New
New
Year 4

Krishna: reverence and gratitude for the earth

I can explain why Hindus show reverence and gratitude towards the earth.

New
New
Year 4

Krishna: reverence and gratitude for the earth

I can explain why Hindus show reverence and gratitude towards the earth.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Concern for the earth and climate is at the heart of Hindu Dharma.
  2. Krishna is a central deity for many Hindus.
  3. The story of Krishna and the Govardhan mountain shows Krishna protecting the earth and the villagers from Indra.
  4. 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.


To help you plan your year 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...

Encourage pupils to think about how other stories or personal experiences show gratitude and reverence for the world around them.
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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.
Match the keywords to their meanings.

Correct Answer:deity,a god or goddess

a god or goddess

Correct Answer:guru,a wise and spiritual teacher

a wise and spiritual teacher

Correct Answer:dharma,the practice of compassion and kindness

the practice of compassion and kindness

Q2.
What is a Rishi in the Hindu tradition?

a magical creature
a type of festival
Correct answer: a wise person or sage

Q3.
How do most Hindus feel about the Earth?

Correct answer: it is part of the divine and should be respected and cared for
it is separate from the divine
it is something to be used freely for human needs

Q4.
Hindu stories often help to answer questions about life.

Correct Answer: big, Big

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Krishna is often shown with skin, symbolising calmness and connection to the universe.

Correct Answer: blue, Blue

Q2.
Mathura is a very and sacred place where Krishna was born.

Correct Answer: old, Old

Q3.
Put the parts of the story of Krishna and the Govardhan mountain in the correct order.

1 - Villagers planned a festival to thank Indra (the storm deity).
2 - Krishna was surprised the villagers wanted to celebrate Indra.
3 - Indra felt upset the villagers listened to Krishna.
4 - Indra came to Krishna and said sorry.
5 - Krishna forgave Indra and reminded him to be kind.

Q4.
True or false? Dharma (a way of living) is just about religious duties in Hindu Dharma.

true – it is only about worship
true – it means following temple rules
Correct answer: false – it includes all of life and caring actions

Additional material

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