Teaching About Religion and Teaching About Religion and Controversy in the ClassroomControversy in the Classroom

Teaching American History

The Education Cooperative

Agenda—Saturday, May 10Agenda—Saturday, May 10 8:30 Welcome, Food, Greetings, Intros 9:00 The Importance of Religious Literacy 10:15 Break 10:30 Establishing Learning Communities 12:00 Lunch 12:35 Source Workshop 2:00 Break 2:15 Workshop, Continued 3:15 Focus on Specific Documents 4:00 Wrapup, Materials for Next Week

Agenda—Saturday, May 17Agenda—Saturday, May 17 8:30 Welcome, Food, Review, Overview 8:45 Case Studies—Religious Controversy 10:00 Break 10:15 Continuation of Case Studies, ?Controversy 11:45 Lunch 12:30 Censorship—Banned Books 2:00 Break 2:15 Protocols for Book Selection, Avoiding

Controversy 3:15 Wrapup, Description of Projects

AssumptionsAssumptions

1) Widespread religious illiteracy that spans the globe;2) Significant consequences: especially civic ones;3) Can diminish illiteracy by teaching about religion from

cultural studies perspective in schools.

Definition of Religious LiteracyDefinition of Religious Literacy

Religious literacy entails the ability to discern and analyze the fundamental intersections of religion and social/political/cultural life through multiple lenses…

Definition continued:Definition continued:

Specifically, a religiously literate person will possess1) a basic understanding of the history, central texts (where applicable), beliefs, practices and contemporary manifestations of several of the world’s religious traditions as they arose out of and continue to be shaped by particular social, historical, and cultural contexts; and…

Definition continued:Definition continued:

2) the ability to discern and explore the religious dimensions of political, social, and cultural expressions across time and place.

Fundamental Tenets of Fundamental Tenets of Religious StudiesReligious Studies

•Distinction between devotional expression and study of religion•Religions are internally diverse.•Religions evolve and change.•Religious ideologies are embedded in all dimensions of social, political, and cultural life.

Johan Galtung: Cultural Violence Johan Galtung: Cultural Violence and Cultural Peaceand Cultural Peace

Typologies:1) Direct violence/peace2) Structural violence/peace3) Cultural violence/peace

Common examples of Illiteracy:Common examples of Illiteracy:

1) Religious traditions are represented inaccurately.2) Religious traditions represented as internally uniform

and static as opposed to diverse and evolving.3) Religious traditions represented as wholly positive or

wholly negative.4) Religion is deeply and nearly exclusively equated with

sectarianism.5) Practitioners and religious leaders assumed to be

“experts” of their traditions.6) Religion is assumed to be a private matter and not

appropriately relevant to the public sphere.

Examples of Consequences:Examples of Consequences:

1) Christian anti-Semitism2) Equation of Islam with violence and terrorism3) Antagonisms within traditions4) Blanket portrayal of religion as obsolete, irrational,

and/or oppressive

Cultural Studies MethodCultural Studies Method

1) The approach is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary2) All knowledge claims recognized as “situated”3) “Situatedness” applies to all dimensions of inquiry4) Includes an analysis of power and powerlessness.

Supreme Court GuidelinesSupreme Court Guidelines

academic, not devotional. awareness, not acceptance study about religion, not practice expose to diversity of religion, not impose

particular view educates about religions, does not

promote or denigrate any religion. Inform, not conform

BANNED!BANNED!List of banned books, with reasons for banning them:Book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young GirlReason Too depressing.Book Blubber, by Judy BlumeReason The characters curse and the mean-spirited ringleader is never punished for her cruelty.Book Bony-Legs, by Joanna ColeReason Deals with subjects such as magic and witchcraft.Book The Chocolate War, by Robert CormierReason Offensive language.Book Confessions of an Only Child, by Norma KleinReason Use of profanity by the lead character's father.Book Harriet the Spy, by Louise FitzhughReason Teaches children to lie, spy, talk back, and curse.Book Harry Potter books, by J. K. RowlingReason They promote witchcraft, set bad examples, and are too dark.Book A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich, by Alice ChildressReason Anti-American and immoral.Book The House without a Christmas Tree, by Gail RockReason Uses the word damn.

Banned Books Include….Banned Books Include….

More Banned BooksMore Banned Books

BANNED!BANNED!

Banned Authors and SubjectsBanned Authors and Subjects

Project Censored—Howard Zinn

“Islam Bias”– Textbook

MORE INFORMATIONMORE INFORMATION

Banned BooksBanned Books: Infoplease.com : Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/banned-kids-http://www.infoplease.com/spot/banned-kids-books.html#ixzz2wWLCs3bhbooks.html#ixzz2wWLCs3bh

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedhttp://www.ala.org/bbooks/banned

Recent ControversiesRecent Controversies

1--YOUR District--Other Examples? – Talk to your neighbor

2--What could have been done in vignettes?

3--What could have, should have been done in Wellesley? Newton?Lexington?

Newton: Thoroughly Modern Millie

Wellesley: Visit to a Mosque

Lexington: King and King

Controversy and Current EventsControversy and Current Events

Policies and Procedures Communication Opinion vs. documentation

– Argumentation and rhetoric– History as series of arguments/counterarguments– Current events as history in the making– “building a case”

Religion is a necessary component of discussing history and cultures

Academic Freedom: Involve your allies [2 examples]

““ControversyControversy”” in a Framework in a Framework

“This Framework encourages teachers to present controversial issues honestly and accurately within their historical or contemporary context. History without controversy is not good history, nor is such history as interesting to students as an account that captures the debates of the times… Students should also recognize that historians often disagree about the interpretation of historical events and that today’s textbooks may be altered by future research. Through the study of controversial issues, both in history and in current affairs, students should learn that people in a democratic society have the right to disagree, that different perspectives have to be taken into account, and that judgments should be based on reasonable evidence and not on bias and emotion.” History – Social Studies Framework for California Public Schools, pg. 22.

Enduring UnderstandingsEnduring Understandings

• The interpretation of justice, equality and citizenship changes over time and place in American history.

• The American community defines who is included and excluded

• The concept of assimilation and “Americanization” is a thread running through both domestic and foreign policy.

• Many methods and strategies are used to attain equality, with varying degrees of success

• The American legal system is a primary instrument for defining justice.

• These concepts continue to have meaning in our lives today, as the interpretations continue to evolve

Common Sense Common Sense Needed!Needed!

Arab MascotChristmas DecorationsAnti-BullyingInvited SpeakerBlackface in School

Play

More of a gray area:Pastor volunteers

Examples of ProtocolsBeaverton, OregonNew South Wales

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/banned

http://peaceandtolerance.org/images/campus/cat_k2miseducation.jpg