Bridges Story Guide Happiness English

8/6/2019 Bridges Story Guide Happiness English

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Digital Story Guide

© Bridges to Understanding 1 of 3

Digital Story: Journey to Happiness

Bridges site: India, Tibetan Children’s VillageNarrators and Photographers: Tenzin Gakyi and Tari Kyi

OverviewTari Kyi and Tenzin Gakyi interview the hermit monks in the mountains of Dharmasala and the

urban monks of McLeod Ganj.

PurposeTari Kyi and Tenzin Gakyi want to know how to find individual happiness.

Anticipation Activity

1. The girls believe that Buddhist monks are happy. True False

2. Hermit monks live in the busy city. True False

3. Some Buddhists think you find happiness if you find the cause of suffering. True False

4. The girls found the key to happiness for themselves. True False

5. People think of many things when they meditate. True False

Pre-Activity Research - (Internet or Library References)Story of Buddha

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/primary.htm Examples of Guided Meditations for Children

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/meditate/guide.htm Introduction to Buddhism

http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/footsteps.htm http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tibet/understand/dying.html

Tibetan Children’s Villagehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tibet/understand/dying.html http://www.dalailama.com/page.2.htm

Personal Testimonial

http://www.tcv.org.in/testimonial1.shtml Benefits of Meditation

http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030424-000003.html http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Meditation:-Tips-and-Techniques&id=24508 http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/p/profilemeditati.htm



Digital Story Guide

© Bridges to UnderstandingDigital story guide format and content contributed by Sharon Greenberg, teacher and Bridges volunteer 2 of 3

Where do Tari Kyi and Tenzin Gakyi live? Why do they live there?

Dharamsala - Identify and/or Explain the following

Exact location-

Hemispheres-Continent-

Country-

Mountain Range-

Climate -

Why are Tibetan children living in India?

Who is the Dalai Lama?

Comprehension Questions (after viewing the digital story)

1. What kinds of monks live in the forests and mountains?

2. What is a hermit?

3. Before they interview the monks, what makes Tari Kyi and Tenzin Gakyi happy?4. Why don’t material things make a person happy over time?

5. What did the girls want to know from the monks?

6. What inspires a monk to become a hermit?

7. What is it really like to be a monk and what can we learn from them?

8. Give some examples of what a person could focus their mind on when they are meditating?

9. What can be achieved by meditating?

10. How are the hermit monks different from the city monks?

11. What do some Buddhists think is the true backbone of happiness?

12. Name two things the girls have learned from the monks about achieving happiness.

13. Why is the photo so important to Tari Kyi?

14. What does Tenzin Gakyi want you to do?

General Questions

1. What is the message of this digital story?

2. How are their lives as children different from and similar to yours?

3. What is the event/issue/problem expressed in the digital story?

4. What major problems do your community or culture face today (environmental, political, social)?

5. How are these young people working to make positive changes in their community or in the world?

6. Is awareness one way to make change? Explain your answer

Making a Movie - Explain your answers.

1. This digital movie is used to share an experience. What other forms of expression could he have used?

2. How is one able to show emotions using digital photography?

3. Does the voice and/or music add to the tone and/or mood of the digital story? If so, how?

4. Was it important for the story to include photos of people? Why or why not?

5. What kinds of photos were used to show the impact of the hurricane? Describe them.

6. Why might it be important to carry your camera with you at all times?

7. What is in the photo that helps you know about the culture?



Digital Story Guide

© Bridges to UnderstandingDigital story guide format and content contributed by Sharon Greenberg, teacher and Bridges volunteer 3 of 3

8. What is the photographer trying to communicate to us?

9. Do the pictures look posed? If so, to what purpose?

10. Do the pictures look spontaneous? If so, to what purpose?

Follow-up Discussion• USA Today “The happiest people surround themselves with family and friends, don't care about keeping

up with the Joneses next door, lose themselves in daily activities and, most important, forgive easily.”Do you agree? Why or why not?

• Can you list three things that make you happy?

• What do you think this means?

• “To be happy, add not to your possessions but subtract from your desires.”

• Paragraph two of the Declaration of Independence declares that the pursuit of happiness is one of ourinalienable rights. What does that mean?

• Does money make people happy? Why or why not?

• Some people think happiness comes from “peace of mind.” What is meant by that? Do you agree? If so, how is that achieved?

• Are there some things in this world that you are unable to have control or change? How doesthis feel?

• Does helping others make you happy? Why or why not.

Follow-Up Activities

• Create a survey and find out what your family and friends think brings happiness. Compare it with yourclassmates.

• List things in your personal life that cause stress. Brainstorm ways to eliminate some of the things you

can control.• List things in the world (consider the environment, politics, etc.) that cause stress. Brainstorm ways to

eliminate some of the things you can control.

• Participate in a Service Learning activity: Visit the elderly or the ill, help bag food at a food bank, set upa recycling program, help around your home, collect money for disaster relief, etc.

Standards*

National Council of Teachers of English/International Reading Association

Standards 1, 2, 3, 6National Council for Social Studies

Standards Theme I: Culture, Theme IV Individual Development and IdentityTheme IX: Global Connections

American Geographical Society, Association of American Geographers, National Geographic Society, National Council for Geographic EducationEssential Element II: Places and Regions Standards 4, 6Essential Element III: Physical Systems Standards 7, 8Essential Element IV: Human Systems Standards 9, 10,11,12,13Essential Element V: Environment and Society Standard 14

*For more details see http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/educators/framework/

Documents

Bridges Story Guide Happiness English