Group+2

**Top Five Things We Learned About Ourselves**
 * 2009 FDSTL Conference Notes - Group 2**
 * 1) During Walking Meditation – difficult to concentrate with external forces (beggars, wind, hats, etc.)
 * 2) Became more in tune with ourselves
 * 3) Learned more about how we handle situations
 * 4) We are different than the way we originally perceived ourselves to be
 * 5) We never thought of Buddhism in an external vs. internal control sense

**Top Five Things Learned About Shinran**
 * 1) Don’t take history as fact – sometimes question what is said
 * 2) Shinjin is the same for everyone regardless of class
 * 3) Shinran was an extraordinary person during extraordinary times
 * 4) Shinran had man different names throughout his life
 * 5) He experienced many frustrations while finding his path to enlightenment

**Lesson Plans (Grades Pre-K to 3)**
 * 1) Go on a “silent” walk around temple grounds
 * 2) Before walk, ask to use their “other” senses (see, hear, smell) to take in environment
 * 3) Have older kids act out scenarios (bullying, fighting, arguing)
 * 4) Come back and discuss
 * 5) Craft project – Shinran Shonin
 * 6) Roll of Livesavers wrapped in brown paper
 * 7) Top with a Shinran Shonin painted hat

**Lesson Plans (Grades 4-8)**
 * 1) Shinran-sama video
 * 2) Ask students what they know about Shinran
 * 3) Write answers on board
 * 4) Show DVD of Shinran’s life
 * 5) Ask what they learned about Shinran
 * 6) What are before and after differences? Any before answers incorrect?
 * 7) “What Would You Do?”
 * 8) Watch DVD of Shinran’s life
 * 9) Play “Would You Rather” style game
 * 10) Ask students what they would do if they were Shinran

**Lesson Plans (High School)**
 * 1) Top Ten Reasons (patterned from Letterman Show)
 * 2) Top Ten Reasons Shinran left Mt. Hiei
 * 3) Discussion of Shinran
 * 4) Students come up with the Top Ten list
 * 5) Silent Meditation
 * 6) Close eyes, sit quietly, feet on floor, sit straight
 * 7) Do it for 1 minute
 * 8) If someone moves, makes sound, etc. start time again
 * 9) Decrease time (30 seconds, 15 seconds, 10 seconds) until they can achieve time
 * 10) Increase the time next Sunday
 * 11) Walking Meditation
 * 12) Same as Workshop II to illustrate concept of practice