Sikh Parables and Stories | Sikh Literature

Activity Overview

Stories, parables and literature allow students to visualize different people, holidays, customs and traditions within a particular religion in a more concrete way. There are many books related to Sikhism that teachers can use to help students form a deeper understanding of the religion and the people who practice it. In this activity, students will illustrate the plot of a Sikh story.

This example is about the story of Guru Nanak and the Boulder of Panja Sahib, which today is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism.

There are many other engaging books and stories that introduce students to different aspects of being a Sikh and the various beautiful traditions, stories and holidays in Sikhism. Here are some suggestions:

My First Sikh Books by Parveen Kaur Dhillon
Gurpreet Goes to Gurdwara: Understanding the Sikh Place of Worship by Harman Singh Pandher
The Guru Inside Me Says by Ratika Seehra
Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon by Simran Jeet Singh
Ajooni the Kaurageous: Ajooni Stands Up to the Dragon by Amarpreet Kaur Dhami
The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar
Let's Celebrate Vaisakhi! (Punjab's Spring Harvest Festival) by Ajanta Chakraborty
What is a Patka? by Tajinder Kaur Kalia
Joora by Deep Kaur
Vaisakhi by Deep Kaur
Lohri: The Bonfire Festival by Parveen Kaur Dhillon
Mata Khivi: The Superheroine by Rav Kaur
Hair Twins by Raakhee Mirchandani
What is a Sikh?: 20 Questions about Sikhi and the Answers by Sukhwinder Kaur Basra
An Illustrated Introduction to Sikhi: A Beginners Guide To The Sikhi Way Of Life by Ishpal Kaur Dhillon
Fascinating Folktales of Punjab by Gurmeet Kaur

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Template and Class Instructions

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Due Date:

Objective: After listening to the story, create a narrative storyboard that includes important details from the beginning, middle and end of the story.

Student Instructions:

In about 3-5 cells, write the major details of the story in order of occurrence.
Add appropriate scenes, characters and items to illustrate each cell. The Creator has each animal from the story.

Requirements: Beginning, Middle, and End of the story

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: World Religions

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/2] Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content
[ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/6] Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically
[ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/7] Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation

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Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Plot Diagram Rubric

Create a visual Plot Diagram that summarizes the story. The storyboard should have six cells: Title, Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Below each cell, type in a description of that part of the story.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Design	Cells include images that help to tell the story and do not get in the way of understanding. Descriptions match the images.	Descriptions do not always match the images.	Descriptions are missing or do not match the images.
Plot	Each of the six cells represents a different part of the story. The cells are in order from beginning to end.	Two cells or fewer are out of order, or the storyboard is missing important information.	Important information is missing and/or three or more cells are out of order.
Spelling and Grammar	Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding.	Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding.	Text is difficult to understand.