might justice be more effective when it is combined with Equity, acquaintances
other qualities such as understanding and forgiveness? Can you
give an example of this from your own life?

69
Justice and Relationships: When greater justice characterizes the
Teacher Instructions:
relationships in a society that society becomes more harmonious
and prosperous. Many different types of relationships in society Approx. 30 minutes for steps 6-7:
appear to require justice. Here are a few examples:
6. Ask students to take turns
● The relationship between individual friends or reading the text out loud to the
class.
acquaintances
● The relationship between family members 7. Ask students to discuss and
● The relationship between an individual and their answer Exercise 1 in pairs. Then ask
community some of the pairs to share their
responses with the class. Allow
● The relationship between an individual and their some time for discussion.
government institutions
● The relationship between a community and its institutions
● The relationship between an individual and their natural
environment

You may wish to discuss the following question with a partner and
share your thoughts with the class:

Exercise #1: What do relationships built on justice look like in a

family? You may wish to think about the roles of, and relationships
between, the mother, father, husband, wife, son, daughter,
grandparents, and so on.

70
Please go over the below exercise with a partner and share your
Teacher Instructions:
work with the class:
Approx. 20 minutes for steps 8-9:

Exercise #2: Draw a map of the different kinds of relationships that 8. Read Exercise 2 to the class. Ask
exist in a workplace (for example, between employees, managers, students to work on the exercise in
pairs.
clients, owners). Discuss what just and fair relationships might
look like between these different people in the workplace. 9. Ask the students to share their
maps with the class. Allow some
time for discussion.

71
 Lesson 4: The Role of Power in Building Unity
Teacher Instructions:

Mark Lesson 318 in the LMS Approx. 20 minutes:

In our efforts to use justice to build stronger relationships and thus Review Lesson 3. Then have
greater unity, we have to rethink the idea of power. In society, students share experiences from
their social action journal. After
power is typically believed to operate in one of three ways: students finish, remind them to do
another kind act with a partner,
● A person with more authority or wealth forces someone write a new social action journal
with less authority and wealth to do something. entry, and be prepared to share it in
● A person with more authority or wealth takes away the the next class.
choices of someone with less authority or wealth. Approx. 40 minutes for steps 1-3:
● Those with authority and wealth use the media or other
aspects of culture to manipulate how others think and 1. Ask a student to read the text
behave. (paragraph and three bullet points).

Ask: What are the three ways that

Exercise #1: Please write an example of each of the three types of power is typically believed to
power in the space below: operate? (help the students
understand the three bullet points
1. and say them in their own words)

2. Ask students to do Exercise #1

2. individually, on their own. Then, ask
the students to share with the entire
class.
3.
You may choose to give students an
example first. One example is early
The above three types of power frequently involve conflict and marriage for girls. The first type of
domination with accompanying ideas of contention, division, and power might involve a parent
superiority. forcing their daughter to get married
young. The second type of power
might involve parents not allowing
girls to study or move away from
However, power does not have to be based on conflict and home (so girls are pressured to
domination. marry because of a lack of options).
The third type of power might
involve culture and media making
There are powers of the human spirit that each of us have and that girls think they only have worth and
success if they marry early.
we can use in our daily lives. The powers of the human spirit
include the powers of pure deeds, friendship, love, kindness, 3. Ask students to take turns reading
humility, honesty, and many others. If we think about it for a while, the rest of the page out loud. Go over
difficult vocabulary together. Make
we see that some of the greatest heroes of history—Gandhi, Martin
sure that students understand the
Luther King, Mother Teresa, Malala, Nelson Mandela, and meaning of the text.
others—used these kinds of power to build unity even when they
met great difficulties. Ask the class: Can you share
examples of people in your area who
use the powers of the human spirit
in everyday life? Can you describe
the effects they have?
72
 Teacher Instructions:
Exercise #2: Which of the following actions would you associate
positively with power? Which of the actions would you associate Approx. 60 minutes for steps 4-7:
negatively with power? Write a P (positive) or N (negative) next to
4. Ask students to individually
the power-related action words below:
complete Exercise #2 in their
notebooks. Then pick one or more
To transform To manipulate students to go through the answers
with the entire class. (note:
To dominate To release transform, encourage, channel,
unify, release, guide, and enable are
To encourage To discourage
the positive action words).
To channel To block
5. Ask students to take a couple of
To force To guide minutes to quietly read and reflect
on Exercise #3. Then ask students to
To oppress To enable share their thoughts with the class.
To unify To divide
6. Ask students to take a couple of
minutes to quietly read and reflect
Exercise #3: Reflect on the positive and negative action words above. on Exercise #4. Then ask students to
share their thoughts with the class.
In general, which types of actions do you think are limited in their
power? Which are unlimited? Please explain your thinking. 7. Break students up into small
groups of 3-4. Give the small groups
15 minutes to prepare Exercise #5.
Take another 15 minutes for the
groups to present their skits.

