PAGE 1: Learning outcomes OVERVIEW ======== Panch Mahabhoot means the five great elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. This sub-strand looks closely at jal, which is water, and at plants that faith communities treat as sacred. You will learn why the rivers Ganga, Beas and Rujubalika are honoured, how water is used in worship, and how to care for water and plants. ## Strand 1.0: Creation Sub-strand 1.1: Panch-mahabhoot Suggested lessons: 10 ## What this sub-strand covers • Jal(water) • Sacred Rivers • River Ganga, Beas, Rujubalika • Sacred Trees. Tulsi, Beri & Boddhi tree ## Source • KICD Grade 4 Hindu Religious Education Curriculum Design (Revised 2024) — Strand 1.0 Creation, Sub-strand 1.1 Panch-mahabhoot ## Learning outcomes By the end of the sub-strand, the learner should be able to: a) state water bodies that are considered sacred as mentioned in the Scriptures to strengthen faith b) identify the role of water in our daily lives c) appreciate the importance of jal (water) used for religious activities in different faiths for its sacredness d) name plants that are considered sacred for familiarisation e) specify the roles of plants that are considered sacred in each faith for religious activities f) nurture plants for conservation of environment ## Key inquiry questions 1. Why is water important in our life? 2. Why are some of the rivers considered sacred in the Scriptures? 3. What makes the sacred plants important in our life? PAGE 2: How we will learn ## Learning experiences • explain the uses of jal (water) in different religious activities • demonstrate the importance of water by planting seeds/plants, one in dry condition and another in wet conditions • list the ways to conserve water within the community and create awareness through digital devices for water conservation • share information by locating selected rivers using digital devices • participate in a religious activity along with a resource person using water as sacred according to four faiths • collect pictures of trees that are of religious importance and create a photo montage using digital devices • watch a lesson showing the different stages of growth of plants using digital material, like KICD education TV • use digital materials to learn the interdependence between plants and human beings • assist peers with special needs as per their abilities to participate in tree planting activity carried out in the school compound/community centre • collect the leaves of plants considered sacred with the guidance of parents to create a card for the annual Environment Day ## Core competencies • Learning to learn: Learner acquires self-discipline when watching a lesson showing the different stages of growth of plant using digital material like KICD education TV. • Digital Literacy: Learner interacts with digital technology when listing the ways to conserve water within the community and creates awareness through digital devices for water conservation. ## Values • Responsibility: Learner develops self-drive when collecting the leaves of plants considered sacred with the guidance of parents to create a card for the annual Environment Day. • Respect: Learner cultivates religious acceptance when participating in a religious activity along with a resource person using water as sacred according to four faiths. ## Pertinent and contemporary issues • Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): Learner lists the ways to conserve water within the community and creates awareness through digital devices for water conservation, uses digital materials to learn the inter-dependency between plants and human beings. ## Links to other learning areas • The learner is able to link the skills of planting trees learnt during the tree planting activity to the skills of planting crops in Agriculture. • The learner is able to link the skills of creating a card for the annual Environment Day and collecting the leaves of plants considered sacred with the guidance of parents to the creative skills learnt in Creative Arts. PAGE 3: Lesson 1: The five great elements — Where learners meet water LESSON 1: THE FIVE GREAT ELEMENTS ================================= ## What you will learn • Name the five Panch Mahabhoot. • Say what jal means and where water is found. Curriculum outcomes: b) identify the role of water in our daily lives ## Introduction When you wash your hands before a meal, drink from a cup or watch rain fill a puddle, you are meeting one of the five great elements. Hindu teaching calls these elements the Panch Mahabhoot. ## Notes ### What Panch Mahabhoot means Panch means five. Mahabhoot means great elements. In Sanatan teaching the world we see and touch is understood through five great elements: - **Prithvi** — earth: soil, rocks, the ground we walk on - **Jal** — water: rivers, rain, wells, lakes and the water we drink - **Agni** — fire: the sun's heat, a lamp, a cooking fire - **Vayu** — air: the wind and the breath in our bodies - **Akash** — space: the open sky in which everything has room These elements are not toys or distant ideas. You meet them every day. The desk is made from things of the earth. You