Europe:Religion & Language

Mrs. SampleSixth Grade

Social Studies

European Language• Many Europeans are bilingual or multilingual.

Meaning… they speak two or more languages. • Native languages in Europe belong to the

Indo-European language family. • The branches are Germanic, Romance, and

Slavic languages.

Language Families• Germanic: Examples include German

and English. • English is spoken in more parts of the

world than any other language.

Language Families

• Romance: Examples include French & Italian. • The Romance Languages are based on Latin,

the language of ancient Romans.

Language Families• Slavic:

Russian is an example of Slavic languages which are based on ancient Greek letters.

Religions

• Main three religions in Europe include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Judaism• Followers are called Jews• Holy book is the Torah (Old Testament of the Bible) • Leader is a Rabbi• They believe they are the descendants of Abraham and

Sarah, the first people to worship “Yahweh” (God). • Settled the area that is now Iraq over 3,700 years ago. • They follow the Ten Commandments provided by

Moses from Mount Sinai on the Sinai peninsula. • Believe Jesus was a prophet and the messiah is coming.

Christianity• Followers are called Christians• Holy book is the bible (old testament & new) • Old testament is the Torah and new testament is

the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. • Leader is called a priest or pastor • They believe Jesus was God’s son- the Messiah. • Came out of Southwest Asia. Many Jews

converted to Christianity when Jesus began preaching in what is today Israel.

• He was convicted of treason and crucified.

Christianity Divides• Two main divisions: Catholic (Pope), &

Protestant (Martin Luther) • Majority of Christians in Europe are Catholic and

are concentrated in the southern regions such as France, Spain, and Italy.

• More Protestants are found in the northern countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom.

• Most Eastern Europeans, such as Russia, practice Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Islam• Followers are called Muslims• Holy book is the Qur’an (Koran) • Believe in the same god as others, but call him

“Allah”• Leader is called an imam. • Do not believe Jesus was the son of God. • Follow the teachings of Muhammad who they

believe was the last prophet (they believe Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were all prophets)

• Converted most Arabs from the Arabian peninsula to practice Islam.

Islam’s Five Pillars of Faith• The belief… “The 5 Pillars of Islam”–1. the profession – “There is no God but Allah,

and Mohammed is his prophet.”–2. prayer – 5 times a day, facing Mecca–3. fasting – during Ramadan (the month in

which God began to reveal the Quran to Muhammad).–4. zakat – giving to the poor–5. make the Hajj- journey to Mecca

Today• Many Muslims are immigrating to Western

Europe, making Islam the fastest growing religion in Europe.

• Muslim populations are highest in France, Germany, and the U.K.

• Christianity is the largest religion in the world, while Islam is the second largest.

• There are far fewer Jewish believers in the world. • In Europe, most Jews live in France, the U.K.

Russia, and countries once part of the Soviet Union

Quick Quiz!1. What language group is spoken in the U.S.?2. What language group is spoken in the country shaped

like a boot?3. What language is based on the Greek alphabet?4. What language group is spoken in the France? 5. What faith is the historical foundation for Christianity

& Islam?6. What faith is dominant in Europe? 7. France, Spain, and Italy follow which religion?8. This religion is the fastest growing in Europe? 9. Most Russians follow this religion? 10.Muhammad founded this religion in the 7th century?