Worldview Teacher Manual samples - Summit Ministries

What Is a Worldview? Why Does It Matter?
dwellers, who travel to the mountains for the first time. Suddenly, they are aware of
a different environmental reality, one in which they most likely would prefer to live
if they are honest with themselves.
Teacher’s Notes
Teacher-Student Worktext Discussion (SWT pp. 17-18)
DISPLAY a small yellow pound cake. Cut the cake and give each student a
small sample to taste. Lead a whimsical discussion about what each ingredient
tastes like.
Suggested Discussion Questions:
Consider school policy and
possible dietary restrictions of
some children before using this
demonstration. You might wish
to find a gluten free product.
What ingredients do you think went into this cake?
How did you enjoy the sugar? The eggs? The milk? The butter? The flour?
Why are these questions silly or nonsensical?
Why can't you taste each individual ingredient in a cake?
What would you need first if you wanted to bake a cake just like this one?
Have students turn to Topic 4 (SWT p. 17). Have them read the title. Discuss
to ascertain the extent of students' awareness of their worldview. Then have
them read Topic 4 to find out how their worldview is like a cake.
All people have a worldview—a set of beliefs that helps them understand life
and the world and that influences how they act or behave. But if you were to
ask someone, “Do you have a worldview?” or “Can you tell me about your
worldview?” he or she would probably just stare at you with a puzzled look.
And if someone had asked you these questions before you began studying this
lesson, you probably would have responded the same way. But why?
As you learned earlier, you don’t develop your worldview deliberately. You absorb
your basic beliefs about life and the world by observing your family, your
community, and the world around you. You develop your worldview from the
teaching of others and by your own studying, reasoning, and imagining. But
as your worldview is being shaped, you never stop and think, “Now, let’s see.
This belief goes with my beliefs about God. And this belief goes with my beliefs
about people. And this new belief goes with my beliefs about the universe. And
all of these beliefs are part of my worldview!” In other words, although you have
a worldview, you don’t consciously think about it as you go about your daily
activities. Just as people who wear glasses or contacts don’t think or say, “I’m
looking at the sunset through my glasses,” people don’t think or say, “I’m looking
at the world through my worldview and I’m making choices each day because
of my beliefs about God, the universe, people, truth, and right and wrong.”
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What Is a Worldview? Why Does It Matter?
Topic 4
Are We Aware of Our Worldview?
All people have a worldview--a set of beliefs that
helps them understand life and the world and that
infl uences how they act or behave. But if you were
to ask someone, “Do you have a worldview?” or
“Can you tell me about your worldview?” he or she
would probably just stare at you with a puzzled
look. And if someone had asked you these questions
before you began studying this lesson, you
probably would have responded the same way.
But why?
As you learned earlier, you don’t develop your
worldview deliberately. You absorb your basic
Ingredients in a Cake
beliefs about life and the world by observing your
family, your community, and the world around you.
1. _______________ 3. _______________
You develop your worldview from the teaching of
others and by your own studying, reasoning, and
2. _______________ 4. _______________
imagining. But as your worldview is being shaped,
you never stop and think, “Now, let’s see. This
5. _______________
belief goes with my beliefs about God. And this
belief goes with my beliefs about people. And this
new belief goes with my beliefs about the universe. After you gather the ingredients together, do you
And all of these beliefs are part of my worldview!” know how to make a cake? First you measure each
In other words, although you have a worldview, ingredient according to a recipe. Then you mix the
you don’t consciously think about it as you go ingredients together to make a batter. Next you
about your daily activities. Just as people who
pour the batter into a baking pan and put it in the
wear glasses or contacts don’t think or say, “I’m
oven to bake. When
looking at the sunset through my glasses,” people the
cake is done, you
don’t think or say, “I’m looking at the world through
let it cool, slice it, and
my worldview and I’m making choices each day enjoy!
because of my beliefs about God, the universe,
people, truth, and right and wrong.”
Now suppose you
give slices of your
Another way of illustrating the idea that you don’t
freshly baked cake to
consciously think about your worldview is to compare
a worldview with a cake. People all over the
some friends. As they
take their first bite,
world bake cakes. Most cakes contain at least fi ve
would you expect
basic ingredients. Look at the picture of ingredients
them to say, “Wow!
at the top of the next column. Identify and write the
This is delicious. I just
ingredients on the lines below the picture.
love the flour. And the
The World of Worldviews
17
Another way of illustrating the idea that you don’t
consciously think about your worldview is to compare
a worldview with a cake. People all over the
world bake cakes. Most cakes contain at least five
basic ingredients. Look at the picture of ingredients
at the top of the next column. Identify and write the
ingredients on the lines below the picture.
The World of Worldviews
17