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 […]
Social Studies
Smith vs. Prothero: Differing Approaches for Understanding Religions
Guest Post: Jon Resendez, Social Studies Teacher, Portola High School, Irvine, CA When I started my journey as a secondary social studies teacher, I never expected that one day I would teach religious studies. So, imagine my surprise when I took over my mentor’s Comparative Religions elective course when he retired during my first year […]
SSChat on Multiple Religious Belonging
Post: Tim Hall, Ph.D., Executive Director, Religion Matters I had a fantastic night co-hosting #SSChat on September 11th on multiple religious belonging in the K-12 classroom. I co-hosted this #SSChat session titled: “Understanding Interfaith Identity in the K-12 Classroom” with Susan Katz Miller, author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family. The online […]
Interested in Religious Literacy for Classroom Students? Chan’s Book Offers Important Insights
Guest Blog: Vicki Michela Garlock, Ph.D., Editor, Religion Matters Review of Teaching Religious Literacy to Combat Religious Bullying: Insights from North American Secondary Schools by W.Y. Alice Chan (Routledge, 2021) We’ve read about increased antisemitism in the U.S. (Shveda/CNN, 2023). We might have heard that the majority of Sikh school students are harassed and ridiculed […]
Are Belief Systems a Unifying or Dividing Force? A Lesson Reflection
Guest Blog: Gretchyn Bedard, National Board Certified Social Studies Teacher Religions and belief systems have brought people together and torn groups apart. This phenomenon is something most students can comprehend, at least as it relates to the recent past and today. However, I have discovered that many of my students are largely unaware of how [...]
