Teaching Problem Solving (TIPS) through

Educational Technology Interdisciplinary

 

By:

Philip M. Romero

 

November 5, 2000

 

 

Freedom of Religion

Web-Quest

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

          Freedom of Religion is a major hallmark of our American Republic.  But religious freedom was not always a fact of life in these United States.  In its earliest days, young America was indeed famous for its religious intolerance.  What were the roots of this intolerance, and how was it overcome?  This internet based lesson is meant to guide students, with literary guideposts, through the crucible of the fight for religious freedom in America.

 

 

New York State English Language Arts Standards:

 

1.     Reading

c.     Read and comprehend informational materials.

2.     Writing

a.      Produce a report of information.

3.     Speaking, Listening, and Viewing

b.     Participate in group meetings.

4.     Conventions, Grammar, and Usage of the English Language

a.      Independently and habitually demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language in written and oral work.

b.     Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

5.     Public Documents

a.  Critique public documents with an eye to strategies common in public discourse.

 

 

Task:

 

          Your task will be to work as a group and research the development of religious freedom in America.  We have seen, in the literature relating to early America, how prevalent religious intolerance was in the times before the American Revolution.  How and why did the United States overcome this form of bigotry? – that is the question you are to answer.  You will work in a group.  As a group, you will explore relevant websites, obtain answers, write those answers down in a report, and present your answers to the class.  You will also be expected to answer any questions put to you by your classmates.

 

 

Learning Advice

 

          Be sure to consider the following questions as you engage in your internet research:

 

1.     Who were the most important people in establishing the principle of religious freedom in the United States?

2.     What were the obstacles to religious freedom in the United States?

3.     When did the tide turn against religious intolerance in American Government?

4.     Where did the idea of religious freedom as a principle of government come from?

5.     Why is religious freedom such an important aspect of American Government?

 

 

Literary Resources:

 

1.     The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

2.     The Crucible, by Arthur Miller.

 

 

Internet Resources:

 

          The following websites will provide a good starting point for your research on this project.  Please exhaust these resources before charging out into the net on your own.  No search engine should be used without the express permission of your instructor.

 

Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Government

The Founding Fathers on Religion

Quotations concerning Separation of Church and State

An early American Treaty with some Relevance

What is a Puritan

Roman History and the Founding Fathers – The Roots of Religious Freedom

 

 

Process:

 

1.     Group Process

a.      You will be placed in groups of four to five (4-5) individuals.

b.     Individuals in your group must assume all of the following roles:

                                                              i.      Team leader – In overall charge of the group.  Coordinates work with teacher and group.

                                                            ii.      Secretary – Responsible for maintaining all of the paperwork required for the group project.

                                                          iii.      Facilitator – Responsible for making sure the team will have adequate access to computers and other materials required for group work.

                                                         iv.      Technical leader – Each team will have at least one member who is computer literate.

                                                           v.      Alternate Team Leader --  Substitutes for any of the others in case of absence.

2.     Group Responsibilities

a.      Using the websites listed above, your group will conduct a search for the answer to the task questions.

b.     Your Team may research other web links that are a part of the websites you are doing research in.  You should NOT conduct independent searches.

c.     Individual team members should bookmark and share any websites that they discover that have importance in completing the group tasks.

d.     All Team members will take an active role in the Web Quest and all will receive a Team Grade as well as an Individual Grade (See below).

3.     Individual Responsibilities:

a.      Each group member will be required to write a short memorandum answering one of the questions set out in the Learning Advice section above.

b.     No two members of a Group should answer the same question without express permission from the instructor or teacher.

 

 

Evaluation:

 

          Each student will be responsible for writing a 500 – 750 word report answering one of the questions set out for this Web Quest.  The Due Date for this requirement is December 15, 2000.

 

          Each Group will present their reports, as individuals, to the entire class.  The class will then have an opportunity to ask questions of the presenting group as a whole.

 

          Your grade will be based on the following:

 

1.  Group Participation                       25%

2.  Individual Report                           40%

3.  Group Presentation                        25%

4.  Attendance                                    10%

                                                          100%