Title: In search of happiness

Lesson plan elaborated by: Magdalena Trysińska

Topic:

In search of happiness. About the journey as a literary motif.

Target group:

8th‑grade students of an eight‑year elementary school.

Core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

1. Reading literary works. Student:

1) recognises literary genres: epic, lyric and drama; determines the characteristics of particular types and assigns the work to the appropriate type;

7) defines existential issues in the texts being studied and reflects them;

8) defines the aesthetic values of the literary texts being studied;

9) uses in the interpretation of literary works references to universal values related to social, national, religious and ethical attitudes and makes them hierarchy.

2. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

1) searches for the necessary information in the text and cites relevant parts of journalistic, popular or scientific texts;

2) organises information depending on their function in the message;

3) interprets works of art (painting, graphics, sculpture, photography).

II. Language education.

2. Differentiation of language. Student:

1) recognises the diversity of vocabulary, including recognizing national vocabulary and limited vocabulary (eg scientific terms, archaisms, colloquialisms); recognizes native and borrowed words, knows types of abbreviations and abbreviations - defines their functions in the text;

3) knows ways to enrich vocabulary.

III. Creating statements.

1. Rhetoric items. Student:

1) functionally uses rhetorical means and understands their impact on the recipient;

2) collects and organizes the material material needed to create statements; edits the compositional plan of his own statement;

6) carry out the inference as part of the argumentative argument;

7) agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion.

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

3) formulates questions for the text.

IV. Self‑study. Student:

8) develops the ability to think critically and formulate opinions.

The general aim of education

The student names the values of learning about other cultures.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in foreign languages;

• social and civic competences;

• cultural awareness and expression.

Operational objectives

Student:

• talks about the value of learning about other cultures;

• understands concepts related to Buddhism, correctly uses them in the discussion;

• reads the message of the fragment of the novel „Teo's Journey”;

• understands the theme of travel used in cultural texts.

Teaching methods / techniques

• problematic: directed conversation, discussion;

• programmed: using a computer and e‑textbook;

• practical: practical exercises, work with literary texts;

• exposition: work with iconic texts.

Forms of work

• individual activity

• collective activity

• activity in groups, pairs

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher defines the purpose of the classes, which is reflection on happiness in the context of different cultures and learning about travel as a literary motif. He or she gives students the criteria for success.

2. The teacher begins the lesson with a discussion about: What does contact with people from other countries give us? In the discussion, students take into account culture, customs, religion, etc.

Realization

1. The teacher asks the students to read the information in the abstract about Buddhism: they read the information and view the illustrative material (ex. 1 and 2). Then the teacher provokes discussions about Buddhism: he asks students what is surprising in Buddhism, what they like, and what raises objections. This is the time for students to speak freely.

2. The students get acquainted with the information about the author of the novel „Teo’s Journey” – Catherine Clement.

3. The rest of the lesson is devoted to working with the text – excerpts from the novel „Teo’s Journey”. The fragment is quite long, so it is worth recommending students to read it before the lesson. Then, during the lesson, a short reminder is enough.

Students working in pairs, alternately ask themselves questions about the text, about the places visited by the heroes, culture, customs and religions, and alternately respond to them. Thanks to this, they repeat the most important content of the text.

Then the students discuss the text together. They can be guided by the questions in the e‑textbook:

• How could a meeting with Buddhist philosophy affect Teo's well‑being?

• Describe the feelings and emotions evoked in the hero of the place he saw.

• Can this meeting be called an adventure? Why?

4. Students wonder about the travel motive. Groups create mind maps. They are familiar with the Internet, an e‑textbook, as well as a fragment of the novel „Teo’s journey”. Then they discuss the importance of traveling.

Summary

1. The teacher asks students what they have learned today, whether the lesson was interesting for them. He asks them to evaluate their own work during the lesson.

2. Students write in the notebooks the key words they consider the most important. They justify their choice and order.

Homework

Formulate ten tips / principles that could be used in the daily pursuit of happiness. In your work you can use quotes from the novel „Teo’s Journey”, as well as other culture‑based texts you know.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

In search of happiness

Learning about different cultures and religions allows us to better understand ourselves. It is especially important when we feel a little lost in the reality that surrounds us. For this reason we often need a guide. One of these belief systems is Buddhism, which on one hand establishes „individual contact between a person and a divine agent”, but on the other hand also states that „this philosophy can get by without a god. Everyone must manage, as well as they know how, to find peace of mind”.

Catherine Clement (born in 1939) is a writer and philosopher. She has published 10 novels. She has visited many countries, including India, where she spent four years, and currently lives in Senegal. She is interested in and Religious Studies. Her novel Theo's Oddysey brought her great literary success. The book has been translated into many languages.

Theo's Oddyssey Catherine Clement – a novel for adolescents, which is described as „a wonderful journey through the history of Philosophy”. The novel's teenage main character – Theo – learns about world cultures and religions. Theo suffers from a mysterious illness, and is taken by his crazy aunt Martha on a journey around the world of religion. The pair, who understand each other perfectly, meet many interesting people on their way – often spiritual guides – representing different cultural areas, including, among others: sages, philosophers, rabbis, gurus, priests, theologists and scholars of religion.