***
Key Concepts:

Exercise #4: Explain why some of the above actions empower others -There are three ways that power is
(and empower you)? commonly understood to operate in
society. All three involve conflict and
domination.

-There are powers of the human

spirit that we all have access to and
which are limitless.

Exercise #5: Act out a skit in which your family gets upset with you -True power can empower others
because they think you are going out too much. In the skit, use your and transform reality.
powers in a positive way to bring unity to the situation.
***

Difficult Terms:
Manipulate, oppress, discourage, to
‘channel’, empower

73
 Lesson 5: The Equality of Women and Men Teacher Instructions:

Mark Lesson 319 in the LMS Approx. 10 minutes:

After reviewing Lesson 4, have students

Read the below passage. share their experiences from their social
action journal. After students finish
If we are to make progress towards unity, it may be helpful to reflect sharing, remind them to do another
on the central role that the equality of women and men plays in our kind act with a partner, write a new
social action journal entry, and be
collective prosperity.[30] prepared to share in the next class.
One place to start may be to realize that: women and men are, and Approx. 35 minutes for step 1:
have always been, equal. Although historically women have lagged
behind men, this is because men have had greater opportunities to 1. Ask students to read entire page in
pairs. Walk around the classroom and
progress and succeed than women. If we look carefully, we see that help students with any difficult words or
social, economic, and political systems and structures have been phrases. Make sure students understand
the meaning of the passage.
imbalanced in favor of men over women.
Even today, we see many examples of how women do not have Ask: Why are men and women
fundamentally equal? (answer:
equal chances to progress and succeed. Women do not have equal women and men have always been
access to education. Women face unequal relationships in the equal because they are both
fundamentally human beings. In Unit
family. There are harmful practices towards women in the
1, we learned that a human being is
workplace. first and foremost an intellectual,
moral, and spiritual being. Our
As we have discussed before, all humans – all of us – are rational, outward, material, and physical traits
intellectual, moral, and spiritual beings. No one person is better than are secondary.)
another. As such, we have to address and overcome negative Ask: In the past and even today, why
practices against women in society. have women often lagged behind men?

The habits that govern our relationships with the world are largely Ask: Why is it important to form
formed within the family. The tendencies to be unjust or just, to act healthy habits around the equality of
women and men in the family?
violently or with kindness, to be dishonest or trustworthy, are
usually developed at home. These habits are then taken into every ***
instance of social interaction, becoming either obstacles or stepping
Key Concepts:
stones to progress, tearing apart or weaving together the very fabric
of society. -The equality of women and men is
important for our collective prosperity.

● For example, if brothers are allowed to dominate their -Men and women are equal; however,
history has favored the domination of
sisters, a habit is formed that will be carried from the living
males over females.
room to the classroom, the workplace and finally, the
international arena. -Inequality between women and men
can be seen at home, work, school, and
society overall.

● By contrast, when daughters are included in decision-making -Until the equality of women and men is
realized in society, the bird of humanity
processes, when sons are encouraged to care for the
cannot fly.
household, positive habits are developed. Children learn that
the intellectual powers of both boys and girls are vital and ***
Difficult Terms:
that the nurturing qualities for which women are known are Prosperity, lagged, praiseworthy,
equally praiseworthy when demonstrated by men. 74
[31]
stepping stone, weaving, fabric
 Teacher Instructions:
Exercise #1: Read and memorize the following quotation with a
partner. Approx. 75 minutes for steps 2-6:
“The world of humanity has two wings—one is women and the other
2. Ask the students to complete
men… Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Exercise #1 in pairs (10 minutes).
Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible.”[32] Ask the students to copy the
quotation down in their journals.
Exercise #2: Please use the above quotation to create an artistic
representation of the bird of humanity with its two wings, women and Note to share with the class:
men. Share your art and reflections with the class. Memorization is an important tool
that is used to develop a more
Exercise #3: Please discuss the following (a through d) with two other personal relationship with a piece of
classmates: text because the words can become
part of your mind and being; it also
allows you to bring quotations with
a. Please give some examples of gender inequality in our society. you wherever you go and such verses
can be readily shared with others.

