Download Teaching About World Religions SHunt

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Teaching about World Religions using the AAR Pedagogical Competencies
“Scavenger Hunt”
The objective of this modified “Scavenger Hunt” is to familiarize you with the World Religions identified in the ONLS (specifically focusing on 6th
grade social studies content), understand the key issues and challenges faced with teaching about this content in public schools, and identifying
appropriate resources, best practices and skills to effectively teach about World religions. We will use the Pedagogical Competencies outlined in
the AAR document. Complete the Scavenger Hunt first (simply type responses in the boxes, or use other preferred format but you must address
all components) and then you will participate in a Group Discussion (GD).
Pedagogical
Competencies
Explore/Research/Reflect
Application
Station 1 (20
points)
Identify the ONLS. Then develop an annotated bibliography: Identify 3
Resources for each of the world religions (incl. young adolescent literature):
Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism
Write a short description highlighting key
points of each religion


Identify the
ONLS that
focus on
World
Religions
Be able to
find and
recognize
appropriate
resources
about
religion
when
needed, on
the Internet
or in more
traditional
Buddhism
Theme: Regions and People of the Eastern Hemisphere
Strand: History
CS 2. Early Civilizations (India, Egypt, China and Mesopotamia) with unique governments,
economic systems, social structures, religions, technologies and agricultural practices and
products flourished as a result of favorable geographic characteristics. The cultural practices
and products of these early civilizations can be used to help understand the Eastern
Hemisphere today.
Strand: Geography
CS 5. Regions can be determined, classified and compared using various criteria (e.g.,
landform, climate, population, cultural, or economic).
CS 7. Political, environmental, social and economic factors cause people, products and ideas
Buddhists believe that the way to break the
cycle of samsara, or the repeated birth and
rebirth cycle of existence, is to obtain nirvana.
Nirvana is a state of enlightenment that is free
from suffering. The force that works to keep
people in this cycle of samsara is karma. Karma
is the belief that all actions, good or bad, have
consequences either in this lifetime or the next.
However, one can be freed from karma by
following the Noble Eightfold Path that leads to
enlightenment. If a person becomes enlightened,
then they become a Buddha. The original
founder of the religion was Prince Siddhartha
Gautama who is also referred to as the
“Awakened One.” He believed that life was
ruled by Four Noble Truths that are: life is filled
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media.
to move from place to place in the Eastern Hemisphere in the past and today.
CS 8. Modern cultural practices and products show the influence of tradition and diffusion,
including the impact of major world religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and
Judaism).
with suffering, suffering is caused by people’s
wants, suffering can end if you stop wanting
things, and to stop wanting things, people must
follow the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path
are eight basic rules for people to follow to end
their suffering.
Resources:
Buddhism
Van der Waag, R. (2011, August 11). Buddhist's Beliefs Teacher's Guide. Retrieved
July 18, 2016, from
https://d3jc3ahdjad7x7.cloudfront.net/nUlpcpGeLeKKtrPDlhk6fVBd8CBxZn28Gd
vsaAfZiO5OZMl2.pdf
This resource is a teacher’s guide that gives teacher’s information about Buddhism,
and lesson ideas with vocabulary, a description of the 4 Noble Truths, and the Eight
Fold Path. It also provides graphic organizers for teachers to use with students.
H. (2013). The Three Questions. Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pOIYGjjvRc
This YouTube website is a video if a person reading the book, The Three Questions
by J.J. Muth. The book is an example of Buddhist beliefs and is an adaptation for a
larger book written by L. Tolstoy. Muth, J. J., & Tolstoy, L. (2002). The three
questions. New York: Scholastic Press
Buddha & Buddhism for Kids - Who was the Buddha? - Ancient Civilizations for
Kids and Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://ancienthistory.mrdonn.org/Buddhism.html
This resource would be a good informational page to print off for student to use in
class. It briefly explains who Buddha was and describes the 4 Noble Truths, and the
Eight Fold Path.