breathe air. A lamp in a shrine is fire. The room around you is space. And again and again you meet jal. ### Jal, the element of water Jal is the Sanskrit and Hindi word for water. Water has no colour, taste or smell when it is clean, yet nothing alive can do without it. It flows, it can be frozen as ice, and it can rise as vapour when it is heated. It takes the shape of the cup, pot or river that holds it. In this sub-strand, jal is the element we study most carefully. We will ask three questions: How does water keep people, animals and plants alive? Why do scriptures honour some rivers? How should we use water in worship and in ordinary life without wasting it? ### Where learners meet water Look around your home and school. Water comes from a tap, a tank, a borehole, a river, a lake or collected rain, depending on where you live in Kenya. The source can change from one county to another, but the need does not change. Every person in every county needs clean water. ## Key words • Panch Mahabhoot — the five great elements: earth, water, fire, air and space • jal — water • prithvi — earth • vayu — air ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A learner lists stone, rain, wind, a clay lamp's flame and the open sky. Which Panch Mahabhoot has been left unnamed if the list is prithvi, jal, vayu, agni and akash? Working: 1. Stone belongs to prithvi, the earth. 2. Rain is jal. Wind is vayu. The flame is agni. The open sky is akash. 3. All five are already in the list, so none has been left out. Answer: None. The list already names all five great elements. PAGE 4: Lesson 2: The role of water in daily life ## Activity: Find the five elements around you You will need: Exercise book, Pencil 1. Walk quietly around the classroom and the school compound with your teacher. 2. In your book, make five headings: Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Akash. 3. Under each heading write one thing you can see, hear or feel that matches that element. 4. Share your jal examples with a partner and say why water matters today. ## Practice 1. What does Panch Mahabhoot mean? 2. Name the five great elements in order: earth, water, fire, air and space, using their Sanskrit names. 3. What is the meaning of the word jal? ## Answers to practice 1. The five great elements. 2. Prithvi, jal, agni, vayu and akash. 3. Jal means water. ## Summary • Panch Mahabhoot are prithvi, jal, agni, vayu and akash. • Jal means water. • This sub-strand studies water and sacred plants with care. LESSON 2: THE ROLE OF WATER IN DAILY LIFE ========================================= ## What you will learn • Identify the main uses of water at home, at school and on the farm. • Explain what happens to plants and people when water is missing. Curriculum outcomes: b) identify the role of water in our daily lives ## Introduction Before school you may wash your face, drink and watch someone cook. Each of those moments uses jal. Naming these roles helps us see why water is too precious to waste. ## Notes ### Water keeps the body alive The body needs water every day. We drink it plain, in tea or uji, and in fruit. It carries food around the body and helps us stay cool when we sweat. A learner who goes a long time without drinking feels tired and thirsty. Clean water prevents many stomach illnesses. Dirty water can make people sick, so drinking water should come from a safe source and be stored in a covered container. PAGE 5: Lesson 2: The role of water in daily life — A fair share ### Water at home and at school At home, water is used to cook grains and vegetables, to wash utensils, clothes and the body, and to clean floors. At school it is used in the kitchen, in handwashing before meals and after using the latrine, and sometimes in the garden. Washing hands with water and soap is a simple act that protects the whole class. ### Water for plants and animals Crops such as maize, beans and vegetables wilt when the soil stays dry. Animals in the compound need a trough or basin. Without water, seeds do not sprout. That is why farmers watch the rains and store water when they can. ### A fair share In some seasons taps run slowly. Using only what you need leaves water for a neighbour, for the school kitchen and for plants. Roles of water can be grouped like this: - Drinking and cooking - Washing and cleaning - Farming and watering animals - Putting out a small fire when an adult says it is safe to do so - Worship, which the next lesson explains Water is ordinary because we meet it daily, and it is extraordinary because life stops without it. ## Key words • role — the work something does or the use it has • safe water — water that is fit to drink and will not make you ill PAGE 6: Lesson 2: The role of water in daily life — Example 1 ## Worked examples ### Example 1 During a dry week the class lists uses of water they could pause, and uses they must keep. Sort these: watering a flower pot a little, drinking, leaving a tap running while you talk, washing hands after the latrine. Working: 1. Drinking and handwashing protect health, so they stay. 2. A plant needs some water, so a small amount is fair. 3. A running tap while nobody is using the water is waste. Answer: Keep drinking, handwashing and a little water for the plant. Stop the running tap. ## Activity: Two seeds: dry soil and wet soil You will need: Two small tins or cups, Soil, Two bean seeds, Water, Labels 1. Fill both tins with soil and plant one bean seed in each. Label them Dry and Wet. 2. Place both in the same light. Water only the tin labelled Wet, a little each day. 3. Leave the Dry tin without water. Do not flood the Wet tin. 4. After several days, draw both tins and write what you observe about the role of water in growth. ## Practice 1. Give three daily uses of water at home. 2. Why should drinking water be kept covered? 