Film: Little Buddha

Theme: Belief Systems

Central Question: How did Sidhartha's insights into life create one of the world's great religions?

Instructional Objective: Students will be able to summarize Sidhartha's life and list the four noble truths of Buddhism

Motivation: Some people believe that people can be reborn and there is a spirit world. What is your personal reaction to these beliefs? Have you lived before? Who were you in a previous life?

Activity:

Students will watch the film and pause and answer the following questions

1) What was Special about Sidhartha's birth?

2) What does the name Sidhartha mean?

3) What did his father try and shield him from?

4) What did Siddhartha learn about the world?

5) What did Siddhartha say was his task in life?

6) Whom did Siddhartha meet in the forest and how did it affect him?

7) What did Sidhartha say is the way to enlightenment?

8) What does the term "Buddha" mean?

9) What are the truths that Sidhartha learned that made him enlightened?

Film Background:

Buddhist monks suspect that a child born in Seattle is the reincarnation of their spiritual master. They go to the child's family and convince his father to take the boy to Tibet to determine if the child is, in fact, the reincarnation. They introduce the child to the life story of the Buddha, which is re-enacted in the film.

Assignment: How did Sidhartha's ideas about the meaning to life creat one of the world's major religions?