Hinduism
The Hindu religion does not have a founder, any
prophets, or any one single teacher like many of
the other religions. It is believed to be formed
from a combination of many different religions
in India. There is a religious text that is a set of
hymns and texts that define the Hindu
philosophies. They believe in a Supreme God
called Brahman that is worshipped as both male
and female, is all-powerful, all-knowing, allloving, and present in all living things. They
believe in reincarnation where God created
everything and everything is absorbed back into
Him to create a cycle without end. They may
also worship lesser Gods and Goddesses called
devas which they consider to be parts of the
Supreme God not individual beings. They have
ritual ceremonies in temples and shrines called
Puja to invoke the Divine beings. The Hindu
also believe in karma which is a law of cause
and effect and a concept of Dharma. Dharma is
the proper way to live one’s life to be religious,
truthful, kind, honest and generous. They also
believe in non-violence called ahimsa.
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Hinduism
Islam
The History of Hindu India Book, Video and Teaching Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved
July 18, 2016, from http://www.himalayanacademy.com/readlearn/hindu-history
Islam began in Saudi Arabia and has followers
all over the world. It is mainly followed in the
Middle East, Asia, and North Africa. The
followers of Islam are called Muslims and they
believe that there is only one God, called Allah.
Islam was revealed to humanity by the Last
Prophet of Allah named Muhammad. They
study a religious text called the Qur’an that is
said to be the exact words of Allah spoken to
Muhammad that he wrote down. The Muslim
place of worship is called a Mosque. When
people enter the Mosque they are supposed to
remove their shoes, wash their hands, mouth,
throat, nose, ears, arms up to the elbow and feet.
There are five duties that Muslims are required
to perform called the Five Pillars of Islam. They
are: Shahadah a declaration of faith, Salah
required prayer, Zakat to give a fixed proportion
of wealth to charity, Saum fasting during the
month of Ramadan, and make a Hajj pilgrimage
to Mecca. Muslims are required to pray five
times a day and face in the direction of Mecca
when they pray. They have several religious
holidays, the most important is Ramadan.
Ramadan lasts for one lunar month each year,
and during this time Muslims fast and reflect on
their behavior and strive to purify their
thoughts.
This website has a video and a printable book explaining Hinduism. It discusses the
origins of Hinduism, a historical timeline, explains beliefs and scriptures, the Hindu
migration, and cultural practices. There is also an assessment at the end.
The Story of India. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.pbs.org/thestoryofindia/teachers/lessons/1/
This is a website titled: Lesson 1: Tracking Early Hinduism, that gives the teacher
information about Hinduism, but also gives a lesson plan for an activity called a
scrapbook for a virtual tour. This site offers links to videos, images, and information
about the Hindu Gods.
Common Core Social Studies Companion. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.socialstudiescms.com/#!ancient-india/c1y95
This website is a good resource for videos on India history, links to information,
activities, and virtual field trips.
Islam
Access Islam. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/accessislam/lesson.html
This website is a collection of 10 lesson plans for teaching about the Islamic
religion. It talks about ho religion is protected by the first amendment, Islamic
prayer practices, the Five Pillars of Islam, Meditation, Ramadan, Qur’an, the Hajj
Journey to Mecca, and cultural aspects of the Muslims.
The Five Pillars of Islam. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/islam08.socst.world.glob.lppillars/the-
Christianity
Jesus Christ was the founder of Christianity and
was a human and a Jew, and he was believed to
be the only son of the one true God. He was
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five-pillars-of-islam/
This website has a three 45 minute lessons including a series of 5 short videos about
the Islam religion, student response sheets, links it informational sites, and a final
poster project.
Winters, C. (2001, September 28). Making Sense of Islam. Retrieved July 18, 2016,
from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tsl/archives/01-1/lesson0027.shtml
This site has a lesson plan titled, Making Sense of Islam, with links to informational
sites that the teacher and students can use to do research about Islam. The lesson has
students in a small group do research to make a presentation for the class.
Christianity
Teachers’ Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/teach/
This website goes along with the PBS movie, From Jesus to Christ. It has a
program summary, maps, timelines activities, and informational links. It may need
to be modified to be a sixth grade level though.
Lesson Plan Library. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/jesus-and-the-riseof-christianity.cfm
This website has links to 5 informational sites about Christianity for students to
make a group presentation. It also includes vocabulary and definitions related to this
topic.