3. What is likely to happen to a seed left in dry soil? ## Answers to practice 1. Any three, such as drinking, cooking, washing the body, washing clothes or cleaning utensils. 2. A cover helps keep the water clean so that it does not make people ill. 3. It will not sprout properly, because a seed needs water to grow. ## Summary • We use water for drinking, cooking, washing, farming and animals. • People and plants suffer when water is missing or dirty. • Using only what we need is part of respecting jal. PAGE 7: Lesson 3: Jal in worship among the four faiths — One lesson for the class LESSON 3: JAL IN WORSHIP AMONG THE FOUR FAITHS ============================================== ## What you will learn • Describe how water is used as something sacred in Sanatan, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh worship. • Show respect when water is used in a religious activity. Curriculum outcomes: c) appreciate the importance of jal (water) used for religious activities in different faiths for its sacredness ## Introduction A bowl of water on a shrine can look simple. In worship that water is treated with honour. The four faiths you study in Hindu Religious Education each have a way of using jal as sacred. ## Notes ### Sanatan or Hindu worship Before puja, many people bathe or at least wash their hands, face and feet. During worship, water is offered to the murti. This offering is called arghya. A priest may bathe the murti with water; that bathing is called abhishek. A few drops may be sipped in a rite called achaman, with a prayer. Water from a sacred river, especially the Ganga, is kept in some homes and temples and is used with great care. Wasting that water, or playing with it during puja, shows disrespect. ### Jain worship Jain teaching says that water itself can hold tiny living beings, so Jains use water carefully and avoid waste. This is part of ahimsa, non-violence. In the derasar, worshippers come clean, and water is used gently in ritual, never as a toy. Filtering drinking water and not throwing it away without thought are daily signs of the same respect. ### Buddhist practice Buddhists often place a bowl of clean water among the offerings at a shrine, together with flowers, incense or a lamp. The water stands for purity and for a calm mind. Pouring it away later is done respectfully. A visitor speaks softly and does not dip fingers into an offering bowl. ### Sikh practice Before entering a gurdwara, worshippers wash their hands and often their feet. At Sri Harmandir Sahib there is a sarovar, a holy pool. Amrit, the water of initiation stirred with a double-edged sword while prayers are recited, is prepared from water and other ingredients by the Panj Pyare. In ordinary life, Sikhs also serve water to visitors as seva, selfless service. ### One lesson for the class The prayers and words differ. The shared lesson is that jal is not only for thirst. It can be an offering, a sign of purity and a way of serving. When a resource person shows a rite, watch quietly, ask permission before you touch anything, and copy only what you are invited to do. ## Key words • sacred — set apart for worship and treated with honour • abhishek — bathing a murti with water as an act of worship • ahimsa — non-violence; refusing to harm living beings • sarovar — a holy pool at a gurdwara PAGE 8: Lesson 3: Jal in worship among the four faiths — Water as sacred in the four faiths ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A visitor at a shrine puts fingers into a bowl of water that has been offered, then shakes the drops onto a friend as a joke. What is the respectful action instead? Working: 1. Offered water is part of worship, not a game. 2. The visitor should leave the bowl untouched. 3. Questions can be asked quietly to the host or teacher afterwards. Answer: Leave the offering bowl alone and ask later if you want to understand the rite. ## Activity: Water as sacred in the four faiths You will need: Four cards labelled Sanatan, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh, A resource person, parent or teacher 1. Listen as a resource person or your teacher explains one use of water in each of the four faiths. 2. On each card, write one respectful use of jal in that faith. 3. In groups, explain the uses aloud without mocking any faith. 4. If the school allows a simple shared activity, wash your hands together and offer a silent moment of thanks for water. ## Practice 1. What is abhishek? 2. Why do Jains say water should not be wasted? 