Xi’an: A Journey of Discovery for Grade 8 Students | 西安：八年级学生的探索之旅

To enrich their unit on World Religions, Mr. Brian’s 8th grade Humanities class enjoyed a 3.5-day field trip to Xi’an. This city was a natural choice for this unit, because Xi’an marked the beginning and end of the ancient Silk Road, which brought different goods, ideas and beliefs to China. The students have been studying how people use religion to express their personal, cultural, and spiritual beliefs, thereby reinforcing identity among communities. On this trip, students visited religious sites of five major religions: Taoism, Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism), Tibetan Buddhism, Catholicism, and Islam. Students courageously approached religious visitors at each of the sites to interview them about various aspects of their beliefs. Through these interviews, they were able to discover how people express themselves through religion, how religion can unite us, and how their beliefs affect their daily lives. There was much thoughtful discussion and the 8th graders showed deep respect and open-mindedness during their visit. Students enjoyed the serenity of each temple/religious site and each place gave much to reflect upon. Other highlights of the trip included being guests at a Catholic wedding, souvenir hunting in the vibrant Muslim Quarter, and strengthening peer bonds through the gift of travel. It was an unforgettable trip and students were so fortunate to have been allowed such an intimate glimpse into the hearts of those whom we spoke to. We’re so proud of our 8th graders and how maturely they navigated their way through Xi’an!

为了丰富有关世界宗教的单元学习，Brian老师8年级人文课的学生踏上了三天半的西安之旅。作为丝绸之路的起始点，西安自古以来是商品、思想和信仰的交汇中心，因而是这个单元学习的绝佳探访之地。学生们在课堂上已经了解了人们如何用宗教表达他们个人、文化和精神上的信仰，以加强在社会中的归属感。此次旅行学生们探访了五类宗教场所：道教、佛教密宗、藏传佛教、天主教和伊斯兰教。在每个寺院和教堂里，学生们充满勇气地采访了现场的信徒，询问有关信仰各个方面的问题。他们了解到人们如何通过宗教表达自己，通过宗教连接彼此，并对日常生活产生影响。8年级学生进行了深入的讨论，对不同宗教怀抱深刻的敬意，并保持开放的思想。学生们也很享受参观寺庙和宗教建筑的过程，每个地方都有值得思考和探索的细节。学生们还参加了一个天主教的婚礼，到回民街淘旅行纪念品，并在旅途中与同伴结成更深厚的友情。这是一段难忘的旅程，我们的学生有幸与不同的人深入交谈，了解他们的内心。学校也为我们的学生感到骄傲，如此坚定而成熟地探索了西安！