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Lesson 1 of 6
The story of the Blind Men and the Elephant
I can retell the story of the blind men and the elephant.
Lesson 1 of 6
New
New
The story of the Blind Men and the Elephant
I can retell the story of the blind men and the elephant.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The story of the Blind Men and the Elephant comes from ancient India.
- The story is a fable; a story with a deeper meaning.
- The story describes a group of blind men who each disagreed what an elephant should look like.
- Many people in India follow a Hindu worldview.
Keywords
Hindu - someone who follows the teachings and practices of Hindu Dharma
Blind - someone who is unable to see clearly
India - a country in the continent of Asia
Fable - a story that contains a deeper meaning
Common misconception
One of the blind men was correct and the others were wrong about the elephant.
All the blind men touched a different part of the elephant and so did not fully understand what an elephant was like.
Have a toy elephant or maybe a picture of an elephant and get the children to look at the different parts.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
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4 Questions
Q1.A story told by Jesus with a hidden meaning is known as a ...
A story told by Jesus with a hidden meaning is known as a ...
Gospel.
miracle.
Q2.What word describes a promise between God and humans?
What word describes a promise between God and humans?
incarnation
commandment
Q3.What do many Hindus throw during Holi celebrations?
What do many Hindus throw during Holi celebrations?
flowers
water
Q4.What is the name of the Christian festival that celebrates the bringing in of crops?
What is the name of the Christian festival that celebrates the bringing in of crops?
Assessment exit quiz
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5 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
someone who follows the teachings and practices from Hindu dharma
someone who is unable to see clearly
a country in the continent of Asia
a story with a hidden meaning
Q2.Where in the world are there Hindus?
Where in the world are there Hindus?
only in India
only in the UK
Q3.How old is Hindu Dharma?
How old is Hindu Dharma?
400 years old
40 years old
Q4.Which of the following statements about what Hindus believe is true?
Which of the following statements about what Hindus believe is true?
that you should only be kind to humans
that you should only be kind to animals
Q5.What can Hindus learn from the fable of the Blind Men and the Elephant?
What can Hindus learn from the fable of the Blind Men and the Elephant?
that there is only one right way and everyone else is wrong
that there are no right ways, everyone is wrong