3. Ask students to do Exercise #2

individually (10 minutes). After that,
ask students to share out their
drawings with the class (10
b. How does discrimination against women limit the ability of all of minutes).
us to develop to our full potential?
4. Ask students to complete Exercise
#3 in small groups of 3 (15 minutes).
Spend another 10 minutes sharing
and discussing answers with the
class.

c. How can men support the achievement of gender equality? 5. Ask the class to watch the video in
Exercise #4. Remind the students to
turn on the subtitles. (5-10 minutes)

6. Discuss the video with the class

for 10 minutes.
d. How is the equality of men and women connected to human Ask: What were your impressions of
happiness? the video? What were some of the
main ideas in the video? Why are
these ideas important for the world?

Exercise #4: At the end of class, watch this video from the UN
Secretary-General António Guterres on gender equality:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz22dfw9NsE

75
 Teacher Instructions:
Lesson 6: Unity and Hope Approx. 10 minutes:

Mark Lesson 320 in the LMS 1. Review Lesson 5. Then have

students share their experiences
If we look at history, we can see that humanity has steadily from their social action journal.
achieved greater levels of unity: unity in the family, the tribe, the After students finish sharing,
remind them to do another kind act
clan, the city-state, and the nation. Each stage of unity has released
with a partner, write a new social
new capacities in human beings and in society. action journal entry, and be
prepared to share in the next class.
Still, it may seem difficult to achieve unity in our diverse, complex
world today. In this regard, it may help to us to remember that Approx. 35 minutes for steps 1-3:
humanity has made great progress in many areas in the last two
1. Ask a student to read the first
hundred years. Increasing levels of equality between people of paragraph out loud. Ask the class to
different backgrounds and amazing advances in science are just summarize the meaning of this
two examples. If we can end slavery and go to the moon, are unity paragraph.
and peace really impossible to achieve?
2. Ask another student to read the
second paragraph out loud. Ask the
Class Exercise #1: Can you think of examples from history in class to summarize the main idea of
which the actions of a small group of individuals changed society? this paragraph.
Please list examples below:
Ask: Is achieving unity in today’s
world possible? Why not?

3. Do Exercise #1 together with the

entire class. List the examples
students give on the board. Be ready
to share one or two examples of your
***** own to help the students think of
more ideas.

***
Key Concepts:
-While the unity of humanity seems
impossible to realize, we have
achieved increasing levels of unity
throughout history. At successive
stages of history, humanity built the
capacity to achieve unity in the
family, the tribe, the city-state, and
the nation.

-Both destructive and constructive

forces are operating in society.

-By aligning with constructive forces

in society, we can help realize the
oneness of humankind.

***
Difficult Terms:
76 destructive, constructive
 Teacher Instructions:
While striving to build unity in today’s complex world, we also have
Approx. 25 minutes for steps 4-5:
to be aware of the constant influence of destructive (negative) and
constructive (positive) social forces. Destructive forces such as 4. Ask a third student to read the
materialism, prejudice, and too much competition lead to various passage out loud to the class.
crises. Eventually these crises awaken human awareness and remove
Ask: What do we have to be aware of
barriers to progress. Constructive forces, on the other hand, actively when we try to build unity in
help us to achieve greater unity. One of the most constructive forces society?
that we should keep in mind is that for the first time in history, people (answer: the constant influence of
from different nations and backgrounds are beginning to see destructive and constructive social
forces).
humanity as one race and the earth as one common home.
5. Do Exercise #2 together with the
entire class. List the examples
students give on the board. Be ready
Class Exercise #2: Please list and discuss destructive and to share one or two examples of your
constructive forces you see in society today. own to help the students think of
more ideas.

Destructive Constructive

77
 *****
Teacher Instructions:
We can be confident that, as more of us work for unity, society will Approx. 50 minutes for steps 6-9:
advance in a positive direction. The power of pure deeds, kind
words and actions, and sincere friendship will change the world 6. Read the text out loud to the class.
around us.
Ask: what will help us change our
society for the better? (possible
answers: unity, the power of pure
Exercise #3: As a last exercise, reflect on how your pure and deeds, kind words and actions,
goodly deeds, no matter how small, can make society better. sincere friendship).

