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Who Believes What?: Exploring the World's Major Religions

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Who Believes What?: Exploring the World's Major Religions

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Who Believes What focuses on five major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. The pages about each of the religions includes a search-and-find page that is full of meaning for that particular religion. It is followed by other pages which give meaning to the images that are found, and to the religion itself. This is a great resource for grades 2-4.

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In today's multicultural cities and interconnected world, understanding different belief systems can help kids appreciate the differences of people they see every day, or people who live on the other side of the globe. This book introduces readers to the five major world religions by population: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.

Each mini-section opens with a fully illustrated spread representing one religion. Designed in a search-and-find style, the illustrated spreads are busy, bright, and jam-packed with details that show people worshipping among symbolic places, rituals, and objects. A text spread follows, pulling out details from the illustrated page and providing further information about the history, festivals, places of worship, celebrations, religious leaders, and gods of each religion.

Front matter gives broader overall context about religion and each featured belief system, making this a comprehensive go-to resource for introducing religion and global cultures.

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who believes what?: exploring the world’s major religions

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / buddhism

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / christianity

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / general

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / hinduism

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / judaism

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / buddhism

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / christianity

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / general

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / hinduism

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / judaism

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Who Believes What?: Exploring the World's Major Religions

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Who Believes What?: Exploring the World's Major Religions [Wills, Tomm, Nora] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Who Believes What?: Exploring the World's Major Religions

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World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens 

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World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens 

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World Religions 101 is a guide to more than ten common religions around the world. It also discusses spirituality and how religion affects the human brain. This is a resource for students in grades 8-9.

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world religions 101: an overview for teens (teen overviews)

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young adult nonfiction / religion / general

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young adult nonfiction / religion / general

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World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens (Teen Overviews)

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World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens (Teen Overviews) [Hyde, Margaret O., Hyde, Emily G.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens (Teen Overviews)

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The Religions Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

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The Religions Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

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The Religions Book discusses religions new and old. It includes information about the basics, the religious leaders, and histories of a diverse range of religions. This is a great resource for 9-10th grade students.

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"[The Big Ideas Simply Explained books] are beautifully illustrated with shadow-like cartoons that break down even the most difficult concepts so they are easier to grasp. These step-by-step diagrams are an incredibly clever learning device to include, especially for visual learners." - Examiner.com

"[ The Religions Book is] at once egalitarian and open-minded, ideal for a visually oriented student of religion or anyone interested in scrambling up the mountainside of human spirituality and taking in the panoramic views." - BookPage

DK was founded in London in 1974 and is now the world leading illustrated reference publisher and a member of the Penguin Random House division of Bertelsmann. DK publishes highly visual, photographic non-fiction for adults and children. DK produces content for consumers in over 100 countries and over 60 languages, with offices in the UK, India, US, Germany, China, Canada, Spain and Australia.

DK's aim is to inspire, educate and entertain readers of all ages, and everything DK publishes, whether print or digital, embodies the unique DK design approach. DK brings unrivalled clarity to a wide range of topics, with a unique combination of words and pictures, put together to spectacular effect. We have a reputation for innovation in design for both print and digital products.

Our adult range spans travel, including the award-winning DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, history, science, nature, sport, gardening, cookery and parenting.

DK's extensive children's list showcases a fantastic store of information for children, toddlers and babies.
DK covers everything from animals and the human body, to homework help and craft activities, together with an impressive list of licensing titles, including the best-selling LEGO® books.

DK acts as the parent company for Alpha Books, publisher of the Idiot's Guides series.

https://www.dk.com/

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the religions book: big ideas simply explained

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comparative religion; world religions; religious books; spirituality; christianity; big ideas simply explained series; religions of the world; astrology for dummies; hardcover history book; encyclopedia; theology; gifts; reference books; mythology; ap literature; ap world history; world history; easter gifts; faith; jesus; islam; infographics; infographic books; prayer; worship; biblical studies; religion for kids; world culture for kids; allah; god; buddha; judaism; zoroastrianism; buddism; religious history; religious studies

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The Religions Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

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The Religions Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained [DK] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Religions Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

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The Kids Book of World Religions dives into the basics of religions around the world. It discusses histories, scriptures, traditions and events and leaders of several religions. This resource is intended for grades 3-6.

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buddhism; christianity; community; festivals; hinduism; islam; judaism; sikhism; taoism; world religions; history

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / general

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / general

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Amazon.com: The Kids Book of World Religions (9781554539819): Glossop, Jennifer, Mantha, John: Books

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What I Believe: A Young Person's Guide to the Religions of the World

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What I Believe: A Young Person's Guide to the Religions of the World

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What I Believe is a book for grades 3-6. It has chapters on Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Shinto and also an all inclusive chapter. Each chapter explains the diversity between the different religions, the foundations, customs and more.