Birth of Christianity. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://nsms6thgradesocialstudies.weebly.com/birth-of-christianity.html
This website has lessons, picture, maps, informational text and an interactive map
that explains the Birth of Christianity. It explains the teachings of Christ and has an
crucified by the Romans for his teachings and
afterwards he was resurrected from the dead
three days later by God and appeared to his
disciples. Christians believe that God made the
world and everything in it and that he sent his
only son to earth to save humanity from the
consequences of its sins. Christians follow the
teachings of Christ written down by his
disciples in a book called the Bible, and worship
in buildings called churches. The Bible has two
parts, the Old Testament and the New
Testament and parts of the Old Testament are
also sacred to Jewish and Muslim people.
Christians follow the Ten Commandments as a
guide to gain entrance into heaven and if you
don’t then you go to hell. Christians also believe
in the Holy Trinity which refers the three forms
of God: God the Father, God the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
Judaism
Judaism began in Israel around 1800 B.C. and is
considered to be the oldest monotheistic
religion. They also believe in a one true God
that created the earth and everything in it. The
religion was founded by Abraham who was
given a covenant from God. Followers are
known as Jewish, or Jews and follow the
teachings of a text known as the Torah. The
Torah was believed to be given to the Jewish
people by the prophet Moses whom also freed
the Jews from slavery and protected them from
the wrath of God. The Torah contains the first
five books of the Hebrew Bible from the Old
Testament and other Jewish scriptures. The
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example of a primary source from a French Manuscript in the 1200’s. It also tells
Two Parables of Jesus.
Judaism
World Religions Lesson: Judaism. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/world-religionsmulticultural/judaism.shtml
This website is a good informational resource for teachers. It explains Rosh
Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and synagogues.
Classroom Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2016, from
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/story-jews/classroom/lesson-plans/
This website goes along with the PBS movie, The Story of the Jews with Simon
Schama. It has video clips from the movie to use with handouts, and activities. It
covers the rise of monotheism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Dividing of Israel and
Palestine.
Jewish worship in buildings called Synagogues
and men and women have separate seating areas
and men are required to cover their heads and
wear a small hat called a kippah. Sunday is
called the Sabbath and considered a holy day of
worship and Jews are supposed to refrain from
work on that day. Jewish holy leaders are called
Rabbis and the Jewish people eat a special bread
called hallah on the Sabbath. The Jewish people
are also supposed to follow a special diet called
Kosher. Kosher food means that there cannot be
any mixing of dairy and meat, no pork or pork
products and no shell fish. They celebrate
Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot,
Hanukkah, Tisha B’av, Tu B’Shevat, and Yom
Hashoah. They also have coming of age
ceremonies for both boys (bar mitzvah) and
girls (bat mitzvah).
Goren, M. (2016). Mitzvah Kids: Learning and Laughing Throughout the Jewish
Year. Jerusalem: Feldheim.
This is an interesting comic book that teaches about lessons in the Torah in a fun
way. This book could be used in class as a resource to have students work in pairs
to determine how it relates to the actual Torah scripture.
Station 2 (15
points)

Develop
skills in
Highlight at least 2 key points from the reading that addresses each of these
competencies
Leading Student Discussions:
How can incorporate this into your teaching of
world religions? Provide at least 1 example for
each competency
Leading Student Discussions:
When leading student discussions about religious topics, the AAR recommends that
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leading
students in
discussion
regarding
their
religious
beliefs and
practices,
as well as
the beliefs
and
practices of
others.


Be aware
of
examples
of best
practices
in teaching
about
religion.
Develop
the ability
to present
multiple
religious
perspective
s in a fair
or neutral
way.
teachers use a religious studies approach instead of a faith-based exploration
method. The religious studies approach is a way for teachers to introduce students
to the various types of religions in order to deepen their understanding as a way of
reducing religious illiteracy. The goal of religious literacy is for students to gain the
ability to distinguish and evaluate the various forms, parts, and aspects of different
religions in order to be able to appreciate their diversity. This can also help students
to realize that the goal is not to change their religious ideals but to make them into
informed citizens.
A second thing to consider when leading student discussions about religion is that
religious illiteracy is often fueled by misconceptions and misinformation. The role
of the teacher in a class discussion should be as an informed facilitator that can
knowledgeably, and fairly inform students about common misconceptions that they
have during the discussion, but in a way that does not accuse or shame them for
making the error. The teacher must also consider the source of this misinformation.
