First Term Lesson Note for Week Six
Class : Primary Six
Subject : Social Studies
Topic : Religious Intolerance in Nigeria.
Duration : 40 Minutes
Period : Single Period
Learning Objectives : By the end of the lesson learners will be able to :
i. Explain the meaning of religious intolerance
ii. Identify the causes of religious intolerance
iii. State the ways of controlling religious intolerance
Instructional Material : Chart showing pictures of ethnic and religious clashes in the past.
Key Vocabulary : Fanatics Intolerance, Religious, Fanaticism, Incitement, Prejudice, etc.
Reference Materials :
- Lagos State Unified schemes of work for Upper Primary, (Primary 4 – 6)
- Social Studies for Primary Schools, Book 6, by Adisa Bakare, etal.
- Online Resources
Previous Knowledge : Learners are familiar with the similarities and differences in religions.
Content :
Meaning of Religious Intolerance
Religious Intolerance is when the religious organizations fails to understand other people’s religion other than their own.
Religious Fanaticism is when people do not respect any other religion or faith apart from their own. This may lead them to reject or to hate those who do no share their religion.
Religious Fanaticism causes tension between people and has led to fights, violence and even wars. A lot of Nigerians have died because of religious intolerance.
Religious violence in Nigeria is a frequent problem in Nigeria, especially between Christians and Muslims. This violence is made worse by the fact that Nigerian Muslims and Christians belongs to different ethnic groups. For example, the cycle of religious violence was one of the causes of the Nigerian Civil War. In 1966, there was a military coup in which many prominent northerners (Muslims) in the government were killed by the Igbo army officers.
Causes of Religious Intolerance in Nigeria.
There are several causes of religious Intolerance in Nigeria. These includes :
1. Fanaticism : This is when people refuse to accept or respect other people’s faith.
2. Ethnic Préjudice : This is when people
3. Ignorance : Many people are ignorant about other people’s faiths and sometimes their own faith.
4. Poverty : This is often one of the problems lying beneath the surface of religious violence in Nigeria. Poverty may make people frustrated and resentful of others.
5. Politics : Some political leaders use religion to provoke their followers to become violent.
Promoting Religious Terrance in Nigeria.
It is important that we tolerate and respect our religious differences. When we respect each other’s differences, we promote peace, and unity in our communities.
We can promote religious tolerance in Nigeria by :
1. Learning about different religions faiths in the schools.
2. Broadcasting positive messages about different religion through the media.
3. Supporting the work of organizations that promote religious peace.
4. Learning about different faiths through our friends who teaches us about their religion.
5. Writing Laws against religious violence and incitement to religious violence.
Incitement to violence is when one person or group encourages others to act violently against another group.
Assessment & Evaluation :