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children's 9-12 - religion - world religions

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / general

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juvenile nonfiction / religion / general

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children's 9-12 - religion - world religions

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What I Believe [Brown, Alan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. What I Believe

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God in the Classroom: Religion and America's Public Schools

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God in the Classroom: Religion and America's Public Schools

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R. Murray Thomas discusses the issues and controversies that have come up in the context of religion being discussed in public classrooms. This book provides a view point for teachers to consider the influence these discussions could have. Applicable for teacher implementation in any grade.

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god in the classroom: religion and america's public schools

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God in the Classroom: Religion and America's Public Schools

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God in the Classroom: Religion and America's Public Schools [Thomas, R. Murray] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. God in the Classroom: Religion and America's Public Schools

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Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance

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Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance

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After seeing that her religious sanctuaries have been defaced, Linda K. Wertheimer points to ignorance in the youth with regards to religion. She discusses how religion can be taught in a way that promotes tolerance. Applicable to teachers of any grade.

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Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance

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Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance [Wertheimer, Linda K.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance

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This PBS resource gives users a visual of the world's religious beliefs. Along with an interactive map, percentages for several religions are given for each country, showing the religious diversity of the world.

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Explore religious beliefs around the world through an interactive map that displays the religions that are the most prevalent in each country around the world. You may click on one of eight religious groupings listed in the menu to examine its relative prevalence in each country.

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This TedEd resource simply describes the beliefs of several common religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Judaism.

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HINDUISM Children in India are often given comic books describing the lives of the saints and gods. Take a look at one of these and think about the obstacle faced by the protagonist and what spiritual resources were required to overcome it.
Much of the beauty of the Qur'an comes in its poetry. To appreciate Arabic poetry is difficult for the non-speaker. Investigate the meanings of the following expressions and tell what each one means, literally and symbolically:
"Seal of the Prophets"
"Sun" Letters and "Moon" Letters
Men are known as Abu (Father of) and women as Umm (Mother of)
Arabic words are all based on three (sometimes four) letter roots, so S-L-M is the root of Muslim, Salaam, Islam, and other words
What are the Greater Jihad and the Lesser Jihad and why might most non-Muslims be surprised to learn which is which?
CHRISTIANITY See if you can identify the symbols used in a stained glass window like the one shown here. Each symbol designates a person or religious idea in Christianity, and these symbols were long used to educate people who could not read. For example, the lion refers to St. Mark, the key refers to St. Peter, and a blue veil to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Find out what the eight spokes are in the Buddhist wheel symbol. Each stands for part of the eightfold path. Make a model or drawing of the wheel, and explain to the class in simple terms what kind of thing a person learns in practicing each of the eight things. Go on to imagine what the space in the center of the wheel symbolizes, and what the circle around the wheel symbolizes.
JUDAISM It has been said that Judaism is a civilization of people who seek to make everything in life sacred. "Sacred" does not JUST mean "holy" or "religious." It means "set apart," or "especially revered." Find some sacred objects in your school or classroom, and take pictures of them. Report back to the class about why the objects are "sacred." For example, the teacher's grade-book is very significant and symbolizes the judging power of a teacher to give good grades. The clock may be sacred, because everyone obeys it without question. A certain precious picture or work of art may be set apart in memory of someone who has died.
Religion is an integral part of our culture. But where did it come from, and what is its nature? History, anthropology, archaeology and a few other interesting branches of science have gathered enough evidence to help us gain an understanding into the evolution of this "phenomenon."
When Lesley Hazleton was writing a biography of Muhammad, she was struck by something: The night he received the revelation of the Koran, according to early accounts, his first reaction was doubt, awe, even fear. And yet this experience became the bedrock of his belief. Hazleton calls for a new appreciation of doubt and questioning as the foundation of faith - and an end to fundamentalism of all kinds.
Speaking at the most recent EG conference, author, philosopher, prankster and journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about the year he spent living biblically - following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.

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The five major world religions - John Bellaimey

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It's perfectly human to grapple with questions, like 'Where do we come from?' and 'How do I live a life of meaning?' These existential questions are central to the five major world religions -- and that's not all that connects these faiths. John Bellaimey explains the intertwined histories and cultures of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.

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This series of podcasts, put on by Eastern Michigan University, is compiled of 4-6 episodes devoted to a popular world religion. Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are covered.

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History 100 World Religions (aka Comparative Study of Religion). A survey of the five religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

History 100 World Religions (aka Comparative Study of Religion). A survey of the five religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Great info

This is full of information for anyone interested in a comparative
analysis of world religions

to the EMU Professor reading this out loud: you are awesome!

I live in Arkansas and am not taking your class but I have always recommended my teachers to make a podcast lecture on the text for class. Nobody ever took it seriously, but for me it's SO helpful. I would read my books, record myself reading them, then go back over, listen to the recording and read along. It is essential for me and the way my brain is wired but nobody ever understood. Although I don't have your text books or texts, it still helps a crazy amount. I am listening to your podcast because I have a genuine interest in religion studies. I just wanted to let you know that you are awesome for taking your students' learning into consideration. I wish I had more professors like you!

