Krishna: reverence and gratitude for the earth
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why Hindus show reverence and gratitude towards the earth.
Key learning points
- Concern for the earth and climate is at the heart of Hindu Dharma.
- Krishna is a central deity for many Hindus.
- The story of Krishna and the Govardhan mountain shows Krishna protecting the earth and the villagers from Indra.
- Krishna shows the villagers that the earth provides everything they need.
Keywords
Krishna - Hindu deity of compassion and love
Deity - a god or goddess
Reverence - a feeling of deep respect, often mixed with love or awe, for someone or something of great importance
Gratitude - a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for a benefit, act of kindness, or a positive experience
Common misconception
Dharma is just about religious duties.
Dharma is about all human life. Dharma is about making choices motivated by love and compassion.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to think about how other stories or personal experiences show gratitude and reverence for the world around them.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their meanings.
a god or goddess
a wise and spiritual teacher
the practice of compassion and kindness
Q2.What is a Rishi in the Hindu tradition?
Q3.How do most Hindus feel about the Earth?
Q4.Hindu stories often help to answer questions about life.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Krishna is often shown with skin, symbolising calmness and connection to the universe.
Q2.Mathura is a very and sacred place where Krishna was born.
Q3.Put the parts of the story of Krishna and the Govardhan mountain in the correct order.
Q4.True or false? Dharma (a way of living) is just about religious duties in Hindu Dharma.
To help you plan your 4 religious education lesson on: Krishna: reverence and gratitude for the earth, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 religious education lesson on: Krishna: reverence and gratitude for the earth, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 religious education lessons from the Natural world: what does dharma teach about attitudes to the planet? unit, dive into the full primary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.