Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges: A World Religions Program for 8th-9th Grades

Activity 5: Time Line

Activity time: 3 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Religions Time Line
  • Sticky notes and fine point markers
  • World map or globe

Preparation for Activity

  • Post the Religions Timeline.
  • Have map or globe handy.
  • Create sticky notes saying, "Latter-day Saints, 1830," "Baha'i, 1863," "Seventh-day Adventists, 1863," "Church of Christ, Scientist, 1879," "Jehovah's Witnesses, 1879." Keep them out of sight.

Description of Activity

The time line is updated to add Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Baha'i, Seventh-day Adventists, Church of Christ, Scientist, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Ask participants if they remember about when the five faiths emerged. Place sticky notes on the time line. The religions appeared between 1830 and 1879, spanning fifty years.

Ask if participants remember where in the world these five faiths were born? Point out the United States for four of the faiths and Iran for Baha'i. Share that, all together these five faiths include 36.1 million followers, about one for every ten Buddhists, one for every 25 Hindus, one for every 42 Muslims, or one for every 58 Christians.