WEB QUEST

Is There Any Role for Religion in Public Schools

A Web Quest for 12^th Grade Participation in Government students at South Bronx H.S.

Edwin Baez

BZ430@AOL.Com.

Introduction

This great nation was founded and established under fundamental Christian values since the beginning of the 17^th century when the Pilgrims and Puritans arrived here in Search of religious freedom. Basically these people were escaping from religious persecution in their homeland. It was common in early American history for school children to do the pledge of allegiance and say a prayer with their teacher to start their day. Since the late 1940’s however; religion in the public schools has become a very controversial issue. The U.S. Supreme Court has limited, but not excluded, religion in public education. Today once again, religion has taken center stage because of conservative religious groups in America trying to bring back prayer in the public schools. Will this unresolved issue be finally settled in the courts or will the fight continue? Polls show that that the vast majority of people believe in God. However, many people still believe that this would be a serious infringement of the 1^st Amendment clause of freedom of religion.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

TASK(s)

You are part of a Congressional Committee that has been formed to review the First Amendment to our Constitution. Your group’s task will be to write a research paper and give an oral report based upon the following questions, and exercises within this web quest lesson.

1. Is religion an important part of our American’s lives?

2. Is it against the law to say a prayer in a classroom if the majority of children agree to it, even though a few reject to it?

3. It is better to keep all religion out of school than to offend one group?

4. Do you think this controversial issue will ever be settled?

In addition

You will take a stand on this issue by answering the following questions:

a. What are the main arguments in favor of religion playing a role in public

schools? What are the main arguments against it?

b. Write at least one paragraph expressing and supporting your point of view.

Learning Task 1

Write a brief paragraph (4 or 5 sentences) give your opinion about the words used by a high school student from Maryland:

“Religion is for the church, it’s for the families. It has no place in school.”

- Lazonni Gates,

(Paul Laurence Dunbar Community High School, Baltimore.)

Do the same for this student from Texas.

“They complain about morals falling apart in schools, yet they don’t let you think about God.”

–John Garza, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Upper Level High School, Texas.

Learning Task 2

The following is a list of quotes that may or may not apply to your position on the issue of the First Amendment and Religious Freedom. Read through these quotations and note any that you strongly agree with and those you do not agree with. In your position paper try to use the quote you strongly agree with to support your position.

Quotations about Religion and Freedom and Expression

"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart."
-H. L. Mencken

...It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg.

- Thomas Jefferson

It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read. - Thomas Jefferson

Difference of opinion is helpful in religion.

- Thomas Jefferson

I have ever judged of the religion of others by their lives. For it is in our lives, and not from our works, that our religion must be read.

- Thomas Jefferson

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.

- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Connecticut Baptists

When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.
-- Charles Evans Hughes

Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better.
- Albert Camus

Many have quarreled about religion that never practiced it.
-- Benjamin Franklin

All religions must be tolerated, for every man must get to heaven in his own way.
-- Frederick the Great

Liberty is always unfinished business.
-- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Learning Task 3

A. Before you begin your research on the First Amendment it would be good to note that the First Amendment is a complicated sentence. To interpret it, define the following key words:

1. Establishment:

2. Prohibiting:

3. Thereof:

4. Abridging:

5. Petition:

6. Redress:

7. Grievance:

B. Once you have defined the key words, you are ready to attack the meaning of the Amendment. The first section of the article contains references to two different aspects of religious freedom: what are they?

C. Which section makes it unconstitutional for the United States to have a national religion? (Quote the words directly).

Internet Resource 1

The Internet Public Library

http://www.ipl.org/

The Webster’s On-Line Dictionary

http://www.m-w.com/

The Process

1. Groups of four students will form a team forming at least a total of 6 to 8 teams, depending on the total of students available in the class.

2. A representative of each group will be reporting to the Instructor if further assistance is needed.

3. The teams will be divided up into pro-religious groups and groups who believe

that religion has no place in the schools.

4. After you gather all your research and information, then you will be ready to

have a debate in the classroom.

5. It is of vital importance that you familiarize yourself with religious groups

and their beliefs, including why they want to bring prayer in the schools.

6. Investigate the religion or religions that are responsible for this movement.

7. You may want to interview an evangelist or a high school student that wants to spread the good word.

8. You can refer to a couple of Supreme Court cases that are relevant to the topics by visiting the CompuLEGAL Home Page http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/scales/instruct1.html

9. You can refer to the other internet websites:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips.htm

http://www.adl.org/issue-religious-freedom/for

http://www.freedom.forum.org/religion/welcome

http://www.religous tolerance.org/ps.pray.htm.

http://www.teaching about religion.org/.

http://www.aclu.org/issues/religion/pr.3.html.

http://www.edweek.org./ew/vol14/30religh14.

http://www.faith.org/biblecur.html.

Evaluation

Each group will be evaluated by teams. You will get a grade of 100 points and it will be averaged in to the percentages of tests that you will get for the marking period. Please refer to your student contract for more information on the grading policy. Every member of each team will be held responsible to put in their fair share of work. The Instructor will be using a Rubric Assessment of each group, and will be addressed for evaluating Web Quest.

Your Group Will Be Graded using the Following Guideline:

100% 80% 60% 55%

	Exceptional	Admirable	Acceptable	Amateur
Group Participation	All students enthusiastically participate	At least 3/4 of students actively participate	At least half the students confer or present ideas	Only one or two persons actively participate
Shared Responsibility	Responsibility for task is shared evenly	Responsibility is shared by most group members	Responsibility is shared by 1/2 the group members	Exclusive reliance on one person
Quality of Interaction	Excellent listening and leadership skills exhibited; students reflect awareness of others' views and opinions in their discussions	Students show adeptness in interacting; lively discussion centers on the task	Some ability to interact; attentive listening; some evidence of discussion or alternatives	Little interaction; very brief conversations; some students were disinterested or distracted
Roles Within Group	Each student assigned a clearly defined role; group members perform roles effectively	Each student assigned a role but roles not clearly defined or consistently adhered to	Students assigned roles but roles were not consistently adhered to	No effort made to assign roles to group members

Conclusion

The students will be able to learn and understand the first Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, and how this country was formed in early American History.

Teacher’s note

The learner should read and comprehend the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The learner must also determine if it’s constitutional or unconstitutional to promote religious activities in a government run school. Comprehend the terminology of Separation of Church and State. Students must understand that we live in a secular society. Do they understand what a secular society is? They also must ask themselves: Is religion an important part of our lives? And if it is, then why are there people who believe that religious activities do not need to be in schools? What religion should people follow? The United States of America does not have an official religion. The learner should be able to define what is religion? Identify some of the major religions of the world and describe some of their major beliefs and comprehend that there are atheists in this country who just simply don’t believe in God and that they are also protected under the first amendment and determine of it is possible a school to be able to represent all religions in it speakers and after school clubs. Learners will work with resources such as the Internet.

NYS State Standards

SS 1 C

Analyze the development of American culture, explaining how ideas, values, beliefs, and traditions have changed over time and how they unite all Americans

Compare and contrast the experiences of different groups in the United States

Compare and contrast the experiences of different ethnic, national, and religious groups, including Native American Indians, in the United States, explaining their contributions to American society and culture

Prepare essays and oral reports about the important social, political, economic, scientific, technological, and cultural developments, issues, and events from New York State and United States history

SS 5 C

Take, defend, and evaluate positions about attitudes that facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in public affairs