Thank you, Sir!

This is a great listen

Perfect course for a birds eye view... to the nay sayers in the reviews: each professor has his own style and expertise and they will always try their best to be objective but who among us truly is.... Overall this is a great and basic intro to WR. This isn't some in depth course. It's a freshmen intro. Take it for what it is.

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‎World Religions (History 100) - Audio on Apple Podcasts

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History 100 World Religions (aka Comparative Study of Religion). A survey of the five religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. History 100 World Religions (aka Comparative Study of Religion). A survey of the five religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

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Taking a Closer Look at Religions Around the World

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Taking a Closer Look at Religions Around the World

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This lesson plan is listed for 6-12 grades, although the complex nature of it would be better fit for the upper grades, 11 or 12. The lesson helps students to understand what religion is and the importance of it, while also defining common terms.

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Vocabulary

mufti [muhf-tee] (noun) a Muslim legal expert who is empowered to give rulings on religious matters

signatory [sig-nuh-tohr-ee] (noun) a party that has signed an agreement, esp. a country that has signed a treaty

solidarity [sol-i-dar-i-tee] (noun) unity or agreement of feeling or action, esp. among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group

tenet [ten-it] (noun) a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy

unprecedented [uhn-pres-i-den-tid] (adjective) never done or known before

Suggested Procedure

1. Ask students to complete a 10-minute quick-write to address the question, "What is religion?" After writing, invite them to share responses with a small group or partner.

2. Then ask, "How were your answers similar? Different?" Next, based on those discussions, ask each student to identify something he or she considers a religion as well as something that someone else considers a religion but that he or she doesn't. Tell students to compile a list of criteria for what their group believes constitutes a religion. Then instruct them to collaborate on a paper or presentation related to that essential question: "What is religion?"

3. As a follow-up task, explore with students the difficulty of talking about differences. Ask the class, "Is a letter an effective method for bridging differences and recognizing similarities? Why or why not?"

4. Break the class into teams of six, with half of each team being supporters and the other half being non-supporters of the effectiveness of written dialogue. Have groups discuss share what they know of their position and develop a strategy for the debate. Allow time to research and prepare for the debate-but, instead of debating their researched point, have everyone switch sides and become supporters of the opposing perspective/position. After their group shares what they already know of the other side's perspective/position, ask students to come together as a group of six again in order to reach an agreement, a compromise. Then have students write a brief summary of their experience in the process of seeing both sides and the outcome.

5. As a class, read " A Muslim Letter to Christians " by Emily Flynn Vencat, making note of any unfamiliar details or facts and any difficult vocabulary terms they encounter. Invite the class to write down reactions, feelings, or thoughts about Vencat's argument. In addition, display a wall map and have students note the location of each place mentioned in the article. In pairs, have students work together to reach an understanding of difficult terms and/or unfamiliar details/places and then discuss their reactions. Next, pairs pair and share what they have learned.

6. Hold an all-class discussion and raise these questions: "What else could be done to reduce animosity between religions? What historical precedents exist to show that people with diverse beliefs have come to an understanding and practiced tolerance?" Have students write their own letter to a religious leader that they consider in a position to promote tolerance or peace between disparate groups or factions. Point out Emily Flynn Vencat's use of metaphors (e.g., weeks/fruits). Ask students to experiment with using metaphors in their letter. Ask: "In your opinion, what are the most important points to include?"

7. In conclusion,, challenge students to describe what intrigued or interested them most about this topic. Ask: "How are you and your local community connected to other people and religions and faith traditions in the world? What can you do to make the world a better place for people of all religious and non-religious belief systems?" Finally, ask students to identify any unanswered questions they may have, as the starting point to delve deeper into this topic.

Extension Activity

1. Have the class visit the British Library Web site for an activity that presents stories from six world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Divide students into six groups, with each group exploring one of the six sacred texts. After investigating the sacred text and stories, have each group share their understandings with the class, create a summary noting leading characters as well as moral and historical references. In addition, each group might want to identify quotations from the sacred texts to share with the class. Note: As a modification to this activity, have students explore some religious traditions not listed here (e.g., Daoism, Shinto, unaffiliated Pagans, Sufism, Wicca, etc.).

2. Invite guest speakers who can present information about their own religion or faith tradition. The Islamic Networks Group  is a good starting place to help you locate guest speakers across the United States. Before the guest speaker comes to visit your class, have a pre-discussion on the topic and begin to think of possible questions you may wish to ask. Keep in mind that the guest speaker's perspective is only one of many. Remember to write a thank-you letter to your guest speaker after the session.

3. Another intriguing offering on the British Library's website features a variety of clergy, academics, believers and doubters discussing the three Abrahamic sacred texts: Jewish Bible, Christian Bible and the Qur'an. (Visitors to the site can choose which book to hear about). If your class is inspired by this treatment, develop your own panel discussion in class with groups representing the believers of each text (or texts from other religions). To ensure productive discussions, first have your students create a code of cooperation together-which should include respect, non-judgment and compassion.

