BCA Curriculum Guide
Introduction
Purpose of the Guide
The purpose of Buddhist Education is to find the path that leads to personal awareness. This curriculum guide is designed to encourage teachers to provide meaningful lessons on religion for students, to develop positive attitudes in students, and to develop further the religious awareness of the teachers. Guidelines for teachers, and study guides and materials, are developed so that the educational goal of Buddhism can be achieved. Buddhist education guidelines are "experiences under guidance, consciously planned to attain specifc objectives." Excerpt from the Dharma School Teacher's guide
The purpose of this online version is to serve as an resource to assist Dharma School teacher's in this effort by facilitating communication between them and to propagate the best ideas.
Aims and Objective, Grade Level Focus
Aims and objectives of Buddhist Education in the Dharma School:
To help students to discover their true selves.
To help students to realize Amida's Wisdom and Compassion.
To help students to appreciate and learn about Buddhism and the Jodo Shinshu Sect.
To help students to develop character.
To help students to live and practice the Jodo Shinshu teachings with feeling of gratitude in the Nembutsu.
To help students to apply their Buddhist lesson to their daily lives.
To help students toward decision-making and critical thinking process.
To help students to be confident as Buddhist in a Christian Society.
To help students to work together with family, friends, Temple, and Community.
To help students become aware and sensitive of the world and universe in which they live.
Grade Level Focus
Pre-School: Buddhist Etiquette
Kindergarten: Buddhist Teachings
First Grade: Thankfulness
Second Grade: Gratitude
Third Grade: Our Temple
Fourth Grade: Study of Gautama Buddha
Fifth Grade: The Ways of a Buddhist
Sixth Grade: Buddhist Heritage
Seventh Grade: Shinran Shonin
Eighth Grade: Nembutsu, Foundations of Jodo Shinshu
High School: Buddhism/Jodo Shinshu, Comparative Religions, Comparative Buddhism, Assistant Teachers
This is an excerpt from the BCA Curriculum Guide developed in 1980's by a committee led by Mrs. Etsuko Steimetz.
The rest of the document is available at the BCA Resources page. The Dharma School material is at the bottom of the page.