3. Name one Sikh use of water in religious life. ## Answers to practice 1. Bathing a murti with water as an act of worship. 2. Because of ahimsa: water should be used carefully and living beings should not be harmed without need. 3. Any one: washing before entering the gurdwara, the sarovar, or the preparation of Amrit. ## Summary • Hindus offer and bathe murtis with water. • Jains use water gently because of ahimsa. • Buddhists offer clean water, and Sikhs use water in washing, the sarovar and Amrit. PAGE 9: Lesson 4: Three sacred rivers — River Ganga LESSON 4: THREE SACRED RIVERS ============================= ## What you will learn • Name the rivers Ganga, Beas and Rujubalika. • State why each river is considered sacred in scripture or religious tradition. Curriculum outcomes: a) state water bodies that are considered sacred as mentioned in the Scriptures to strengthen faith ## Introduction Not every stream is spoken of in scripture, but some rivers are. In this lesson the three rivers named for Grade 4 are the Ganga, the Beas and the Rujubalika. ## Notes ### River Ganga The Ganga flows across the plains of India and is honoured in Hindu scripture as a sacred river. A well-known account, told in the Ramayana and in the Puranas, says that King Bhagiratha prayed until the river agreed to descend from heaven. The force of the fall would have shattered the earth, so Lord Shiva received the river in his matted hair and let it down gently. Hindus bathe in the Ganga, offer prayers on its banks and keep a little of its water for worship. The river is addressed as Mother Ganga. ### River Beas The Beas is one of the five rivers of the Punjab. In older Hindu scripture this river is known as the Vipasha. The word Punjab itself means five waters. Sikhs honour the Beas because the Sikh Gurus lived and taught in this land of five rivers. Sikh tradition also remembers Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Sultanpur, beside the Bein, a stream that flows towards the Beas. The river is therefore part of Sikh memory as well as of the older scriptures. ### River Rujubalika Jain scripture tells the life of Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. After years of hard spiritual practice he attained keval jnana, perfect knowledge, on the bank of the river Rujubalika. Because that awakening is remembered there, Jains count the Rujubalika among sacred waters. PAGE 10: Lesson 4: Three sacred rivers — Example 1 ### How to speak about them These rivers are in India, not in Kenya. You may never stand on their banks, yet you can still learn their names and the faith stories that honour them. State the facts you know. Do not invent a miracle or a verse you have not heard from a reliable teacher or from the scripture itself. Remember the match: - Ganga — Sanatan scripture and worship - Beas — the Punjab of the Sikh Gurus, and the old name Vipasha - Rujubalika — Jain memory of Mahavira's perfect knowledge ## Key words • Ganga — the sacred river honoured in Hindu scripture as Mother Ganga • Beas — a river of the Punjab, called Vipasha in older scripture • Rujubalika — the river on whose bank Lord Mahavira attained perfect knowledge • keval jnana — perfect knowledge, in Jain teaching ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A quiz card says: 'This river is linked with Lord Mahavira's perfect knowledge.' Which of the three rivers is it, and which faith honours that event? Working: 1. The Ganga is linked with Bhagiratha and Lord Shiva in Hindu telling. 2. The Beas belongs to the Punjab and Sikh history. 3. Jain tradition places Mahavira's keval jnana on the bank of the Rujubalika. Answer: The Rujubalika, honoured in Jain tradition. ## Activity: Locate the three rivers You will need: A digital map or an atlas, Exercise book 1. With your teacher, open a digital map and search for River Ganga, River Beas and, if it is marked, the region linked with the Rujubalika. 2. Notice that these rivers are in India. Find India on the map in relation to Kenya. 3. Write one sentence for each river saying which faith community honours it and why. 4. Share your sentences with the class and correct any mix-up of names. ## Practice 1. Which three rivers does this sub-strand name as sacred? 2. Why is the Ganga special in Sanatan tradition? 3. What happened, according to Jain scripture, on the bank of the Rujubalika? ## Answers to practice 1. The Ganga, the Beas and the Rujubalika. 2. Hindu scripture honours it as a sacred river. The story of Bhagiratha tells how it descended, and Hindus use its water in worship. 3. Lord Mahavira attained keval jnana, perfect knowledge. ## Summary • The Ganga is sacred in Hindu scripture. • The Beas is a river of the Punjab honoured in Sikh tradition and known in older scripture as Vipasha. • The Rujubalika is remembered in Jain scripture as the place of Mahavira's keval jnana. PAGE 11: Lesson 5: Why scripture calls some waters sacred LESSON 5: WHY SCRIPTURE CALLS SOME WATERS SACRED ================================================ ## What you will learn • Give reasons why a water body may be called sacred. • Show how faith in those teachings can shape respect for all water. Curriculum outcomes: a) state water bodies that are considered sacred as mentioned in the Scriptures to strengthen faith; c) appreciate the importance of jal (water) used for religious activities in different faiths for its sacredness ## Introduction A river can be used for fishing, travel and farming and still be called sacred. Sacred means that people of faith see more in it than a store of water. They connect it with God, with a teacher or with a holy event. ## Notes ### What makes a water body sacred A river or pool is called sacred when scripture or a long religious tradition tells believers to honour it. The reason is not that other water is useless. The reason is memory and faith. Something holy is remembered there: a divine descent, the life of a Guru, or the enlightenment of a Tirthankara. For the Ganga, Hindus remember a gift that purifies. Bathing and offering prayers are acts of trust, not magic tricks. A person is still expected to live honestly after bathing. The bath is a sign of wanting a clean heart, not a permission to do wrong afterwards. PAGE 12: Lesson 5: Why scripture calls some waters sacred — Faith that does not stop at the river For the Beas, the sacredness is tied to the land of the Gurus and to the older name Vipasha. Remembering that river reminds Sikhs of humility, service and the teachings heard in the Punjab. For the Rujubalika, Jains remember Mahavira's keval jnana. The bank of a river became a place of awakening. The lesson is that a quiet, disciplined life can lead to truth. ### Faith that does not stop at the river You may live far from all three rivers. Faith is strengthened when the story changes your habits here: - You treat the water in your own county as a gift, not as rubbish. - You join worship calmly when water is offered. - You refuse to laugh at another faith's holy river or pool. Respect does not mean you must perform every rite of every faith. It means you learn the true reason, you use the correct name, and you speak kindly. ### A careful tongue Say 'tradition teaches' or 'scripture tells' when you retell these accounts. Do not add numbers, dates or miracles that were not in the lesson. Strength of faith grows from truth, not from invented detail. ## Key words • scripture — a sacred book or teaching of a faith • purify — to make clean; in worship, also to turn the heart towards God ## Worked examples ### Example 1 A classmate says, 'Only the Ganga is holy, so the tap water at school can be wasted.' How do you answer from this lesson? Working: 1. The Ganga is specially honoured in scripture. 2. That honour should teach care for water, not carelessness. 3. Tap water also keeps people alive and should not be wasted. Answer: The Ganga is sacred, and that teaching should make us more careful with all water, including school tap water. PAGE 13: Lesson 5: Why scripture calls some waters sacred — Answers to practice ## Activity: Reasons the rivers are honoured You will need: Three large sheets of paper, Pencils 1. Label the sheets Ganga, Beas and Rujubalika. 2. On each sheet the group writes the faith that honours the river and one sentence beginning 'Scripture or tradition says...' 3. Add a second sentence: 'Because of this story I will respect water by...' 4. Read the sheets aloud and listen to the other groups without interrupting. ## Practice 1. Give one reason a river may be called sacred. 2. Which river is linked with King Bhagiratha and Lord Shiva? 3. How can faith in a sacred river far away change life in Kenya? ## Answers to practice 1. Because scripture or religious tradition connects it with God, a Guru or a holy event. 2. The Ganga. 3. It teaches us to honour water here: not to waste it, not to dirty it, and not to mock another faith's holy waters. ## Summary • A sacred river is tied to a holy memory in scripture or tradition. • The Ganga, Beas and Rujubalika each carry a different memory. • Those memories should make us respect all water, including water in our own county. LESSON 6: CONSERVING WATER IN THE COMMUNITY =========================================== ## What you will learn • List practical ways to conserve water at school and at home. • Prepare a short message that can be shared on a digital device. Curriculum outcomes: b) identify the role of water in our daily lives; c) appreciate the importance of jal (water) used for religious activities in different faiths for its sacredness ## Introduction A leaking tap can empty a tank while a class is still in the lesson. Conserving water means using what we need and protecting the sources we share. Faith and science agree on that duty. ## Notes ### What conservation means To conserve water is to keep it from being wasted or spoiled, so that people, animals and plants still have enough. It is a duty of care. In worship we offer water with respect. In the school yard we show the same respect by turning a tap off. PAGE 14: Lesson 6: Conserving water in the community — Faith and the tap ### Ways that work in any Kenyan county These habits are true wherever you live: - Turn the tap off while you soap your hands, then turn it on to rinse. - Tell an adult