Common Core State Standards: R.1, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.1, W.2, W.4, W.7, W.8, W.9, SL.1, SL.2, SL.4, L.4, L.5, L.6

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Taking a Closer Look at Religions Around the World

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This lesson offers a starting point for exploring religions and faith traditions, creating an ongoing respectful dialogue about religious tolerance. By helping students understand the roots of varying faiths, we help them to better comprehend the reasons behind divergent national and international religious beliefs.

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12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity's Most Influential Faiths

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12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity's Most Influential Faiths

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12 Major World Religions looks at some of the most prominent religions in the world and analyzes how they are similar and how they differ from each other. This book is written for 9-10th grade.

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and traditions of humanity's most influential faiths

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world religions; religion; religions of the world; comparative religion; huston smith

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12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity's Most Influential Faiths

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12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity's Most Influential Faiths [Boyett, Jason] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 12 Major World Religions: The Beliefs, Rituals, and Traditions of Humanity's Most Influential Faiths

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Religious Education in the Secondary School: An introduction to teaching, learning and the World Religions

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Religious Education in the Secondary School: An introduction to teaching, learning and the World Religions

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This book is good for new teachers diving into effective teaching of religion. It shows the impact of religion, how to engage students, and how to effectively teach students to understand and respect religion. This article is for secondary school educators.

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Book Description

Religious Education in the Secondary School is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to the effective teaching of Religious Education in the secondary classroom. Acknowledging the highly valuable yet often misunderstood contribution of RE, this text shows how the subject can be taught in a way that explores the impact of religion on the lives of people and society, engaging pupils and preparing them to become individuals who celebrate and respect diversity.

It is illustrated throughout with ideas for teaching at different key stages and offers expert chapters introducing you to both the World Religions and the core aspects of effective teaching and learning. With an emphasis on developing an understanding of the importance - and different ways - of meeting the learning needs of all pupils, key chapters cover:

-Understanding different pedagogies of RE

-Spirituality and RE

-Tips on effective planning and assessment

-An approach to teaching across the Key Stages

-Core subject knowledge in Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism

Written by an experienced teacher, teacher educator and examiner, Religious Education in the Secondary School is a succinct compendium and has a real classroom applicability offering all trainee RE teachers, as well as those teaching Religious Education as specialists or non-specialists a wealth of support and inspiration.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction to RE 1. What is RE? 2. Pedagogies of RE 3. Spirituality and RE Part 2: Planning in RE 4. Assessment and RE 5. Planning and RE 6. RE and Inclusion Part 3 Teaching and Learning in RE 7. Effective Teaching and Learning in RE 8. Teaching World Religions 9. Teaching Buddhism 10. Teaching Christianity 11. Teaching Hinduism 12. Teaching Islam 13. Teaching Judaism 14. Teaching Sikhism

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Religious Education in the Secondary School: An introduction to teaching, learning and the World Religions

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Religious Education in the Secondary School is a comprehensive, straightforward introduction to the effective teaching of Religious Education in the secondary classroom.

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This Book is by Arizona native Byrd Baylor who is known to connect writings and artwork in her books with a strong Native American style. Obviously, the book is a children's picture book but the parallels you can infer from the analogy of a rock connected to religion can help older audiences grasp the simplicity and the individualistic choice of a religion personal to you. The analogy would probably be most effective for grades 6 and up.

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everybody needs a rock (for the junior rockhound)

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juvenile nonfiction/science & nature - earth sciences - rocks & minerals

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science & nature - earth sciences - rocks & minerals

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rock pet; classic picture book; classic; childhood classic; childhood favorite; rules; finding a rock; nature; stones; earth; geology; rock friend; imagination

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juvenile nonfiction/science & nature - earth sciences - rocks & minerals

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science & nature - earth sciences - rocks & minerals

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Everybody Needs a Rock (For the Junior Rockhound)

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Everybody Needs a Rock (For the Junior Rockhound) [Byrd Baylor, Peter Parnall] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Everybody Needs a Rock (For the Junior Rockhound)

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Learn About Religions - Preschool Learning for Kids

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Learn About Religions - Preschool Learning for Kids

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This is a short video on four of the  most prominent religions in the world. It explains how each religion started and a short description of the beliefs. This video is good for Preschool and kindergarten.

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Learn About Religions - Preschool Learning For Kids - English Educational Video

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This guide was designed for teachers of 11th and 12th grade. It was originally made for home school but can be used for any type of schooling. There are three volumes. They each include a planner, weekly lesson schedule, worksheets, and quizzes all on the different religions and beliefs.

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Turn Master Books' World Religions and Cults series into a homeschool apologetics curriculum with this convenient teacher's guide. Covering 36 weeks of instruction for World Religions and Cultures, Volume 1, Volume 2, & Volume 3 (all books sold-separately), this planner provides parents with a weekly lesson schedule, student worksheets, quizzes and tests, and an answer key. Pages are grouped by type, rather than by lesson, so parents can easily remove sections as needed.

