Teaching About Religion: Teacher Resources

Teacher Resources

Position Statements: We recognize that the religion arena is frequently a
contentious one. It consists of diverse and often contradictory worldviews
and is fraught with constitutional perplexities. With all the challenges, what
can we ask of our public schools? How should they go about educating
students about any given human worldview? There have been endeavors to
publish guidelines that would be helpful to "teaching fairly and legally about
religion." This section provides a sampling.

Guidelines: Do you have questions regarding appropriate conduct of
instruction about religion? Use this "Dos" and "Don'ts" chart for guidance in
thinking through the "big picture" of teaching about religion with a view to
diversity. This section of the site also offers basic guidance in public school
classrooms in a "It’s Okay to Do It"/"It’s Not Okay to Do It" format.

Classroom Guidance: What makes sense when teaching about religion in
public schoools?

Classroom Self-Check: How well does your "teaching about religion"
avoid the pitfalls of religious indoctrination? Use this checklist to find out.

Lesson plans and other instructional resources: This section includes
Different Drummers: Nonconforming Thinkers in History, The Bill of Rights
Institute, Selected Lesson Plans on the Web, The Teacher’s Press and
Snippets (short quotes).