about a leak instead of walking past it. - Use a basin or bucket for washing when a running tap is not needed. - Do not leave a hose or tap running on the compound. - Collect rain in a clean, covered container if your family does this safely. Do not drink roof water unless an adult says it has been made safe. - Pour leftover clean rinsing water onto plants rather than into the drain, if it has no soap in it. - Never throw rubbish, oil or chemicals into a river, lake or well. ### Digital awareness A digital device can spread a good message. With your teacher's permission, the class can type a short notice, record a thirty-second talk, or design a poster and photograph it. The message should be true and kind. Do not copy someone else's poster and pretend you made it. Do not share a classmate's photo without permission. ### Faith and the tap Sanatan worship treats jal as a gift. Jain ahimsa says do not waste what living beings need. Buddhist calm includes not grabbing more than your share. Sikh seva includes serving water to others, which you cannot do if you have wasted the store. Conservation is a way of living those teachings on an ordinary school day. ## Key words • conserve — to use carefully and protect so that something is not wasted • community — the people who live and work around you PAGE 15: Lesson 6: Conserving water in the community — Answers to practice ## Worked examples ### Example 1 The class tank is low. Four ideas are suggested: fix the dripping tap, water the flowers at noon with a hose, post a rude message blaming another class, or reuse rinse water from washed vegetables on the seedlings. Which ideas conserve water fairly? Working: 1. Fixing a leak stops silent waste. 2. A hose at the hottest time wastes a lot; a watering can in the cooler part of the day is wiser. 3. A rude post is not awareness. Reusing unsalted, soap-free rinse water helps plants. Answer: Fix the leak and reuse clean rinse water. Do not waste water with the hose, and do not post a rude message. ## Activity: A water-care message You will need: Paper, Colour pencils, A digital device if the teacher allows 1. In groups, list five ways to conserve water in your school and community. 2. Choose the three clearest ideas and make a small poster. 3. If a device is allowed, type the three ideas or take a photo of the poster to show another class. If not, read the poster aloud. 4. Check that every sentence is true, polite and possible for a Grade 4 learner to do. ## Practice 1. What does it mean to conserve water? 2. Name two ways a learner can save water at school. 3. Why is a leaking tap a serious problem? ## Answers to practice 1. To use water carefully and protect it so that it is not wasted or spoiled. 2. Any two: turn taps off, report leaks, use a basin, do not throw rubbish into water sources. 3. It wastes a lot of water even when nobody is using it, so the community store runs out faster. ## Summary • Conserving water means stopping waste and keeping sources clean. • Closing taps, reporting leaks and not dumping rubbish are actions for every county. • A digital message can teach others when it is true and kind. LESSON 7: TULSI, BERI AND THE BODDHI TREE ========================================= ## What you will learn • Name Tulsi, Beri and the Boddhi tree as sacred plants. • State the role each plant plays in religious life. Curriculum outcomes: d) name plants that are considered sacred for familiarisation; e) specify the roles of plants that are considered sacred in each faith for religious activities ## Introduction Some plants are cut for firewood without a second thought. Others are bowed to, offered in worship or left to grow because a faith remembers God or a teacher through them. Tulsi, the Beri and the Boddhi tree are three of those plants. PAGE 16: Lesson 7: Tulsi, Beri and the Boddhi tree — Tulsi in Sanatan worship ## Notes ### Tulsi in Sanatan worship Tulsi is holy basil. Many Hindu homes grow it in a pot or in a small brick structure in the courtyard. Its leaves are offered in puja, especially to Lord Vishnu and to forms of Vishnu such as Krishna. The plant is kept clean, watered, and not used as an ordinary herb by someone who does not know the custom. Tulsi is also loved for its scent. The religious role comes first in this lesson: it is a plant of offering and of daily remembrance of God. ### The Beri in Sikh tradition Beri is the ber tree, which bears the jujube fruit. At Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Sikhs honour a ber tree called the Dukh Bhanjani Beri, beside the sarovar. Tradition says a suffering devotee bathed in the pool and prayed by this tree. The tree is not worshipped as a god. It is honoured because faith remembers kindness, healing hope and the Guru's care in that place. Visitors walk respectfully and do not break its branches. ### The Boddhi tree in Buddhism The Boddhi tree is the tree under which Prince Siddhartha sat at Bodh Gaya until he awakened and became the Buddha. It is a peepal, a kind of fig. Buddhists honour the Boddhi tree as a sign of enlightenment, wisdom and peace. They sit near a descendant of that tree, or a tree of the same