Worksheets ask students to fill in information from the text about different groups' beliefs on God, Man, Sin, Salvation, and other topics and then write an essay. Quizzes include matching questions and an essay

This course covers 1 year of apologetics at the recommended schedule of 45-60 minutes per lesson, 5 days per week. 36 lessons. Reproducible for homeschool families and small classrooms with under 10 students. Line-listed answer keys. Grades 11-12. 151 three-hole-punched perforated pages, softcover.

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Turn Master Books' World Religions and Cults series into a homeschool apologetics curriculum with this convenient teacher's guide. Covering 36 weeks of instruction for World Religions and Cultures, Volume 1, Volume 2, & Volume 3 (all books sold-separately), this planner provides parents with a weekly lesson schedule, student worksheets, quizzes and tests, and an answer key.

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Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition

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Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition

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This book displays the similarities and differences between five religions. It dives deep into culture, spiritual aspects, and the geography of these religions. The book contains art, activities, interviews and much more to make sure the readers stay engaged. For grades 6 and up.

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Over 7 billion people live on the earth, and 84 percent of them describe themselves as being religious. Few topics incite such passion as religion. What does that mean? Why are humans invested in ideas that may never be proved? Why has religion played such an important role in history?

In Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition, readers seek answers to these questions by comparing and contrasting the cultural, spiritual, and geographical underpinnings of five different religions. By developing a better understanding of the similarities and differences among religions of the world, readers gain a strong foothold in a dialogue th at has continued for thousands of years.

Combining hands-on activities with theology, history, geography, world cultures, art, and architecture, Comparative Religion encourages deeper understanding of the world's religions. Entertaining graphic art, fascinating sidebars, and links to primary sources bring the topic to life, while key questions reaffirm foundational concepts.

Activities include conducting an interview with a rabbi, comparing the story of Abraham and Isaac in three sacred texts, studying the architecture of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, studying the Hindu practice of yoga and meditation, and examining how religious doctrines shape the behavior of believers.

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Over 7 billion people live on the earth, and 84 percent of them describe themselves as being religious. Few topics incite such passion as religion. What does that mean? Why are humans invested in ideas that may never be proved? Why has religion played such an important role in history?

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This book was written for students in first to third grade. It explains religion in a more evidence and logical way than most books on religion. It displays the differences and similarities of various religions as well as how they all originated.

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Religious Diversity in the Classroom Multi-Webinar

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Religious Diversity in the Classroom Multi-Webinar

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The link provided gives you access to articles, pdf links with activities and lessons, follow-up blogs, and five religion related webinars with topics including: Law, Respect, Elementary Educators, Middle Level Educators and High School Educators all with relation to religion.

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Learning for Justice, then Teaching Tolerance, and the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding teamed up to offer educators a free webinar series: Religious Diversity in the Classroom. The five-part series and accompanying resources (described in detail below) examine how awareness of religious diversity affects global citizenship, and how teaching about religion across grade levels and subject areas can help meet academic standards.

Webinar 1: What's Law Got To Do With It?

There's a lot of misinformation about what teachers are allowed to do when it comes to discussing religion in public school. But the truth is it's both legal and important to teach about religion and the diversity of religious and nonreligious worldviews. What's Law Got To Do With It? helps educators build a deeper understanding of the legal parameters relevant to including religion in the classroom.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blogs: A four-part series that responds to participants' questions and comments.

Webinar 2: Fostering a Culture of Respect

How do you help students of all religions-or no religion-feel safe, supported and accepted? By creating a classroom culture in which religious diversity is respected. That may sound complicated, but Fostering a Culture of Respect offers suggestions on how to do just that.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blogs: A three-part series that responds to participants' questions and comments.

Webinar 3: Applications for Elementary Educators

Are you looking for practical suggestions on how to explore religious diversity with elementary students? Applications for Elementary Educators offers recommendations on how to teach about religion and religious differences through critical literacy strategies and developmentally appropriate lesson plans and classroom activities-all while promoting empathy and respectful curiosity among students.

A transcription for this webinar can be found here.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blog: Agree to (Respectfully) Disagree

Webinar 4: Applications for Middle Level Educators

Turn what's often called "a tough age" into an age of opportunity by actively promoting respect for differences, including religious differences. Applications for Middle Level Educators offers recommendations on how to implement lesson plans that enable students to express their own identities while learning about diverse religious and nonreligious beliefs and how to use a variety of resources to explore common themes among different religious traditions.

A transcription for this webinar can be found here.

After-session pack: A PDF with activities and lessons.

Follow-up blog: Families Have Much to Share

Webinar 5: Applications for High School Educators

This webinar, designed for high school educators of all subjects, offers practical suggestions for teaching about religious diversity in ways that reduce prejudice, promote mutual respect and help students prepare for college and career. High school students will soon enter a wider world where they will engage with individuals from vastly different religious and cultural backgrounds. Applications for High School Educators can help you get them ready!

