Year 4 Sikhs: how does Guru Nanak inspire Sikhs today? worksheet

“Guru Nanak, the first guru” is free to print, with no account. It is the first sheet in the Year 4 religious education unit “Sikhs: how does Guru Nanak inspire Sikhs today?”, for children aged 8 to 9, and takes about 21 minutes.

Print it on A4. The child's pages come first; the answers, and what each wrong answer tells you, are on the grown-up page that follows. Weeks 1 to 6 of the year, 6 sheets in the unit.

Free sample · answers on the last page

Guru Nanak, the first guru

Name: ____________ · Date: ____________
Year 4 · Religious education · about 21 minutes
Answers are on the grown-up page

Today I can explain who Guru Nanak was and why Sikhs look to him for guidance.

A Look back3 min

1.
Which direction does the sun rise from? Circle one.
NorthEastSouthWest
2.
Which season comes after spring? Circle one.
SummerAutumnWinter
3.
How many corners does a circle have?

B Watch me, then you4 min

Ola is learning about a man called Nanak. He was born in the year 1469 CE. Where is 1469 on this timeline?

Watch me

Find the ticks at 1400, 1450 and 1500.

1469 sits a little past the 1450 tick.

So Nanak was born in 1469 CE.

Now you

1.
Nanak was the first of the ten Sikh gurus. Use the timeline. Which guru came second?
Guru AngadGuru ArjanGuru Gobind

C Your turn7 min

Guru Nanak made long journeys to share his message. Find where each place he visited lies from India. Circle the direction for each one.

1.
With North at the top of a map, Sri Lanka is the island just below India. Sri Lanka is of India.
NorthEastSouthWest
2.
With North at the top of a map, Tibet sits just above India, high in the mountains. Tibet lies of India.
NorthEastSouthWest
3.
Makkah is across the sea from India, on the side where the sun sets. Makkah lies of India.
NorthEastSouthWest
4.
Nanak's first long journey took him towards the sunrise. He went across India.
NorthEastSouthWest

Say it out loud: Point to each place on the compass. Which way would Nanak walk to reach it?

D Spot the mistake3 min

A Sikh gurdwara with a golden dome and a tall flag, no people

Kit says: “Sikhs pray to Guru Nanak as their god.”

1.
The word guru means teacher. Sikhs worship one God. What do Sikhs really think about Guru Nanak? Write one sentence.

E Think deeper4 min

Guru Nanak travelled for many years to share his message. His words are now in this holy book, which guides Sikhs.

A closed holy book on a cushion under a canopy, no people

1.
Why might a teacher spend years travelling to share a message? Write one sentence in your own words.

How did it feel?

I can do it Nearly Not yet

For the grown-up

Guru Nanak, the first guru · 2 minutes to read

Answers, and what a wrong one tells you

A

1. East

2. Summer

3. 0

B

1. Guru Angad If your child picks Guru Arjan, find his name on the timeline. Ask: does he come before or after the second guru?

C

1. South If your child picks North, ask them to find North on the compass, then point to the opposite side. South is opposite North.

2. North If your child picks South, ask which side of the compass is at the top. Tibet is on the top side from India.

3. West If your child picks East, ask them to turn the compass round. Makkah is on the other side of India from the sunrise.

4. East If your child picks West, ask which way the sun rises. Nanak walked towards the sunrise, so he went East.

D

1. Look for: Sikhs see Guru Nanak as a teacher or guide, not as God. your child may think a respected person must be a god. Ask: do Sikhs learn from Guru Nanak as a teacher, or worship him as God? Sikhs follow his teaching and worship one God.

E

1. Look for: A sentence giving a reason, such as sharing a message or teaching many people, in the child's own words.

Words to use

Say“Where does that place lie from India? How do you know Sikhs look to him as a guide, not as God?”

Instead of“Just tell them the answer, or say that Sikhs worship Guru Nanak.”

After the sheet

At teatime, ask your child who Guru Nanak was. Then ask why Sikhs call him a teacher and not God.

Tick what your child got right in StudyDen. Anything missed comes back in a later Look back box, so there's no need to redo the sheet.

The rest of this unit

5 more sheets come with a StudyDen plan, in teaching order:

Room for Everyone(with a plan)
Serving others, not hoarding(with a plan)
Honest living, every day(with a plan)
One God, Waheguru(with a plan)
The legacy of Guru Nanak(with a plan)

Every Year 4 religious education worksheet

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