7. Ask students to each quietly write

down their response to Exercise #3.
Then ask students to share out their
responses with the rest of the class.

8. Read the next two sentences (in

italics) as well as the final quotation
(in bold) out loud. Then have the
class read the quotation out loud
together. Ask the students to share
their reflections about the quotation.

9. Ask the students to write down

You may wish to end these lessons on unity by memorizing the the quotation in their notebooks and
take turns memorizing the quotation
following quotation. We hope that by remembering it, you will find in pairs. Give individual students a
the necessary joy and strength to build greater unity in your life, chance to recite the quotation in
community, and society. front of the entire class.

“If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on
earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will
become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger,
until it reaches the minds of all men.”[33]

78
 Unit 3 Review: Unity in Society
Mark Lesson 321 in the LMS Teacher Instructions:
Goals for Unit 3
You have 2 hours for this review and
a) To recognize that individuals and communities are affected by society and, in consolidation day:
turn, affect society.

b) To develop a vision of society in which unity and justice, and not competition 1. Ask students to share their
and conflict, are our focus. experiences from their social action
journal.
c) To reconsider the concept of power and understand how we might each have
access to nearly limitless power. 2. Arrange for absent students to
pair up with and learn from students
d) To understand that there are both constructive and negative forces in society, and that already took the lessons that
that we can be full of hope in aligning ourselves with the constructive ones.
they missed.
Questions: Please answer the questions below.
3. Return to the “Purpose” page of
1. How is man organic with the world? Unit 3. Reflect on the purpose of
Unit 3 as a whole.

4. Review the sequence of ideas in

the lessons of Unit 3. Ask students
2. How is human society organized like the human body? to recall the main ideas from each
lesson.

4. Ask students to complete this

Unit 3 Review page in pairs. Go over
3. What is the purpose of justice? How does it relate to unity? the answers with the class.
Important: This should be done as
a group so that the teacher can
check for understanding and make
sure everyone has clear and correct
4. List some of the powers of the human spirit. answers.

5. Sincerely thank and congratulate

the class for participating in the
5. Why is it important for men and women to be treated equally? unity curriculum. Remind them that
learning to build unity in diversity is
a lifelong task and that we have just
started our journey. The more we
come back to the valuable ideas in
6. How can pure and goodly deeds, even when they seem small, make society these lessons and practice them, the
better? Please provide examples.
more we will learn and the more
progress we will make.

7. Fill in the blanks for the quote and answer the question below.

“If you desire with all your , friendship with every race on earth, your
, and , will spread; it will become the of
others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the of all
men.”[32]

What is the meaning of the above quotation?

79
References
1
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
2
Ibid.
3
https://humanorigins.si.edu/multimedia/videos/one-species-living-worldwide. Downloaded 8.22.2021 at 3:47pm.
4
The Holy Bible (King James Version), Genesis 26.
5
The Bhagavad-Gita translated by Eknath Easwaran (2007).
6
Hadith Qudsi
7
Adapted from Saiedi, N. (2011). The Birth of the Human Being: Beyond Religious Traditionalism and Materialist Modernity.
8
Ibid.
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.
11
Based on (adapted from) a quotation from Selections of the Writings of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá.
12
From “Unity in Diversity in India” by Rucha.
13
Adapted from Chapter 14 of “Education” by FUNDAEC.
14
Paris Talks.
15
Original version printed in 1982 in the book, "The Sacred Tree" by the Four Worlds Development Project . Adapted and reprinted
in the "Inter-Tribal Times" October 1994.
16
Paris Talks.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
19
"Yamakavagga: Pairs" (Dhp I), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30
November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html.
20
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
21
Star of the West', Volume 8, No. 10, p 138.
22
"Malavagga: Impurity" (Dhp XVIII), translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita. Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 30
November 2013, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.18.budd.html.
23
Selections of the Writings of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá.
24
From the Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, Introduction.
25
Arising to Serve, available at www.ruhi.org.
26
Aesop’s Fables, available at http://read.gov/aesop/040.html.
27
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
28
This Lesson draws on ideas from Chapter 2 of Building Vibrant Communities from the Ruhi Institute.
29
Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 17 February 1933, Compilation on Social and Economic Development, p. 4.
30
Adapted from: https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/pdf/csw_61statement_2017.pdf
31
Ibid.
32
Foundations of World Unity, pp. 29-30.
33
Paris Talks.

Copyright © 2024 by Prashant Loyalka. All rights reserved.

80
Notes and Reflections

81
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