History Of Religious Liberty Teacher Guide PDF Download

This booklet is part of a series of units designed to encourage students to take positions on issues of religious freedom. In an introductory section, the document provides background information on the series and on the history of religious freedom in the United States, then explains how students should approach the issues raised in the text. The document goes on to explore what constitutes a religion and what is religious freedom. Students also examine the role of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the difference between religious freedom and religious tolerance. A concluding section, "Review, Reflection, and Research," explores issues in greater detail and calls for deeper exploration of the issues surrounding religious freedom. Each section presents challenging questions on religious issues and calls upon students to assume roles, take positions, and defend viewpoints. The accompanying Teacher's Guide focuses on the following organizing questions: (1) What is religion? What is religious freedom?; (2) What is the proper relationship between religion and government?; and (3) What limits should be placed upon the free exercise of one's religious beliefs? Can religious toleration be enforced? Value issues are implicit in legal and constitutional issues because the best justification for laws is that they should improve the well being of society. This teacher guide suggests one way to approach the unit on religious freedom. The guide includes instructions on preparing to teach the unit, introducing the unit, defining religion and religious freedom, and discussing the First Amendment, and religious toleration. Issues are grouped as ethical or value issues, definitional issues, and fact explanation issues. The exercises suggested include writing, research, and discussion. A bibliography and student handouts are included. One handout is on purposes and skills of discussion. The other is a list of discussion rating scales with seven categories. (SG)