Teaching about Religions
This publication, produced by the Interfaith Alliance and Religious Freedom Project of the First Amendment Center, provides answers to frequently asked questions about religious freedom and American Muslims.
The publication seeks to answer common questions about Islam and Muslims, in order to inform Americans about the vast majority of their fellow citizens who are Muslim. In doing so, it seeks to uphold our shared commitment to religious freedom and contribute to a climate of understanding and respect among Americans of all faiths and none.
Download the pdf guide at https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/2017-06/What_is_the_Truth_About_American_Muslims.pdf
From a set of books by various authors that introduce the major world religions in a simple, well-illustrated format. What Do We Know About Christianity; What Do We Know About Judaism; What Do We Know About Islam; What Do We Know About Hinduism; What Do We Know About Buddhism; and other titles on historical periods and cultures. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, various copyrights.
The Bible and Public Schools (99-F03) This pamphlet is similar to the Teachers Guide to Religion in the Public Schools, but it addresses the issue of using the Bible as content, and by extension other religious scriptures, in public school settings. Excellent for professional development use.
Description of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and its celebration for elementary ages 6-8.
This article offers a guide to public schools in their interactions and collaboration with religious institutions and community organizations. These guidelines focus on arrangements between public schools and religious institutions because of the special constitutional implications of those relationships. This focus is not meant to suggest that schools should only seek out religious institutions or that such institutions are preferred providers of assistance to public-school children. We urge schools to seek out a wide range of community organizations, religious and non-religious, without regard to their views on religious issues.
PEW Forum on Religion & Public Life – Issues The PEW Forum has a new resource with interactive maps on global migration of religious groups–both in- and out-migration– entitled Faith on the Move at http://www.pewforum.org/Geography/Religious-Migration-exec.aspx. The PEW Forum has a report on Global Christianity with interactive maps and data, as well as information on Judaism in the US and other affiliations worldwide. The PEW Forum’s new 2010-2011 demographic report is The Future of the Global Muslim Population, including current data on a global as well as regional and country-by country basis. The executive summary, interactive maps and data tables is located at http://www.pewforum.org/The-Future-of-the-Global-Muslim-Population.aspx.
When and where did the first complete, coherent, and well organized system of medicine develop? Read this research paper to discover the fascinating accomplishment in medical care over 1000 years ago! From the National Library of Health. See also Parts I and II.
Hajar R. The Air of History Part III: The Golden Age in Arab Islamic Medicine An Introduction. Heart Views. 2013 Jan;14(1):43-6. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.107125. PMID: 23580929; PMCID: PMC3621228.
Muslim Holidays-Booklet Muslim Holidays is a booklet with readings and lesson plans from primary and elementary to middle school and high school that describe the two important Muslim holidays. celebrated around the world–Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha which accompanies the Hajj (pilgrimage) season. Illustrated. The booklet and other resources can be downloaded as pdfs free at http://cie.org
The best-known biography of Malcolm X, African American Muslim and activist during the civil rights struggle in the US. Learn about the book and the author in the PBS episode of The American Experience. Find the book at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/106490/the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x-by-malcolm-x-alex-haley/
The Center for South Asian and Middle East Studies features the elementary level book in a lesson plan on Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and its celebration, Celebrating_Ramadan.
Multiculturalism and its associated plurality of value systems is rapidly becoming the norm in modern medical practice. Given this increasing diversity, greater emphasis upon cultural and ethical competence in physician training is necessary in order to provide culturally sensitive and ethically sound care. Religious values shape ethical codes and are expressed in the cultural norms of subcommunities in a society. Thus, an understanding of religious values that may influence the clinical encounter is important. This paper provides an overview of the ethical constructs of the sacred law traditions of Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam and will outline approaches taken by each faith regarding medical ethics. It is hoped that the insights gained will aid both clinicians and ethicists to better understand these religious paradigms of medical ethics and thereby positively affect patient care through increased tolerance and understanding.
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet tells the story of a man who changed the world 1,400 years ago and now lives in the United States through the lives of the millions of Americans who regard him as God’s prophet. It travels in the footsteps of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad to the Arabian Desert and the holy city of Mecca where Muhammad’s story unfolded. But the film does not just stay in the past. Much of its story is told through the observations of contemporary American Muslims, including a fireman at the World Trade Center on September 11th, a second generation Arab-American family building a community based on Islamic principles, a Congressional Chief of Staff working for justice, and a refugee fleeing religious persecution, whose experiences in some way echo Muhammad’s life. Lesson plans can be found at two companion websites with different content: http://theIslamProject.org AND the PBS site at https://www.pbs.org/show/muhammad-legacy-prophet/.
lp_FM-D01_IslamicLaw Islamic Law lesson plan, “What is Shariah? Major Sources and Principles of Islamic Law” lesson plan. This lesson provides background reading on the nature of Islamic law, and the role of legal scholars in making judgments according to Islamic legal sources. Understanding this material will help students evaluate Muslim approaches to contemporary social and political issues in Muslim countries and communities. For use with: Video documentary FRONTLINE: MUSLIMS or as standalone lesson on the topic.
Living With our Deepest Differences – a collection of 10 lesson plans that explain the history and significance of the First Amendment religious liberty clauses and their decisive contribution to individual and communal freedom and to American democracy. Lessons are designed to deepen each student’s appreciation of the principles of religious liberty for peoples of all faiths and of none and to establish a strong civic commitment to the ground rules by which all citizens can contend robustly but civilly over religious differences in public life. Downloaded here Living-with-Our-Deepets-Differences-Religious-Liberty-in-a-Pluralistic-Society
Lesson plan and Readings on the origins of Islamic science and its transfer across the Mediterranean to Spain and into Europe is part of the complete set of lessons for comprehension and enrichment written to accompany the Unity Productions Foundation documentary film Cities of Light, in addition to interactive online features, articles, slide shows, timelines and maps is found at http://www.islamicspain.tv. The Lesson Plan Set is available for download in pdf format (individual lesson titles and the complete set on the site at http://www.islamicspain.tv/For-Teachers/LessonPlans.htm).
Well-known scholar of world religions Karen Armstrong discusses the perception that violence is associated with Islam, and discusses its historical association with other traditions. It is a lengthy article that can be used to discuss the general topic of religions and violence. The Guardian Newspaper, Sept 25, 2014