The students may have been brought up to believe this by their parents, church,
media, or peers.
Best Practices in Teaching About Religion:
A best practice method for teaching about religion would be to use comparative
studies as a way to show how two religions are similar and different. This could
lead students to have a deeper understanding of both religions instead of just
memorizing the facts about them. This idea could also help to reduce religious
illiteracy because it could help the students to realize that maybe the other religions
weren’t as different as they thought they were.
A second best practice method for teaching about religion would be for teacher
explain the history of teaching religion in public schools prior to starting a unit on
religion. It is always important for students to learn why they are learning about a
topic in school. If the teacher explains what religious illiteracy is, then tells her
students about how the freedom of religion is one of the freedoms guaranteed by the
First Amendment this could help students see that they have the same rights as
When leading a class discussion, I would begin
by having a graphic organizer to show or to
hand out to students to help to focus the
direction of the discussion and to keep from
getting off track. This may also help to decrease
the amount of personal beliefs or
misconceptions that students may try to add to
the discussion. If misinformation does work its
way into the discussion, I would need to stop
and address it, and explain why it is incorrect,
but then move on and not let the focus remain
on it.
Best Practices:
I think a good way to start the topic of religion
is to tell my students why we are learning about
religion in public school. I would begin by
showing them a copy of the First Amendment
and tell them what it means and how it applies
to this topic. Next I would briefly go over some
of the misconceptions about the Supreme Court
rulings. This would lead me into telling them
about the different kinds of religions that we are
going to study. Then I could have them quick
write what know about each of these religions
and collect them to read to help me gain an
understanding of some of the misconceptions
that they have before I begin.
Present Multiple Viewpoints in a Fair and
Neutral Way:
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everyone else to religious freedom. The AAR also mentions that it is important for
teachers to inform students that the Supreme Court rulings about religion in public
schools call for separation of church and state, but they also need to explain to
students what this really means. Many people believe that these ruling meant that
any teaching of religion was not allowed in public school, but it meant that religion
should be studied but not practiced.
How to Present Multiple Religious Perspectives in a Fair or Neutral Way
With the creation of the First Amendment and the many Supreme Court rulings
about the subject of religion in school, a distinction has been made that the
separation of church and state means that religion cannot be practiced as apart of
school but the study of religions is crucial to reduce religious illiteracy. To ensure
that the material presented in class is presented in a fair and neutral way, the teacher
must first ask the question: Is this approach academic and not devotional? In order
for the material to be considered academic it must follow the state learning
standards and make sure that it is considered learning about the religion and not
taking part in religious actions.
I have been a science teacher for 13 years and
science has the same challenge. I need to
present the information in a fair and neutral
way. I currently teach in a very religious
community and one of the ways that I do this
for controversial science topics is to just present
the facts and let them draw their own
conclusions. I would probably teach about
religion in the same way. I would present them
facts and provide them with unbiased reading
materials for their research. I would also not
give my personal opinions about the types of
religions.
A second way to ensure that religious perspectives are presented in a fair and
neutral way is to expose the students to different viewpoints without trying to sway
them any one religious belief. The AAR recommends that schools make students
aware of the various types of religions but not try to get them to accept a form of
religion. Schools are not to impose or promote any type of religion but to present it
in a way that it educates them about the different aspects of the religion. To do this,
teachers need to make sure that they model an impartial viewpoint while teaching
about the types of religions, even if they have religious beliefs of their own.
Station 3 (15
points)

Understand
the
difference
The AAR guidelines outlines 4 Approaches to teaching religion (see pages 10-11).
Which approach do you think you will follow? Why?
One of the approaches that I would most likely use is the historical approach. The
historical approach focused on how the religion originated, how it gained followers,
and how it spread. It also looks at other historical events and circumstances that
How will you implement your
approach/understanding of competencies into
practice? Provide at least 2-3 specific
examples.
To implement the historical approach to
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between
the secular
academic
and
devotional
approaches
to religion,
and
consistentl
y use the
secular
academic
approach.



Be able to
address in
a
constructi
ve way
religious
disagreem
ents and
conflicts
that arise in
the
classroom.
Be aware
of, and
manage
effectively,
religious
diversity
in the
classroom.
