Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Sociology
Lesson Topic: Religion as a source of social change
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe key sociological concepts related to religion and social change (e.g., secularisation, revivalism).
  • Explain how functionalist, conflict, interpretive and interactionist perspectives view religion’s role in social change.
  • Analyse case studies to evaluate religion’s capacity to drive social, political, or economic change.
  • Critically assess the strengths and limitations of arguments that religion is a primary driver of social change.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • PowerPoint slides summarising concepts and case studies
  • Handout with key terms and case‑study excerpts
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Short video clip on Pentecostalism in Latin America
  • Sticky notes for group activity
 Introduction:
Begin with a striking image of a religiously‑led protest to hook interest. Recall students’ prior learning about functionalist and conflict views of religion. Explain that today they will identify how religion can act as a catalyst for social change and evaluate those arguments using evidence.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5’) – Students write one example of religion influencing society on sticky notes and share briefly.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10’) – Present key concepts and the four theoretical perspectives with PowerPoint.
  3. Case‑study stations (15’) – Small groups rotate through three stations (Pentecostalism, Dalit Buddhism, Indigenous climate activism) using handouts and a video; answer guiding questions.
  4. Whole‑class synthesis (10’) – Groups report findings; teacher links evidence to the theories and highlights secularisation vs revivalism.
  5. Debate (10’) – Teams argue “Religion is a primary driver of social change” versus “Secular forces are more decisive”; teacher moderates and checks understanding.
  6. Exit ticket (5’) – Students write one supporting piece of evidence and one limitation of their argument.
Conclusion:
Recap that religion can both stabilise and disrupt societies depending on context and theoretical lens. Emphasise the need to balance religious and secular explanations when analysing change. For homework, students complete a worksheet analysing a contemporary social movement of their choice through the sociological perspectives discussed.