Curated OER
Reason to Celebrate!
Students consider the importance of secular holidays celebrated around the world, researching holidays in various countries and creating patchwork quilts to illustrate their findings.
Curated OER
From Sacred to Secular: Exploration of Vocal Styles/Crossing between styles - Lesson 2
Learners identify some of Aretha Franklin's vocal qualities and techniques. They have a discussion of styles of music they heard on the video, including gospel, jazz, pop, rhythm and blues, and opera.
Gateways
Teaching the Easter Story
If you are looking for a secular approach to teaching about Easter, this may just be the resource for you. Pupils read a paraphrased text depicting the last supper, arrest, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ as told in the Bible,...
Curated OER
Bible Lesson
Take a creative approach to teaching about community in a religious context. Learners read Acts 2:42-47 and choose the verse they feel exemplify the importance of community. They then pair share, write journal responses, and then...
Curated OER
Your Eyes Saw My Unformed Body: closing lesson
For those who teach and believe in Intelligent Design, this lesson is perfect. Religion students read and discuss Psalm 139: 1-18, and present their cell representation in class. They then watch a speech by Louie Giglio about the protein...
Curated OER
The Miracle of the First Poinsettia
Connecting to literature and learning how to infer are two great reading strategies everyone needs to know. Here, the class will read along with the story The Miracle of the First Poinsettia, review folktales as a genre, and make...
Curated OER
Community Celebrations
Sixth graders are introduced to cultural history and diversity that is present in the community in which they live by examining secular and sacred celebrations. Students create scrapbooks to chronicle their family's celebrations.
Curated OER
Rites of Passage
Learners explore coming of age ceremonies. In this rites of passage lesson, students research spiritual, religious, and secular child and adolescent rites of passage rituals. Learners design personal rites of passage.
Curated OER
Liberty, Equality, Uniformity?
Students examine the French draft law to ban religious symbols from public schools. They research "secularist" and "pluralist" positions regarding this ban, debate the topic in class, and draft a position paper on the ban.
Curated OER
A Faith of Their Own
Students examine various topics related to womens' roles in Syria's Islamic revival. After reading and discussing an article on the subject, they participate in a fishbowl discussion and write an essay about traditions in their own lives.
Curated OER
Jerusalem
Learners review Jerusalem's long and vital history. They view the video Jerusalem: History of the Holy Land. Students are explained that to portray Jerusalem's compelling history as a site of crucial importance to Jews, Christians, and...
Curated OER
The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved!
Students explore a Biblical world view of humanistic history. They compare and contrast Biblical and evolutionary assumptions. Students discuss the difference between a Christian world view and a secular world view.
Curated OER
Traditions and Transformations
Students examine how traditions change over time. In this lesson on Jewish culture, students interview persons of the Jewish faith, write poems, and create murals that exemplify Jewish culture.
Curated OER
The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon
Twelfth graders deduce the motivation behind and meaning of certain behaviors, conversations and poetry. Students analyze culture's value system. Students compare and contrast Anglo Saxon court culture, Medieval court culture, Medieval...
Curated OER
Religion and the First Amendment
Students examine the tenets of the First Amendment and how it applies to Islam. They observe a video about Islamic prayer and focus on rights, responsibility, and respect in relation to the religion. Students discuss the difference...
Asian Art Museum
Telling Tales with Kamishibai
Kamishibai (paper drama), is a Japanese form of storytelling that uses emakimono (paper picture scrolls), to relay a moral lesson. As part of a series of resources that examine Japanese art and artists, learners watch a video...
Curated OER
Renaissance Music Questions
Add a comprehension resource to a unit on the Renaissance or music of the Renaissance period. Middle schoolers answer eight comprehension questions and complete ten additional questions in order to fill out a crossword...
Curated OER
Christmas Spirit?
Pupils examine how they greet the holiday season and participate in a class discussion to explore the ongoing debate on how best to celebrate the holidays. They read and discuss an article, and write a personal essay.
Curated OER
Mapping the Past
Students study historical maps to view how the world evolved from medieval times through the Renaissance. They work in groups to examine the maps and present a report on one of the listed maps.
Curated OER
GCSE Notes 2000: Classical Music
Classical period music is defined by its characteristics and distinctive sound. A set of notes assists upper graders in recalling and analyzing music from the classical period based on musical terminology. An example analysis of Eine...
Curated OER
Towards Separation of Church and State in Gloucester
Explore New England government in the 1700's with your class. They will identify historical documents as primary or secondary sources, then read and discuss the significance of these documents as they relate to the "freedom of religion"...
US Holocaust Museum
The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk
Have you ever listened to a song that had a deeper political meaning to it? Every examined a work of art with layers of meaning? Pupils analyze the drawings of Arthur Szyk. They research the deeper meaning of several artistic cartoons...
Curated OER
Faith-Based Initiatives: Separation of Church and State
Middle schoolers examine the role of religion in everyday life. In this religion and ethics lesson, students investigate the use of government funds to support faith-based initiatives. The lesson calls for middle schoolers to conduct...
Curated OER
Faith-Based Initiatives
Middle schoolers examine faith-based initiatives. In this religion and ethics lesson, students consider the separation of church and state in the United States as they examine government funding of social service programs that are...