Create an
factored into its development. Religions are also a growing and changing set of
ideas. The historical approach would also explore how the religion has changed,
differences between the various branches, and similarities to other religions and the
roles that religion plays in modern cultures. I think that this would be a good way
for students in the middle grades to begin to think about the different types of
religions. It could also tie into timelines or other skills needed at this grade level.
learning about religions I would move in a
timeline pattern or even show a time line. A
good place to begin is the beginning. I would
tell them Who, What, When, Where, and Why
following the 5 W’s. I could have a graphic
organizer for them to fill in the information and
to use later to help them with other assignments.
What do you understand by the competencies in Station 3?
The difference between secular academic and devotional approaches to religion is
that the academic approach of teaching religion focuses on learning, studying, and
becoming aware of the different aspects of a religion with the purpose of becoming
an informed learner. The devotional approach to religion is faith-based with the
purpose of the learner gaining an acceptance of the religion to become a practicing
member of it. Public school social studies need to practice using the academic
approach in their classroom to create an environment of unbiased learning about the
different religions.
One of the challenges that teachers face is how to constructively address religious
disagreements and conflicts in the classroom. Even younger students may have
prior knowledge about a certain type of religion or a strong religious belief system.
The AAR recommends for teachers to have students explore their own assumptions
as a first step to help them start to work past them to not make snap judgements. It
may also help them to recognize stereotypes and misconceptions that they may
already have. It recommends that a way teachers could address this would be
through writing, brainstorming, and explain to them about biases and assumptions.
The first step in managing the religious diversity in your own classroom would be
to become aware of it. Before starting a unit on religion or even during the first
weeks of school teachers need to have a way to get to know their students’
backgrounds, beliefs, and personal issues. By getting to know your students,
especially in the elementary schools, you can learn to use this diversity as a positive
instead of having it create negative issues. Teachers also need to examine their own
I would also have group discussion activities
about the various religions and to help decrease
disagreements within the groups I would
introduce the topic and have them fill out a
KWL chart to see what they know about the
topic. I would collect them and quickly go
through them looking for misconceptions. I
would then anonymously read one then ask
students why they think it is incorrect. By the
time we begin the activity the most of the
misconceptions have been addressed and
hopefully this would decrease the
disagreements.
A way that I manage the diversity in my
classroom is to have my students fill out a “get
to know you” questionnaire on the first day of
school. I helped me to get to know my students.
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environme
nt of
respect
and
tolerance
—a safe
environme
nt in which
students
feel free to
talk about
religion.
Station 4: Final
Reflection
10 points
Total: 60 points
beliefs or biases so that they don’t sway their teaching.
The best way to create a safe classroom environment of respect and tolerance, is for
the teacher model it themselves. If a teacher shows a genuine respect and tolerance
of the students and sets high expectations that her students will do the same, then
most likely it will be projected onto the students and they will fell the same way.
The opposite is also true. If the teacher is rude, disrespectful, and uses racial or
derogatory language then the students will think that it is acceptable for them to do
it too.
Reflect on the AAR document –what impact did these guidelines have on your
professional development, pedagogy and thinking about teaching social studies?
Before reading the AAR and working on this scavenger hunt I really didn’t know anything
about some of the religions. I was concerned about teaching the topic, especially in my
school district. I teach a small rural school in a very religious community and the parents
play a very active role in their child’s education. This can be both a blessing and a curse. I
have taught science for 13 years and I already have experience with controversial topics but
religion is a big one. The guidelines helped me by giving me a way to explain to students the
value of learning about other religions and helped me to focus on the different paths that I
could take to teach my students. It also helped me to make sense out of how religion and
public schools can coexist.
How will you take all of the information you have
gained from AAR and your research and make it
comprehensible to your 6th graders? This is your
“snapshot of practice” - provide at least 1 specific
example of practice.
I really think that a choice of a final project would be
good comprehensive final project for my students.
After learning about all five of the different religions
I would have my students pick one of the religions to
do a final project on. I would give them a choice of a
poster, PowerPoint presentation, research paper,
video project, or a skit to present to the class to show
a deeper understanding of that religion. I would
provide them with directions and rubrics for each
choice, and monitor their progress and provide
feedback as they are working on the project.