Theme | Exploring new forms of Faith |
Relevant Grades | Class 6, 7 & 8 |
Key Learning Objectives |
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Session Duration | 1 Hour (Approximately) |
- THE MISSION
Imagine you are a historian in the game and you are into recording of important events of history. You get an opportunity to revisit and see as a spectator and observe the various occurrences in history especially the story of Buddha and Buddhism, reading Upanishads from its source and on Jainism and its journey and also on the growth of Sangha and Monasteries. You are taken on a journey by a wise, old monk with whom you cannot converse with any of the great people you are going to witness nor can you converse with the monk. You will have to face various obstacles before reaching these places of history and you will be faced with a lot of issues on the path like natural disasters, human made problems etc. When you meet the three forms of faith and record the experiences you gain 100 points apart from the points earned during each stage of the game.
- CONCEPTS
- The Story of Buddha
About 2500 years ago, Siddhartha the founder of Buddhism was born. He was also known as Gautama Buddha. The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he was a young man, he left the comforts of his home in search of knowledge. He meditated for days on end under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he attained enlightenment. After that, he was known as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till he passed away at Kusinara.
- Buddha’s Teaching
The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering and unhappiness. Even if we get what we want, we are not satisfied and want even more. The Buddha described this as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant craving could be removed by following moderation in everything. He also taught people to be kind, and to respect the lives of others, including animals. He believed that the results of our actions (called karma), whether good or bad, affect us both in this life and the next.
- Upanishads
Upanishad means ‘approaching and sitting near’. The texts contained in the Upanishad were the conversations between teachers and students.
Most Upanishadic thinkers were men, especially brahmins and rajas. There is mention of women thinkers, such as Gargi, who was famous for her learning and participated in debates held in royal courts. Many of the ideas of the Upanishads were later developed by the famous thinker Shankaracharya.
- Jainism
The last and 24th Tirthankara of the Jainas was Vardhamana Mahavira. He was a kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group that was part of the Vajji sangha. At the age of 30, he left home and went to live in a forest. For 12 years he led a hard and lonely life, at the end of which he attained enlightenment.
He taught a simple doctrine: men and women who wished to know the truth must leave their homes. They must follow very strictly the rules of ahimsa, which means not hurting or killing living beings.
Followers of Mahavira, who were known as Jainas, had to lead very simple lives. They had to be absolutely honest and were especially asked not to steal. Also, they had to observe celibacy. And men had to give up everything, including their clothes. It was very difficult for most men and women to follow these strict rules. Jainism was supported mainly by traders. The teachings of Mahavira and his followers were transmitted orally for several centuries.
- The Sangha
Sangha was an association of those people who left their homes. The rules made for the Buddhist sangha were written down in a book called the Vinaya Pitaka. Men and women who joined the sangha led simple lives. They meditated for most of the time, and went to cities and villages to beg for food during fixed hours. That is why they were known as bhikkhus (the Prakrit word for renouncer – beggar) and bhikkhunis. Those who joined the sangha included brahmins, kshatriyas, merchants, labourers, barbers, courtesans and slaves.
- Monasteries
Both Jaina and Buddhist monks went from place to place throughout the year, teaching people. The only time they stayed in one place was during the rainy season, when it was very difficult to travel. Then, their supporters built temporary shelters for them in gardens, or they lived in natural caves in hilly areas. The permanent shelters, which monasteries were built in were known as viharas. The earliest viharas were made of wood, and then of brick. Some were even in caves, especially in western India. Over the centuries, Buddhism spread to many parts of the subcontinent and beyond.
GAME DESIGN
- Problem statement
Imagine you are a historian in the game and you are into recording of important events of history. You get an opportunity to revisit and see as a spectator and observe the various occurrences in history especially the story of Buddha and Buddhism, reading Upanishads from its source and on Jainism and its journey and also on the growth of Sangha and Monasteries. You are taken on a journey by a wise, old monk with whom you cannot converse with any of the great people you are going to witness nor can you converse with the monk. You will have to face various obstacles before reaching these places of history and you will be faced with a lot of issues on the path like natural disasters, human made problems etc. When you meet the three forms of faith and record the experiences you gain 100 points apart from the points earned during each stage of the game.
