Guest Post: Scott Petri, John F. Kennedy High School (California), and Adam Moler, New Richmond Middle School (Ohio)

The Pew Research Center recently released survey results showing that atheists and agnostics tend to participate in civic life at rates matching or exceeding those of religiously affiliated people. This study is important because it counters the belief that “nones” are anti-religion and don’t believe in a higher power. In fact, most people who are unaffiliated view religion as doing some good, and they reject the idea that science can explain everything. Our society’s changing views on religion should be reflected in how we teach about religion in public schools.

I (Scott) am one of those non-affiliated people. I grew up an atheist and married a Jewish woman, but I was converted to an agnostic when my two year old daughter had surgery. The doctor told me the odds of a child not waking up from anesthesia were about same as dying on a Los Angeles freeway (1:100,000). All of a sudden, I started praying like a soldier in a foxhole!

I am not alone in being skeptical of religion. Currently, about 28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion. However, even as one of these “nones,” I take the job of introducing the monotheistic religions to my high school World History students very seriously. I want my students to create a world where all religions are respected and valued, and no one feels they are an “other.”

The same is true for my colleague (Adam) who teaches middle-schoolers in Ohio. Although we teach in different states and at different levels, we have both found success with the Cyber Sandwich EduProtocol when helping our students learn about the world’s religions.

Religious Literacy in California Public Schools

California public schools are highly committed to teaching students about the world’s religions. California’s World History standards ask tenth grade teachers to help students relate the moral and ethical principles in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, in Judaism, and in Christianity to the development of Western political thought. The substandard asks students to analyze the similarities and differences in Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman views of law, reason and faith, and duties of the individual.

Additional guidelines also help CA classroom teachers in these endeavors. For example, California also makes use of the 3Rs (Rights, Responsibilities, and Respect) approach. Based in part on work published by the First Amendment Center, the 3Rs offers practical methods for finding common ground around religion-related content in public schools. One advantage of this state-wide effort is that teachers can share real-world experiences and learn from one another.

Preparing my CA High School Students

With all these goals in mind, the students in my classroom trace the major ideas of the three monotheistic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — using the Cyber Sandwich EduProtocol and our World History textbook.

I begin by reminding students that the importance of religious pluralism was reflected in Enlightenment views on just societies. Voltaire claimed that religious diversity and freedom created more stable societies. His Letters Concerning the English Nation (which can be read here or heard here) were first published in 1733. In Letter VI, which begins on page 29, he comments on the Presbyterians:

“If one religion only were allowed in England, the Government would very possibly become arbitrary; if there were but two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all live happy and in peace.”

Adam Smith used a more secular argument in The Wealth of Nations (1776). He reasoned that the invisible hand of consumer supply and demand was better suited to making market decisions than a divinely chosen King selecting nepotistic nobles for a mercantilist monopoly. It was a clear paradigm shift in the field of economics, but this classic text also influenced more general opinions about the role of government in the public sphere and can easily be applied to issues of religion.

Cyber Sandwich Lesson Plan – High School

The Cyber Sandwich EduProtocol offers a great way for students to dive into controversial readings and report just the important facts. Because this approach limits hyperbole and reduces bias, it works really well for the topic of religion!

For this particular lesson, students work in groups of three. Each student has 15 minutes to read and take notes on one monotheistic religion. When time is up, each student has two minutes to share what they recorded as the major beliefs of that religion. As they listen to each other speak, they paraphrase what each person says in a Venn diagram. Lastly, they spend 15 minutes writing a paragraph summarizing the key beliefs of each religion.

Selected students share what was new information before leaving class. This helps me present key tenets of three major religions without being accused of attempting to influence, cajole, or convert anyone to my nefarious none-of-the-above ways. For an entire sample slide presentation from one of my classes, click here.

Although I am thrilled with how well this technique works in my classroom, I am always interested in learning how other states approach the teaching of different religions. It seems as if cries of indoctrination come mostly from people who think their voices should be louder or other religions should be silenced. Is teaching about religions markedly different across our fifty states? Should it be? My writing partner, Adam Moler, will explain how he teaches religion to his eighth-grade students at New Richmond Middle School in Ohio

The View from Ohio

Ohio state learning standards ask students to examine the origins, diffusion, and core tenets of major world faiths like Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Sixth-grade students in Ohio complete an in-depth study of the five major world religions and their impact on the Eastern Hemisphere. During the seventh-grade year, students learn more about the history and the influence of Christianity and Islam on the Eastern Hemisphere. When they arrive to my 8th grade classroom, one of my primary goals is to help them understand the basic beliefs of these religions.

Cyber Sandwich Lesson Plan – 8th Grade

Similar to Scott, rather than lecture on spiritual doctrine, I use the Cyber Sandwich technique. Small teams dive into approved texts to gather key facts about an assigned religion and then report their findings to their classmates. It’s a student-driven, digital think-pair-share.

First, I organize students into small groups. Each group concentrates one religion — its geographic origins, founder, and basic teachings — and they have focused time to read and take notes. When time elapses, teams spend several minutes discussing and comparing findings, analyzing similarities and differences among the belief systems. Students capture the main points in diagrams, prompting critical thinking. Finally, groups summarize their religion’s central tenets, founder, and place of origin in a paragraph. Selected students share their learnings with the class, crystallizing knowledge while exposing all to multiple faith perspectives.

The protocol seamlessly integrates effective learning strategies like cooperative work, note-taking, summarizing, and comparing. As students read, discuss, diagram, write, and articulate revelations, they profoundly improve religious literacy. The activity also keeps me impartial, enabling student-powered inquiry.

Students uncover doctrines without top-down judgment and witness the impact of diffusion. Moreover, their analyses routinely reveal connections among faiths that trace their lineages back to early Eastern Hemisphere civilizations in India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. Taken together, I am able to meet several learning standards and goals through an engaging process that also fosters understanding.

Conclusion

The Cyber Sandwich EduProtocol offers a compelling way to build factual knowledge of major world religions. By collaborating in research, comparing notes, and teaching peers, students organically improve religious literacy. It also meets these learning goals without preaching or persuasion. Learners objectively examine faith foundations, gaining empathy and insight into belief systems shaping global cultures.

This approach also promotes the Enlightenment ideal of religious tolerance as a societal good. Like Voltaire, we find value in varied views and critical analysis rather than indoctrination. We also find that the Cyber Sandwich approach is a powerful, student-driven technique that helps us accomplish our goals.

About the Authors

Scott Petri has taught social studies at the middle and high school level since 2003. He is a co-author of The EduProtocols Field Guide: Social Studies Edition. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and a Masters in Educational Administration from California State University Northridge, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of San Diego. Dr. Petri is a former board member of the California Council for the Social Studies and a past President of the Southern California Social Studies Association. He is a 2023-24 PBS Invention Ed Fellow and was named Outstanding High School Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 2021.

Adam Moler is a dedicated and innovative middle school social studies teacher with multiple years of experience creating engaging, technology-infused lessons. He is passionate about student-centered learning through choice, gamification, and interactive activities. A recognized district and state leader in social studies instruction, Adam was named Ohio District 5 Teacher of the Year and OCSS Middle School Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 2022 and is also the co-author of The EduProtocols Field Guide: Social Studies Edition.