Sangha - diverse lay Buddhist community
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the diverse ways lay Buddhists live and the significance of the Sangha to lay Buddhists.
Key learning points
- The Sangha refers to the whole Buddhist community, including lay people.
- Lay Buddhists practise Buddhism in different ways through varying interpretations of the dhamma.
- Lay Buddhist practice will differ depending on where they live.
- There are lay Buddhist communities in the UK.
Keywords
Sangha - the wider Buddhist community, including monks and nuns
Community - a group of people working or living together with a common vision
Lay - a follower of Buddhism who is not a monk or nun
Alms - offering food or donations to monks and nuns as a means of supporting monastic life
Common misconception
Only monks and nuns can be classed as the Sangha referred to in the three jewels.
This is incorrect, the lay Buddhist community is also part of the Sangha.
Teacher tip
Pupils could research the history of Buddhism within the UK.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which key word means 'a man who dedicates himself to a simple life of devotion to Buddhism'?
Q2.What is the name given to the place where Buddhist monks and nuns live?
Q3.Which of the three jewels is the Sangha?
Q4.Theravada Buddhism is practised widely in which of these countries?
Q5.Which two things may a Buddhist monk or nun do on a daily basis?
Q6.Select two reasons why monks and nuns are significant for most Buddhists.
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.In the three jewels, who does the Sangha refer to?
Q2.What does it mean to give alms?
Q3.Which of the following countries in Asia has the highest population of Buddhists?
Q4.How might lay Buddhists in the UK follow the Buddha's Dhamma?
Q5.Why is the Sangha significant for most lay Buddhists?
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Sangha - diverse lay Buddhist community, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Sangha - diverse lay Buddhist community, 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 3 religious education lessons from the Buddhism: how significant are the three jewels to Buddhists? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.