kind, to meditate. Damaging it for fun is the opposite of the respect the Buddha's life asks for. ### Plants and Jain care The design names these three plants. Jain teaching adds a wider rule that helps us treat every plant fairly: plants are alive, so they should not be broken, peeled or picked without need. A Jain worshipper may use what a rite requires, but not harm a tree out of play. PAGE 17: Lesson 7: Tulsi, Beri and the Boddhi tree — Answers to practice ### Roles side by side - Tulsi — offered to Vishnu in Sanatan puja, and grown at home as a sacred plant - Beri — honoured in Sikh tradition at the holy pool - Boddhi tree — the tree of the Buddha's awakening - All plants — treated gently, especially where ahimsa is taught [DIAGRAM] TYPE: svg ALT: Tulsi, Beri and the Boddhi tree, and the faith tradition that honours each one. PAYLOAD: CAPTION: Tulsi, Beri and the Boddhi tree, and the faith tradition that honours each one. [/DIAGRAM] ## Key words • Tulsi — holy basil, offered in Sanatan worship especially to Lord Vishnu • Beri — the ber or jujube tree honoured in Sikh tradition • Boddhi tree — the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment ## Activity: Photo montage of sacred plants You will need: Pictures from books, magazines or a digital device, A sheet of paper, Glue or a digital collage tool 1. Collect pictures of Tulsi, the Beri and the Boddhi tree. Use books, printed pictures or a search with your teacher. 2. Arrange them as a photo montage on paper or on a device. 3. Under each picture write the faith and one religious role. 4. Add a fourth note: how Jains show care for plant life through ahimsa. ## Practice 1. Name the three sacred plants in this sub-strand. 2. In which faith is Tulsi offered during puja, and to whom is it especially offered? 3. Why do Buddhists honour the Boddhi tree? 4. What is the religious role of the Beri at Sri Harmandir Sahib? ## Answers to practice 1. Tulsi, Beri and the Boddhi tree. 2. In Sanatan or Hindu worship, especially to Lord Vishnu. 3. Because Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha while seated under it at Bodh Gaya. 4. It is honoured in Sikh tradition beside the sarovar. Tradition links it with a devotee's prayer and hope of relief from suffering. ## Summary • Tulsi is offered in Sanatan worship, especially to Vishnu. • The Beri is honoured in Sikh tradition beside the sarovar. • The Boddhi tree marks the Buddha's enlightenment, and Jains teach care for every plant. PAGE 18: Lesson 8: Nurturing plants and living with them LESSON 8: NURTURING PLANTS AND LIVING WITH THEM =============================================== ## What you will learn • Describe how to nurture a plant from seed to a strong seedling. • Explain how people and plants depend on each other. • Take part in caring for a tree while including every classmate. Curriculum outcomes: e) specify the roles of plants that are considered sacred in each faith for religious activities; f) nurture plants for conservation of environment ## Introduction A sacred plant that nobody waters will still dry up. Nurturing means giving a plant what it needs, over many days, and protecting the place where it grows. That care is part of faith and part of looking after the earth. ## Notes ### How a plant grows A plant does not appear fully grown. Watch the stages: - A seed rests in the soil. - With water, warmth and air it germinates: a root goes down and a shoot comes up. - The seedling opens leaves and begins to make food in the light. - The plant grows taller, and in time it may flower and make new seeds. You saw this if you kept one bean wet and one bean dry. Water, soil, light and patience are the helpers. Pulling a seedling up to 'check the root' can kill it. Nurture means leaving it in place and caring steadily. PAGE 19: Lesson 8: Nurturing plants and living with them — A card for Environment Day ### People and plants need each other Plants give shade, fruit, grain, flowers for worship, wood and a cooler compound. Green leaves also refresh the air we breathe. People plant, water, weed and stop animals or feet from crushing young stems. If people only cut and never plant, the compound becomes hot and bare. If plants are honoured in scripture but neglected in the school garden, the lesson is only half learned. ### Planting with everyone included A tree-planting day in the school compound or at a community centre should include learners who need extra help. One classmate can hold the seedling, another can read the steps aloud, another can pass the water. Nobody is left sitting away from the group unless they choose a role they can do safely. Dig a hole that fits the roots, place the plant straight, press the soil gently, water it, and mark it so that nobody trips over it. ### A card for Environment Day With a parent, you may collect a fallen leaf of a sacred plant, or a leaf the parent says you may take, and fix it on a card. Do not strip a Tulsi, a Beri or a Boddhi tree. Write one sentence of thanks. The card joins religious respect with care for the environment. Fallen leaves, patient watering and a tree planted together are small acts. They are how Grade 4 learners nurture plants. ## Key words • nurture — to care for something so that it can grow well • germinate — to start growing from a seed • interdependence — needing one another in order to live well ## Worked examples ### Example 1 The class plants a seedling on Friday. On Monday a learner wants to dig it up to show the roots to a friend. What should the group do instead? Working: 1. The roots need to stay covered if the plant is to live. 2. Digging it up undoes the nurture already given. 