Classroom materials available in the Resource List within the webinar.

Follow-up blogs:

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Teaching Tolerance and the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding teamed up to offer educators a free webinar series: Religious Diversity in the Classroom.

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Hats of faith was written for kids in pre-school and kindergarten. It explains the different head coverings worn by people with different religious beliefs.

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Hats Of Faith [Cohan-Petrolino, Medeia] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Hats Of Faith

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Religion in School can be Complicated. So Teachers Went to Class.

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Religion in School can be Complicated. So Teachers Went to Class.

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This article is about a training course taken by a group of teachers. In this course, they learn about how to respectfully and correctly educate their students on religion. This article explains the hows and the whys to the course. This article is for secondary and elementary educators.

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Christopher Murray, left, watches a priest at St. Matthew's Cathedral in the District speak to Montgomery County teachers about Catholicism. (Jonathan Ramirez)

School was out - and now it was time for the teachers to be quizzed.

More than two dozen Montgomery County public educators furrowed their brows as the questions flashed on the screen. "Which is not one of the Ten Commandments?" More than half of them got it wrong. Then: "What was the religion of Maimonides?" Ten guessed that the sage was Buddhist; seven guessed he was Mormon. Six got the correct answer: Jewish.

"When does the Jewish Sabbath begin?" popped up. Again, wrong answers - many of the teachers guessed Saturday. (It's Friday night.)

"See?" one teacher muttered. "This is why I'm taking this class."

Tennessee banned Internet ministers from performing weddings. So this online church sent four on a mad dash across the state.

In Montgomery County, these teachers say, the religious diversity of their students often astounds them. Students ask for days off for Diwali and share stories with classmates about celebrating Eid. To educators who aren't familiar with religion, the multitude of traditions can be overwhelming.

That's where this summer course comes in. For six days, Montgomery teachers of all grade levels tour some of the Washington area's religious institutions, from a Muslim mosque to a Sikh gurdwara to a Jewish synagogue. They meet with experts who teach them about the difference between Catholic and Protestant, Sunni and Shiite, atheist and agnostic.

They also discuss the thorny question of whether public school teachers should even be talking about religion at all.

The conversations among participants in the course, offered for county school employees who need continuing education credits, are a far cry from the discussions about religion in public schools unfolding elsewhere in the country. In many places, the idea most in vogue right now is teaching the Bible, not the wide variety of religions studied in Montgomery's course.

Thanks to a coordinated effort by evangelical activists, 10 state legislatures considered laws this past year encouraging public schools to teach the Christian Bible as an important work of literature and influence on history. These Bible classes, which have withstood court scrutiny in the past, are popular offerings at high schools in many states, despite critics who say teachers might far too easily violate the First Amendment by promoting a religious message as a devotional truth.

A conservative Christian group is pushing Bible classes in public schools -- and it's working

Many schools that teach the Bible are located in some of the most heavily Christian areas of the country. While Montgomery County schools don't ask about families' religions, they have boasted that students come from more than 157 countries and speak 150 languages at home. About 72 percent are students of color.

In the summer course, which concluded this week, three of the educators raised their hands to say they had taught students who wear topknots traditional to Sikh boys; others said they had supported students who were fasting during Ramadan. Stacey Wahrman, an English teacher, said John F. Kennedy High School in Wheaton has become far more diverse than it was when she started teaching there 20 years ago.

Wahrman said she needed the primer on religious basics to help walk her students through some of the texts they read in English class, which make more sense to kids who learn how to decipher the religious references. The secret marriage vows that lead to the fatal events of "Romeo and Juliet," for example? "It's something they have a hard time wrapping their heads around, that a religious ceremony is something that they take that seriously."

As a teacher, Wahrman said she needs to better understand her students' religions. "I feel less comfortable, and it's one thing I'm hoping this class will help me with, discussing evangelical Christianity," Wahrman, who is Jewish, said on the first day of the course. She recalled reading the play "A Raisin in the Sun" with students. When some students said, based on a character considering an abortion, "She's going to hell," Wahrman felt she didn't have the religious knowledge to respond confidently.

That's the type of conversation Christopher Murray, who teaches this course, wants to help teachers get through appropriately. This was the 10th time he taught a teachers' course on religion, whether as a summer intensive or a 15-week night course during the school year.

Murray is simply a religion nerd. On visiting the many houses of worship that he takes the teachers to throughout the week, he says: "It's kind of my Disney World."

Before leaving last year for the private Catholic school Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in search of smaller class sizes and other perks, Murray taught social studies at Walter Johnson High School for 13 years - including an elective course on world religions.

When Murray asks the teachers questions about how they can legally teach religion in their schools, most say the subject is murky to them. Several say they believe it's illegal to teach a class on religion, although it's not - about half of Montgomery County's high schools offer such an elective, according to Murray. When Murray says public school teachers can't lead prayers, according to the Supreme Court, several teachers are surprised. ("Oops," says one teacher, admitting she has led students who share her Muslim faith in prayer at school before.)

