Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

• Have chart paper and markers.

• Print on the chart paper “The Golden Rule in Christianity” as it is found on the Golden Rule in World Religions Worksheet.

• Print the 11 other Religions and their Golden Rules, one to a piece of chart paper

• Have masking tape to post each Golden Rule chart paper around the room.

• Prepare a set of index cards on which is printed one of the entries of a religion’s version of what Christians call the Golden Rule from the Golden Rule in World Religions Worksheet. Do not make a card for Christianity.

• Have an envelope large enough to contain the 11 folded index cards so that students will be able to easily reach in and pick out a card.

• Have copies of the Golden Rule in World Religions worksheet, one for each student, plus extra copies as needed.

CASEL Core Competencies

• Self-Awareness

• Self-Management

• Social Awareness

• Relationship Skills

• Responsible Decision-Making

Common Core ELA-Literacy Standards

• Speaking and Listening

• Reading Informational Text

• Writing

NCSS Social Studies Themes

• Culture

• Individuals, Groups and Organizations

• Civic Ideals and Practices

• Recognize that Golden Rules are taught to the followers of religions around the world

• Compare and contrast various Golden Rules

• Explain how following a Golden Rule impacts people’s behavior toward one another

• Explain the impact that following a Golden Rule has on people’s ability to live in peace with one another

• The Golden Rule

Ask: By a show of hands, how many students in the class have siblings or cousins that they live with in their homes? After students put their hands down, ask: By a show of hands, how many students have gotten into conflict with their siblings or cousins?

Ask: What kinds of issues usually start the conflicts? Chart responses (e.g., “he broke my X; she touched my things, he took my Y” etc.).

Ask: By a show of hands, how many students have heard of the Golden Rule?

Ask: Who can tell us what the Golden Rule is? (If a student gives a partially correct answer, ask if there is another student who can help say what it is.)

Post the chart paper on which “The Golden Rule in Christianity” is written. Ask: Where does the Golden Rule come from? If a student answers, the Bible, ask Who said the Golden Rule? (Jesus Christ)

Then ask: Does anyone know where in the Bible it comes from? If no one knows, provide the information that it comes from Chapter 7, Verse 12 of the Book of Matthew in the New Testament.

Ask : By a show of hands, how many people think that the Golden Rule that is found in Matthew in the New Testament of the Christian Bible is the only Golden Rule in the world?

Ask for 11 volunteers to come up one by one to pick a card from the envelope containing the printed index cards. Tell students they are to return to their seats before opening their cards.

When the 11 students with index cards are seated, ask them to read their index card silently to themselves.

Ask for 11 other students to volunteer to post chart paper around the room. Tell them to line up next to the desk or table on which you have the chart papers ready.

Ask for the student who has Baha’i to read their index card aloud to the class, stating the name of the religion and the religion’s Golden Rule. As the student reads their card, give the first student the Baha’i chart to post on the wall. Ask the student who has the Buddhism index card to stand up and read while the next volunteer posts the chart on the wall. Repeat this process until all the chart papers are posted around the room. (this should take between six and seven minutes)

When all charts of the Golden Rule are posted, ask students if there are any words or any Golden Rules they do not understand.

Ask: Which, if any, of the Golden Rules seems to be different from the others? (If students do not see that Jainism and Native American Golden Rules refer to all forms of life, point this out to them). Ask: How do these Golden Rules expect us to treat other creatures, such as animals? Why do you think these two beliefs ask their followers to respect all forms of life?

Ask students to state where in the world some of the religions posted are practiced. Chart responses. Ask students if there are some religions they have never heard of before. Chart responses.

Ask: What message do all of these 12 Golden Rules give about acting toward one another? Chart student answers.

Ask: If people really follow a Golden Rule, what do you think it would be like to live with them? Get multiple responses.

Ask: What kinds of behaviors wouldn’t you find in a place where people really practice a Golden Rule?

Ask: Why would you want to live there? (Encourage multiple responses.)

Create a Visual Representation: Ask students to create a visual representation of a Golden Rule that resonates with them.

This could be a drawing, a collage, or a comic strip.

Extension: Distribute a copy of the Golden Rule in World Religions Worksheet to each student. Tell students each person is to choose one religion from the worksheet that he or she has never heard of before or knows very little about and find out where in the world people practice the religion and three important facts about the religion. Tell students they must write up their information in two or three paragraphs and give them a date on which it must be handed in.

(Adjust the length of the essay depending on grade level, and keep in mind that some students may need time to go to the school or community library to access books or the internet.)