- Game design overview
Imagine you are a historian in the game and you are into recording of important events of history. You get an opportunity to revisit and see as a spectator and observe the various occurrences in history especially the story of Buddha and Buddhism, reading Upanishads from its source and on Jainism and its journey and also on the growth of Sangha and Monasteries. You are taken on a journey by a wise, old monk with whom you cannot converse with any of the great people you are going to witness nor can you converse with the monk. You will have to face various obstacles before reaching these places of history and you will be faced with a lot of issues on the path like natural disasters, human made problems etc. When you meet the three forms of faith and record the experiences you gain 100 points apart from the points earned during each stage of the game. The gamer has to tactically overcome all the obstacles and emerge victorious in the game or else he may be stuck in the past and may never return to the present or maybe transported to the future.
- How to design the game?
- Step I
Imagine you are a historian in the game and you are into recording of important events of history. You get an opportunity to revisit and see as a spectator and observe the various occurrences in history especially the story of Buddha and Buddhism, reading Upanishads from its source and on Jainism and its journey and also on the growth of Sangha and Monasteries. You are taken on a journey by a wise, old monk with whom you cannot converse with any of the great people you are going to witness nor can you converse with the monk. You will have to face various obstacles before reaching these places of history and you will be faced with a lot of issues on the path like natural disasters, human made problems etc.
Hint: In the first level of the game, you are transported to the era where you meet Siddhartha, who later creates Buddhism and its principles and later came to be called as Buddha. You record through an equipment fitted in your eyes which is directly connected to the brain, constantly storing all the information and memories to be reproduced later. On the course of the journey, you will be met with a harsh tornado that will sweep you off your feet and you will have to build a strong house for yourself which will earn you 50 points. You will also have to face lack of food and water and it will reduce by 50% every 10 minutes and hence the level should be completed within 15 minutes.
- Step II
In the second step of the process, you learn the upanishads and record its history through its original source and you will gain another 50 points on completion of the second step.
Hint: The equipment with which you are recording gradually starts to lose charge and hence you will have to complete this round within 15 minutes or else all the recordings will be lost and you cannot go back to the present. You will earn 50 points on completion of this step.
- ASSESSMENT
Learning Objective Based Evaluation (0-1) | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | ||
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Higher Order Thinking Skills | Problem Solving | Critical Thinking | Innovation | Creativity | ||
Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | |
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Learning Objective Based Evaluation Total Score | /4 |
Higher Order Thinking Skills Total Score | /8 |
Total Score | /12 |
Learning Objective Based Evaluation
1 point Questions:
Q1. What is the original name of Gauthama Buddha?
- Siddhartha
- Mahatria
- None of the above
Q2. What is the meaning of Upanishads?
- Approaching and sitting near
- The ocean
- Nature
- None of the above
Q3. What is the name of the famous woman thinker during vedic ages?
- Gargi
- Athreya
- Vishwamitra
- None of the above
Q4. How many years did Mahavira spend in solitude?
- 12 years
- 5 years
- 10 years
- 15 years
Evaluation of HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills)
Identification of the Problem Statement:
Q5. What is the goal of the game that you have designed? (1 point)
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Q6. Does the game designed solve the problem? Justify your answer. (1 point)
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Solution of the Problem Statement:
Q7. What are the ways in which Buddhist principles help us? (1 point)
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Q8. What is all the different forms of faith trying to teach us? (1 point)
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Innovation in the Problem Statement:
Q9. What are the innovative aspects of the solution for which the game is designed? (2 points)
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Creativity in the Game Design:
Q10. Describe and explain the unique design elements used in the game. (2 points)
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