Author: Amanda McGarrigle

Year 3 Term 6— Sikhism (B)
How do Sikh people worship and celebrate?

Background Information
Sikhs worship God and only God. They do not use images or statues to help them worship. Sikh worship can either be public or private. Sikhs can pray at any time and any place. There are set prayers that a Sikh should recite in the morning and evening, and before going to sleep. Sikhs regard prayer as spending time in the company of God. Sikhs have many festivals and celebrations. One of the main celebrations in the Sikh religion is that of Vaisakhi. This festival celebrates the Sikh New Year. It is celebrated on 13 or 14 April and began as a harvest festival in the Punjab before it became the Sikhs' most important festival.

Guru Granth Sahib

In this unit the children will be able to …
Identify that Sikhs can worship at any time or day, at home or in the Gurdwara.
Understand Sikhs are expected to pray three times a day and mediate and recite words from the holy scriptures
Identify that Sikh people respect and regard The Guru Granth Sahib as a living Guru.
Know that the Gurdwara is place that is welcome and open to everyone and is known as the ‘doorway to the house of God’
Explain that all Sikhs are encouraged by their Guru (Guru Granth Sahib) to perform Seva or Selfless Service.
Understand that Vaisakhi is the biggest and most important Sikh festival, where they remember the founding of the Khalsa and the Sikh New Year.

By the end of this unit….
All children can:
Explain why the Gurdwara important for Sikh people and what happens during worship. (T)
Most children will:
Explore the teachings found in the the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, and what do they teach Sikh people about seva (selfless service). (I)
Discuss the Langar and how does it help Sikh people to live out their belief in equality. (I)
Some children will:
Explain Vaisakhi and how is it celebrated by Sikh people. (C)
Explain some of the reasons why being a Sikh in Britain today and might be a good thing and also some of the reasons why it might be hard sometimes. (C)

Key Vocabulary
Sikhism
Guru
Worship
Community
Gurdwara
Seva
Volunteer
Langar
Vaisakhi