SAMPLE LESSON

Lakshmi Goddess of Fortune/ Service to your Community

Through a series of activities, students will learn first hand the about the ancient Hindu Goddess Lakshmi, and the concept of helping out those people who are not as fortunate.

Objective(s): Students will be able to:
• Describe the basic beliefs surrounding the Goddess Lakshmi • become involved in a community service project • write a short summary of what fortune and luck means to them •

Cognitive: This project integrates various levels of BloomÕs Taxonomy (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.)

Affective: Given the topic is human fortune and service to others, new perspectives on values may emerge from the students.

Psychomotor: Writing, coloring, collecting cans, etc.

Prerequisite/ Background Skills/Knowledge: We will have briefly covered Hindu beliefs in the main text, viewed applicable portions of the video "India, Land of 330 million Gods," traced the tale of Lakshmi, and shared a read aloud of "The Story of Divali."

Vocabulary / Language Skills: community • service • Lakshmi • fortune • luck • Divali •

Materials: Wildflower of Australia • Story of Lakshmi • Story of Divali • construction paper? • scissors • crayons/color pencils •

Classroom Management: Students can choose to work in pairs or independently.

Models of Instruction: Concept(s):Concept Attainment, Inquiry training, Concept Formation Procedure

Open: Teacher reintroduces the Goddess Lakshmi, (reminds students she is very fond of flowers, that she represents-Luck and Fortune etc.

Teacher asks students to discuss what they think it means to be fortunate. The teacher may ask questions like, "What make a person fortunate?" or "Is there a difference between fortune and luck?"

Discussion on the topics of Luck and Fortune.

Guided Practice: Teacher suggest students to think of people who are not fortunate, and ask themselves how we might define "fortunate." If students do not think of it, teacher will suggest a canned food drive. Teacher asks for volunteers to find out where canned food could be dropped off locally.

Teacher reminds students that to enhance Lakshmi's blessing, they could draw flowers, flower designs around their paragrpaghs. (teacher will show students pictures of many different kinds of colorful flowers and reminds students that Lakshmi is always pictured with flowers, is drawn to flowers, etc.)

Independent Practice: Ask students to think about their own lives and to write two paragraph reflections on what they think it means to be "Lucky" or "Fortunate. "

Close: When the 'flower paragraphs' are complete, students will share their "Lucky" or "Fortunate." compositions with those at home. They will also bring home an accompanying parent letter asking for a donation of 1 can of food.

Assessment: Responses to discussion questions, Writings/Drawings on Luck and Fortune, Participation in service project.