Teachers need this sort of training, argues Diane Moore, director of Harvard University's Religious Literacy Project, because religion inevitably comes up in their classrooms.

"There are rarely opportunities for teachers themselves to be trained in the academic study of religion, to be able to teach those hot-button, volatile issues well," Moore said. "The key, and it's not that profound, is to give teachers ... tools to teach religion in a responsible and constitutionally sound way."

Moore's program at Harvard also provides that training for teachers - although slightly differently. She said she wouldn't recommend Murray's approach of bringing teachers into houses of worship, since seeing one example of the practice of a particular faith might cloud their understanding of faith communities that are in fact highly diverse.

But for Joanna Fellows, a theater and film teacher at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, the whirlwind tour of Washington-area congregations was deeply informative. At a visit to an Episcopal church, one of the final stops of the week-long tour, she revealed she had been gleaning a lot of theology.

Her theater class is often a refuge for students struggling with their sexuality, she said. When she talks to parents, they sometimes say their religious beliefs lead them to condemn homosexuality.

Now, Fellows is rehearsing an answer steeped in what she has learned in one tour after another: "In Sikhism, they say the creator and the creation are one. In the Torah, we have this idea that God made us in His image. In Buddhism, you have a central concept that there is beauty and there is value in all life," she said.

She said she knew almost nothing about these faiths before this week. She was raised Catholic and has identified with no faith since her teens.

Murray, the leader of the course, also grew up Catholic and then became nonreligious.

He always told his students on the first day of his world religions class that throughout his survey of faith traditions, he wouldn't tell them what he himself believed in now. They could guess on the last day.

After taking the class, they hardly ever guessed correctly.

The answer? After making a careful study of the world's religions, Murray eventually converted to Judaism, his wife's faith, before their second son was born.

"It fit all my moral and progressive views," he says. "I liked the questioning."

He keeps encouraging fellow teachers to ask more questions, too.

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Religion in school can be complicated. So teachers went to class.

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School was out - and now it was time for the teachers to be quizzed. More than two dozen Montgomery County public educators furrowed their brows as the questions flashed on the screen. "Which is not one of the Ten Commandments?" More than half of them got it wrong.

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This podcast is a compilation of discussions with educators and researchers. They discuss how faith affects their teaching. In certain episodes, they explain the different religions around the world and how educators go about teaching them.

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Welcome to the Faith in Teaching podcast! In this podcast, Kuyers Institute director David I. Smith talks with researchers and educators who are working to understand how Christian faith affects teaching, learning, and the way we do education.

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Welcome to the Faith in Teaching podcast! In this podcast, Kuyers Institute director David I. Smith talks with researchers and educators who are working to understand how Christian faith affects teaching, learning, and the way we do education.

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TeAchnology Lesson Plan : Religion in Schools

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TeAchnology Lesson Plan : Religion in Schools

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This lesson plan teaches issues with religions in schools, teaching about religion, legalities and other topics on religion. The students begin by reading a prayer out loud then the teacher will watch to see reactions. This starts a conversation to see what students believe about religion and how they feel about it in the classroom setting. The lesson is applicable to high school or university students.

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Printable Lesson Plan On Religion In Schools

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Outlines should be given at the beginning of class so students can read the prayer from it. After the students have had a chance to express their feelings on religion in the school system it is now time to start the lesson.

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Separation of Church and State by Ed Major, Kathleen Cochran

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Separation of Church and State by Ed Major, Kathleen Cochran

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Intended for middle-schoolers, grades 6-8, this lesson helps the students investigate the connection religion has to government, community, other religions, and a persons' public life. Through activities, including study, discussion and debate of diverse wants and opinions, students will comprehend the rationale behind the separation of church and state.

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The United States was founded on the principle of separation of church and state, to guarantee religious freedom and prevent any one religious group from imposing its beliefs on others. Yet the line between the religious and the secular is often blurred, and conflict often arises between those who want to see more evidence of religious faith in public life and those who want to maintain strict separation. This tension was seen recently in the plan to fund faith-based social and charitable services with federal monies.

In this lesson, students explore the complex territory where church and state intersect. They frame their own questions about the Bush administration's stance regarding faith-based initiatives and charitable choice, and they examine the recent issue of the Ten Commandments monument placed in front of an Alabama courthouse.

Resources include segments from RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY, Web sites, and interviews with guest speakers. As a culminating activity, students explore and synthesize the themes of the lesson through the process of creative controversy.
Grade Level:
Grades 6-8
Time Allotment:
This lesson [unit] can carry over anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the level of interest and commitment to the topic.
Subject Matter:
Science; social studies; English/ language arts; religion
Learning Objectives
Students will:

Identify everyday ways in which religion is infused into public life.

Examine questions regarding government funding of social service programs that are affiliated with religious institutions.

Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for the separation of church and state.

Appreciate the important role of faith-based and secular social service programs.

Comprehend the diversity of points of view on the role of religion in public life.

Use a variety of resources to research and report on an issue related to the separation of church and state

Carry out a debate around an issue related to the separation of church and state.

Standards This lesson was prepared by: Kathleen M. Cochran, Ed.M.

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Faith-Based Initiatives: Separation of Church and State - Background - Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

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Overview The United States was founded on the principle of separation of church and state, to guarantee religious freedom and prevent any one religious group from imposing its beliefs on others. Yet the line between the religious and the secular ... More →

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Intended as a 5-group activity for 6th-graders in social-studies, this lesson plan involves tracking, over time, the historical and geographical progress of various religions on a map (a 2-day activity). This will tie, in a very visual sense, real places and real people that were affected in history to religion; as opposed to looking at religion solely as a belief system.

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Summary

Students will identify major tenets and distributions of world religions.

Materials

Coloring tools Wall map of the world Computer/internet access Distribution Map of world religions Graphic Organizer of World Religions "World Distribution and Size of Major World Religions" worksheet 2 blank world outline maps per student

Background for Teachers

This lesson refers to some resources found in the book "World Religions" by Teacher Created Materials, TCM 624 (ISBN# 1-55734-624-0). When possible, internet alternatives have been provided.

Instructional Procedures

Anticipatory Set:

Begin with a KWL activity or discussion to assess students' prior knowledge of tenets and locations of major religions of the world.

Day One

Break the class into five groups. Each group will be given a religion to research using the website www.bbc.co.uk/religion/. Students will fill in a graphic organizer on maor religions, then share in a jigsaw activity.

Day Two

The individual mapping activity will be in three parts:

1. Locate place of origin and important cities or regions on a blank outline map.

2. Color the map showing Distribution of World Religions.

3. On another blank map, illustrate a predicition of distribution 100 years from now.

Complete the "World Distribution and Size of Major World Religions" worksheet.

Following the prediction map, students should write a paragraph explainging their choices. This must be done on the back.

Assessment Plan

Share both written and map predictions in jigsaw groups.

Teacher will check in whole class to ensure accuracy of grapic organizer.

Students have opportunity to share predictions with whole class.

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Students will identify major tenets and distributions of world religions. Coloring tools Wall map of the world Computer/internet access Distribution Map of world religions Graphic Organizer of World Religions "World Distribution and Size of Major World Religions" worksheet 2 blank world outline maps per student This lesson refers to some resources found in the book "World Religions" by Teacher Created Materials, TCM 624 (ISBN# 1-55734-624-0).

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The link to the website will take you to the resource page where you can browse available articles, lessons and videos and even access a kids version of the website, making study of various religions particularly simple, depending on your audience. The title alone implies agreement between the religions. It is a good source for deep study and also for wide overviews of knowledge concerning many of the world religions and what they often relate to.

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The URI Resource Library is a collection of downloadable materials and links to a variety of resources that support interfaith peacebuilding work.

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This website is a great tool for a teacher to use in lesson preparation for any grade and any lesson, related or not to religion. You can refine your search to include results relating to specific grades and/or specific keywords (like Judaism or Latter-Day-Saint). This website allows you to browse lesson plans or resource materials (and it includes reviews) for various prices, including plans/materials offered for free by some teachers.

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World's most popular online marketplace for original educational resources with more than four million resources available for use today.

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This website is a resource for students and/or teachers concerning religions and religious topics. Using the various tools linked to the web page, in correlation with your searches, you could do anything from: investigate various teaching tools, look up membership reports in an area, look up definitions for difficult religious terms or even search through data on various religions.

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Text, pictures, and graphics, show the history of American religion.

Download syntax files and recreate popular religious schemes in survey data.

Map congregations and create a religious and demographic profile for your community!

Find definitions for hundreds of religious terms.

Review rank-ordered data on religion in the U.S. and around the world.

Select a country to view its religious, demographic and social profile:

Review detailed information and family trees for more than 600 religious groups.

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The Association of Religion Data Archives | Quality Data on Religion

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The ARDA provides free access to the most authoritative religion statistics, data and church membership reports from around the world, including Christian statistics and adherents data. The ARDA offers recent U.S. and international survey findings, local, national and global profiles of religion, and detailed demographic reports and maps of religious and protestant denominations in America.

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NWACC Library World Religion Website Search

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NWACC Library World Religion Website Search

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The link will take you to a list of websites NWACC relates to the topic, "world religions". You could also use the NWACC library as a resource for things other than websites and other than the topic of religion, but the sites offered here are almost all worth their own tab on this padlet. These websites can offer you different sources, information, data, charts and images relating to religious topics. Useful for teachers and High School aged Students.

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The video in the link shows a group of young adults of various religions interacting. The video is intended for 7-12th graders and let's them connect on a more down-to-earth or human relationship between religion and real-world people as well as their interactions with each other.

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For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.