Society at the time of Guru Nanak
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what Indian society was like at the time of Guru Nanak and the impact of this on his views on equality.
Key learning points
- Society at the time of Guru Nanak impacted his beliefs and actions.
- Key influences were the behaviour of Mughal rulers, the treatment of women and the caste system.
- The teachings of Guru Nanak influence the lives of Sikhs today.
- Sikhs can also turn to the Guru Granth Sahib to find Sikh teachings on equality.
Keywords
Caste (system) - a social hierarchy, dividing people in society
Discrimination - the unfair treatment of a people and groups based on a part of their identity such as sex, race or religion
Equality - all people having the same rights and opportunities
Guru Granth Sahib - the living Guru and main source of authority for Sikhs; a collection of writings from the ten Gurus and other important writers
Common misconception
The caste system only applied to Hindus.
The caste system was applied to people of different religions.
Teacher tip
Show students a timeline which also has this time period on it, and look at what else was happening in the world at the same time, e.g., Henry VIII's reign.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the first Sikh duty?
Q2.What does the story of Lalo and Malik Bhago teach?
Q3.Why do Sikhs help in the langar (free kitchen)?
Q4.What do Sikhs believe happens if they live a good life?
Q5.Mukti is the final for many Sikhs. It means that the soul joins Waheguru.
Q6.The Sikh dharma began with Nanak, the first Sikh teacher.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What did Guru Nanak say about women?
Q2.What did Guru Nanak do when he saw violence from the Mughal rulers?
Q3.What happened when Guru Nanak was put in prison?
Q4.What is the Guru Granth Sahib?
Q5.What does the Guru Granth Sahib teach Sikhs today?
Q6.Guru Nanak spoke out against the system because it treated people unfairly.
To help you plan your 7 religious education lesson on: Society at the time of Guru Nanak, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 religious education lesson on: Society at the time of Guru Nanak, 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 Social justice: how might Sikhs promote equality? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.