3. The learner can draw the stages of growth or look at a digital lesson about roots without harming the tree. Answer: Leave the seedling in the soil, keep watering it, and learn about roots from a drawing or a lesson. PAGE 20: Lesson 8: Nurturing plants and living with them — Answers to practice ## Activity: Plant a tree and make an Environment Day card You will need: A seedling, A digging tool used with the teacher, Water, Card paper, A fallen leaf collected with a parent, Glue 1. Watch a short lesson, such as a KICD education programme your teacher chooses, on the stages of plant growth. 2. With the teacher, plant a seedling in the school compound. Give every learner a safe role, and help classmates who need support. 3. Write three ways people and plants depend on each other. 4. At home, with a parent, collect a fallen leaf of a plant your family considers sacred, or any fallen leaf if that plant is not nearby. Fix it on a card for Environment Day and write why plants should be protected. ## Practice 1. What does it mean to nurture a plant? 2. Name two things plants give people. 3. Why should you not pull all the leaves off a Tulsi or Boddhi tree for a card? ## Answers to practice 1. To care for it steadily, with water, soil, light and protection, so that it can grow. 2. Any two: food, shade, flowers for worship, wood, cleaner and fresher air, or beauty in the compound. 3. Stripping the tree harms a living and sacred plant. Use a fallen leaf, or a leaf a parent says you may take. ## Summary • Nurturing a plant means water, soil, light and patience. • People and plants depend on each other. • Tree planting should include every learner, and leaves for a card should be gathered without harming the plant. PAGE 21: Revision quiz REVISION QUIZ ============= Answer all the questions, then mark yourself on the Answers tab. 1. Which list names the Panch Mahabhoot correctly? A. Jal, rice, wind, fire, sky B. Prithvi, jal, agni, vayu, akash C. Tulsi, Beri, Boddhi, Ganga, Beas D. Earth, metal, water, wood, fire 2. What is the meaning of jal? A. Fire B. Water C. A sacred tree D. A river in Kenya 3. Which of these is a daily role of water? A. It replaces the need for food completely B. It is used for drinking, cooking and washing C. It is only for temples and never for farms D. It keeps seeds dry 4. What is abhishek? A. A dance at a festival B. Bathing a murti with water in worship C. A type of seed D. A name for the Beas river 5. Why do Jains teach people not to waste water? A. Because water is not needed for life B. Because ahimsa calls for careful use and respect for living beings C. Because rivers should be ignored D. Because only one river may be used 6. Which river is honoured in Hindu scripture through the account of Bhagiratha and Lord Shiva? A. Rujubalika B. Beas C. Ganga D. A tap in the school 7. Lord Mahavira's keval jnana is remembered on the bank of which river? A. Ganga B. Beas C. Rujubalika D. Tana 8. The Beas is best described as A. A river of the Punjab, known in older scripture as Vipasha B. The tree of the Buddha C. A leaf offered only to Vishnu D. A Kenyan lake 9. Which plant is offered in Sanatan puja, especially to Lord Vishnu? A. Beri B. Tulsi C. Boddhi tree D. Maize 10. Why is the Boddhi tree sacred to Buddhists? 11. What is one right way to nurture a newly planted seedling? PAGE 22: Quiz answers ANSWERS ======= 1. B. Prithvi, jal, agni, vayu, akash The five great elements are prithvi (earth), jal (water), agni (fire), vayu (air) and akash (space). 2. B. Water Jal is the word used in this sub-strand for water. 3. B. It is used for drinking, cooking and washing Water is needed for drinking, cooking, washing, crops and animals. 4. B. Bathing a murti with water in worship In Sanatan worship, abhishek is the ritual bathing of a murti. 5. B. Because ahimsa calls for careful use and respect for living beings Ahimsa, non-violence, leads Jains to use water carefully. 6. C. Ganga The Ganga is the sacred river of that Sanatan account. 7. C. Rujubalika Jain tradition places Mahavira's perfect knowledge at the Rujubalika. 8. A. A river of the Punjab, known in older scripture as Vipasha The Beas is one of the five rivers of the Punjab and is called Vipasha in older scripture. Sikhs honour that land of the Gurus. 9. B. Tulsi Tulsi, holy basil, is grown and offered in Hindu worship. 10. Prince Siddhartha sat under it at Bodh Gaya and attained enlightenment, becoming the Buddha. The Boddhi tree is honoured as the tree of the Buddha's awakening. 11. Leave it in the soil, water it regularly, and protect it from being trampled or dug up. Nurture is steady care, not pulling the plant up to look at the roots.