Antisectarian

Other activities which could be adapted

Creative Writing: inspired by p28/29

  • Word definitions: adapted from p47
  • Performance: inspired by "choral performance" p47
  • Creating a post on the "Future of Scotland": adapted from p87
  • The Falling Angel by Marc Chagall: see painting in Resource Card pocket and p94-96
  • Sort by style: p103
  • Banning your music: p105
  • 'I don't like it' Game (could be changed to 'I like it' as appropriate) : p133
  • Young people under persecution: p142 and 144
  • Challenge: p143
  • Alienating Experience: P151

Creative Writing: inspired by p28/29

Write a diary entry on being persecuted about your beliefs. It could be expanded to having to flee your home and therefore becoming an asylum seeker in Britain.

Word definitions: adapted from p47

Write definitions for each of the following words: firstly without asking anyone or using a dictionary but making a guess; secondly, using a dictionary and identifying the most apt definition as a group.
Diversity, discrimination, (in)tolerance, respect, acceptance, society, communication, racism, citizen, sectarianism, choice, identity.

Performance: inspired by "choral performance" p47

Divide into groups of 5 or 6 and invent a way to perform a traditional story from another country or a religious story. Educates the participants about different beliefs held or stories of importance in other cultures; fosters understanding between religions and different cultures.

Creating a post on the "Future of Scotland": adapted from p87

Encourage participants to think about what Scotland will be like in the future. What things do they think about? What are their concerns? What do they like about the things they think about? What do they not like? What do they hope for? Create a poster, perhaps reflecting the traditions of Scottish culture whilst promoting and incorporating a modern, multi-cultural society and embracing diverse religious beliefs in Scotland.

The Falling Angel by Marc Chagall: see painting in Resource Card pocket and p94-96

Could be used as a way to start learning about what different religions think about why there are bad things in the world and understanding the differences between faith groups. This can facilitate more informed understandings of different faiths and about their viewpoints e.g. of evil and hope.

Sort by style: p103

See activity: Separate participants into teams. Divide music artists into groups and name groupings. Justify the groupings. Observe the different groupings made by different teams. How were the group names found? How does the grouping reflect the way you think about society or music? What are the risks in placing people in groups? Discuss how we can better see the merits in individuals.

Banning your music: p105

Can be taken straight from the pack. Enables discussion of intolerance, racism, prejudice and discrimination, and to what extent, how and in what ways banning other people's ideas comes into the above themes.

'I don't like it' Game (could be changed to 'I like it' as appropriate) : p133

See game rules. Demonstrates how and to what extent people agree with the views of others. Being in the middle gives participants the space to voice their own opinion. They are also positioned so that no one will sympathise with their view and so have to remain in the middle, which may cause them to feel isolated. Themes can be drawn out of the characteristics of the game and there is scope for further lessons to be drawn out with regard to tolerance, respect, communication and understanding.

Young people under persecution: p142 and 144

Recount details of the lives of Anne Frank and Julius Feldman (p142) as examples of young people facing persecution because of their faith or their family's faith or their Jewish ancestry. Participants can act out the play on p144/145 to learn about how they felt under persecution. Can participants relate to these young people in some ways? How would you feel (differently)?

Challenge: p143

What can you do to challenge prejudice and discrimination in your school, family or society? Are you willing to take a stand against intolerance and violence? What are the risks or benefits?

Alienating experience: p151

Have you ever had an alienating experience? Turn to person sitting next to you and share your thoughts. What did you feel or what feelings would you expect to feel? Discuss feeling alone, being unable to understand other people, and ways in which you could combat isolation.