Teaching About Religion: Related Websites

Related Websites

Educational Resource Sites:

Religion in the Public Schools: Located at the website of the
Anti-Defamation League, this web page provides discussion of several
issues surrounding teaching about religion in a secular context. Page has
additional links on related topics concerning religion and religious liberty in
public schools.

Religion and Public Education Resource Center: A project of the
Department of Religious Studies, California State University, Chico. The
Center seeks to foster a greater understanding of the distinction between
school-sponsored practice of religion and the academic study of religion. It
offers information on educational, ethical, and legal issues related to
teaching about religion and nonreligion.

Teacher Serve, National Humanities Center: An interactive curriculum
enrichment service for high school teachers in the area of “Divining America:
Religion and the National Culture.” Currently, the material pretty much
ignores the nonreligious worldview and its impact on the national culture in
the 17th through the 20th centuries.

The Religious Freedom Page, University of Virginia: Broad range of site
content relates to issues of religious freedom in the U.S. [the Constitution;
court decisions; religious freedom organizations; religion in public life] as
well as around the world [nation profiles; reports; universal principles; sacred
texts]. The links at this site embrace a significant collection of resources,
permitting a teacher to locate key source material, make comparisons, and
delve into historical and theoretical issues.

Multicultural Education: “Through the Multicultural Pavilion, I strive to provide
resources for educators to explore and discuss multicultural education; to
facilitate opportunities for educators to work toward self-awareness and
development; and to provide forums for educators to interact and
collaborate toward a critical, transformative approach to multicultural
education.” [Dr. Paul Gorski, Coordinator, Diversity Works and Student
Intercultural Learning Center, University of Maryland]

Religious Movements: "This Religious Movements site provides a
foundation for understanding how religious groups emerge, grow, stagnate,
reinvigorate themselves, and sometimes die. ...We also explore groups that
are not really religions, but have characteristics that are very much like
religions. Scholars typically identify them as quasi-religions, or
para-religious organizations... In addition to creating a foundation for
understanding religion, this site also seeks to promote tolerance and
appreciation of all religions without preference for any particular faith
tradition." [Dr. Jeffrey K. Hadden, Dept. of Sociology, University of Virginia]

The Bill of Rights Institute: Founded in 1999, the Bill of Rights Institute seeks
to educate high school students and teachers about our country’s founding
principles through programs that explore what the Founders said, what the
Founding documents say, and how these ideas affect our daily lives and
shape our society. The Bill of Rights Institute has developed an integrated
line of education programs to advance this mission. Among them are
Instructional Materials for the Classroom, Regional Workshops and Summer
Institutes for Teachers, and Honors Seminars for Students

Establishment Clause: FindLaw's thoroughly documented annotation of the
Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Provides detailed
foundational knowledge regarding progression of Establishment cases.

Teacher Training Book/Booklet/Program:

The First Amendment Center, Freedom Forum: The First Amendment
Center gives special attention to questions concerning religion and public
education through its religious liberty programs and publications, which
focus on the history, meaning, and significance of the U.S. Constitution's
First Amendment religious liberty clauses. Particularly relevant: Finding
Common Ground: A Guide to Religious Liberty in Public Schools and A
Teacher's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools.