Below are some resources to help you consider diverse faiths in schools. Be sure to check back, as we’re continually adding new links.
- Council on Islamic Education: CIE’s mission is to support and strengthen American public education as the best foundation for a vibrant democracy, a healthy civil society, and a globally literate citizenry. Its Web site offers information on teaching about Islam and Muslims: lessons plans, an online forum for teachers, glossaries, etc.
- The Center on Religion & the Professions: This site’s education section provides links to various resources including case studies involving religion in schools, sample codes of ethics and lists of professional associations and faith groups.
- Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference Institute: The ADL offers resources for K-12 and college educators who want to help students recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals and society;. The resources include simulation activities, curricula, case studies and more.
- Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding: Built on the belief that teachers “cannot bafford to be afraid” of religious and diversity education, Tanenbaum offers recommended reading for teachers, lesson plans, a message board and blog.
- U.S Religious Knowledge Survey: A new survey of religious knowledge shows among the highest-scoring groups are Athesists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons, outperforming evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions.
- Religious Tolerance Site: The goal of OCRT is to inform people about religions, their beliefs, and development, in order to increase understanding and tolerance while decreasing bigotry.
- National Center for Science Education- Science and Religion: This website provides resources on different religious perspectives on scientific questions and scientific perspectives on different religious topics. Resources are also provided exploring the relationship between science, especially evolutionary sciences, and religion.
- A Teacher’s Guide to Religion in the Public Schools: Is it constitutional to teach about religion? How should I teach about religion? How much should I say? How should I treat religious holidays in the classroom? All of these questions and more are answered in this document.
- Stereotyping Hinduism in American Education: This essay explores topics such as why educational material used to teach Hinduism focuses on negative portrayals, why secondary school teachers are trained on religious pluralism portrays Rama as ‘oppressing’ women, and why India’s civilization’s contributions are minimal when covering mathematics, science, medicine, and other ‘rational’ areas.
Videos
- Debate on Role of Religion in Education: Watch this video of The Big Debate about the role of religion in schools with a studio audience consisting of teachers, parents and students and a panel of witnesses and representatives from all major religions.
- Speech about Religion, Bias and Inaccuracy in Education: This video is a speech by Mathew LaClair of The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County who shares his experiences of religion, bias and inaccuracy in education.
