Religious Literacy Resource Guide: Curricula & Teaching Tools
Interfaith America
In Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, Eboo Patel writes about his personal journey as an interfaith leader and covers a range of issues and themes related to religious diversity in America and interfaith leadership. The topics of this teaching guide include spiritual autobiography, interfaith literacy, personal leadership, interfaith dialogue and engagement, and service work.
Inspired by the case studies developed by Harvard University's Pluralism Project, these studies aim to put students at the center of decision making and problem solving, asking them to consider their own agency in contributing to religious pluralism. They fit easily in courses touching on religion in America, interfaith topics, religious diversity, or introductory religion courses, as well as units focusing on religious diversity or pluralism.
This report is based on a series of gatherings initiated by the White House Office for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships to focus on interfaith cooperation and higher education. Gatherings included faculty, staff, administrators and students fro colleges and universities nationwide who are leading interfaith work on their campuses.
Designed to help group leaders facilitate an interfaith dialogue and conversation around shared values, experiences, and commitments which connect people of different religious and non-religious backgrounds.
America is the most religiously diverse country in the world and the most religiously devout country in the West. One of the most important factors in increasing social cohesion between people of diverse religious and non-religious perspectives is an appreciative knowledge of different religious traditions, or “interfaith literacy.” Through this course, we will explore the concept of interfaith literacy as an essential characteristic of leadership in a religiously diverse world.
This rubric extends the conversation on diversity beyond key social components such as race, class, and gender to another social indicator: that of religious identity. This rubric is designed to help faculty and staff members identify and measure students’ learning, growth, and engagement across lines of religious, spiritual, and secular difference, and it is intended for use in curricular and/or co-curricular initiatives. The rubric is intended to stimulate conversation and is most effective when adapted to suit institutional context (e.g., graduate or undergraduate, private or public).
The Golden Rule
An interactive presentation of the Golden Rule in 13 of the worlds major religions.
A curriculum series for schools and youth groups.
Participants are invited to reflect on current ethical and social issues from the perspectives of a universal moral principle - The Golden Rule - in its many and various expressions across the world's religions.
A number of meditation and reflection exercises using various sacred texts - 13 expressions of The Golden Rule as found in a number of faith traditions.
Videos exploring the Golden Rule from different religious perspectives, in varying levels of depth and complexity.
Additional lessons and activities on the Golden Rule.
GOLDEN RULE POSTERS (all free online)
- Spanish Golden Rule Poster
- French Golden Rule Poster
- Hebrew Golden Rule Poster
- Turkish Golden Rule Poster
- Slovenian Golden Rule Poster
- Amharic Golden Rule Poster
- Urdu Golden Rule Poster
- German Golden Rule Poster
- Flemish Golden Rule Poster
- Italian Golden Rule Poster
- Bilingual ( French & English) Golden Rule Poster
- Portuguese Golden Rule Poster
- Japanese Golden Rule Poster
- Australian Golden Rule Poster
Kaur Foundation
A national non-profit organization that partners with the country's school systems to bring education about Sikh-Americans into K-12 classrooms through school curriculum materials.
- Kaur Foundation
- Constitutionally Appropriate Lesson Plans
- NCSS-endorsed K-12 Resources
- Supplement on the Academic Study of Religion Added to C3 Framework
- Approved content on California Department of Education
search for publisher "Kaur Foundation"
ADL: Anti Defamation League
Resources for educators, parents and families
Educational programs, training and resources for grades PreK-12 and college settings, including signature programs.
Tips, tools, strategies and discussion guides for K-12 educators and students in order to promote anti-bias and culturally responsive learning environments.
Children's literature on bias, diversity and social justice, providing children with books containing experiences and characters with which they can relate and to foster children's positive self-concept and respect for diversity.
K-12 curricula providing an understanding of diverse perspectives and challenging the development of emerging biases.
Expert advice about preventing bullying and cyber bullying for educators and administrators, students, parents and families.
Provides parents and family members with the tools they need to engage their families in conversations about important news stories and other timely discussions about societal and world events.
Articles and resources on bullying, current events and the social and emotional development of children.
A timely education blog to help integrate the news of the day into teaching and learning opportunities for young people.
A collection of answers to frequently asked questions about anti-bias issues faced by early childhood professionals and family members interested in promoting respect for diversity among young children.
Free webinars and podcasts from leaders in anti-bias and Holocaust education to help assist educators and parents in building inclusive and respectful learning environments.
UNESCO
An intercultural and interfaith program for ethics education in schools and youth groups.
Scarboro Missions
This collection explores the goals, types and stages of dialogue and touches on issues such as interfaith etiquette, listening, peace-building, hospitality, respectful presence and dialogue-versus-debate. These principles and guidelines are useful for those who are new to interfaith as well as for veterans of interfaith work.
Interfaith curriculum resources covering a variety of topics including peace-building, young adults, prayer and meditation, and ecology and social justice, among others.
A directory of organizational resources, both local and global.
A collection of resources which chronicles the Catholic Church's journey of dialogue with other religions. Included here are interfaith stories, theological reflections and official Vatican documents.
A do-it-yourself workshop outline for chaplains and spiritual caregivers.
Numerous suggestions and tips for organizers of multifaith spiritual gatherings.
Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations
Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations
A six-session process to stimulate candid conversation between Jewish and Christian congregations.
Islamic Network Group (ING)
A peace-building organization providing face-to-face education and engagement opportunities that foster understanding of Muslims and other misunderstood groups to promote harmony among all people.
Information which provides teachers, administrators and parents with valuable resources for creating a diverse and welcoming community and fostering safe and inclusive classrooms.
ING's most popular digital presentations related to teaching about Muslims and their faith.
Additional information and resources available on ING's website.
Sikh Coalition
A guide designed for teachers in an effort to equip them to teach Sikhism provided with a depth of information regarding the Sikh community, traditions and faith.
- Teaching Resources and Lesson Plans for Educators
lesson plans, compiled reading lists, case studies, media articles and video resources. Also included are anti-bullying resources for administrators.
- Elementary School Resources
- Middle and High School Resources
- Administrator and Anti-Bullying Resources
A collection of teaching tools and suport materials for teachers using the C3 framework. These materials include an elementary inquiry, a high/ middle school inquiry and a viewing and discussion guide to CNN's United Shades of America episode about the Sikh community with W. Kanau Bell.
Additional information and resources are available on the main Sikh Coalition website.
Holocaust Museum Houston
Student ambassador program that introduces Houston-area high school students to Holocaust history and enables them to better understand current issues and develop their own informed opinions and voices.
a Free school and community outreach program that provides educational programming on the Holocaust, Genocide, Social Justice and active citizenship in school and community settings.
Examines the five forms of social cruelty - taunting, rumoring, exclusion, ganging up and bullying - and uses contemporary commercials, Holocaust survivor testimony, storytelling and poetry to highlight the negative impact these harmful behaviors can have on targeted individuals.
A free outdoor art exhibit in Hermann Park, Coexistence features 45 panels of large scale works created by renowned artists from the US, Europe, Asia, the UK, Africa and the Middle East. Works are accompanied by panels featuring quotes from philosophers and leading thinkers in four languages that represent a wide range of concepts and issues affecting human relations today.
Program which examines the role of law enforcement during the years of the Holocaust and their pivotal role in society today.
A scholarship for high school students honoring the memory of those who perished during the Holocaust.
A scholarship for high school juniors and seniors that raises awareness of the Holocaust and other genocides.
The Butterfly Project illustrates how our small actions today can become something so much bigger. It shows how individual action can change people's hearts and, with that, the future.