illustration with major world religion symbols

Nearly all U.S. state standards for secondary education require teaching about the world’s major religions, though—per the U.S. Constitutional Guidelines—this teaching should be focused on the academic study of religions. Teachers are empowered to teach about religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism, and their impact on the cultures and societies where they are practiced.  CCAS’s K-14 Education Outreach program has played a leading role in ensuring that teachers are informed about state standards and U.S. Constitutional guidelines for teaching about religions, and program staff have been active in creating teaching tools and disseminating resources aligned with these guidelines in professional development settings for educators. CCAS has also been involved in the production of several resources focusing on the teaching of religions practiced in the Middle East. A few of those can be found below.

The Sultan and the Saint

Documentary film & curricular materials

With support from a Title VI grant, CCAS has worked in conjunction with Unity Productions Films (UPF) to produce classroom materials to accompany UPF’s award-winning documentary film, The Sultan and the Saint. The film provides a unique lens for exploring the history of the Crusades through the lens of two men, Francis of Assisi and the Sultan of Egypt. Despite a century of war, distrust, and insidious propaganda, the two formed a connection in search of mutual respect and common ground. Click here for the film and click here for the curricular materials.

Islam and Politics

Curriculum Resource

This curriculum resource presents critical moments and influential religious leaders in the pre-colonial and colonial periods when Muslim societies across the world were undergoing rapid social and political change and rethinking the relationship between Islam, jurisprudence, and the state. It explores a variety of Islamist movements with roots dating to that period, including Ennahda in Tunisia, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The unit is designed to support high school teachers in meeting state teaching standards on Islam and politics and to help students learn about how internal dynamics, interactions with the state, and international politics all shaped the formation and actions of Islamist political movements. Click here for the Islam and Politics resource. 

Teaching about Islam in Public Schools

Book Chapter

The book chapter “Teaching about Islam in Public Schools” was written by CCAS Education Outreach Director Dr. Susan Douglas for the National Council for the Social Studies. It appeared in the 2019 NCSS book Teaching About Religion in the Social Studies Classroom. You can read the chapter on Islam here.

Introduction to Islam

Teaching Module

This CCAS teaching module provides a basic introduction to the Islamic faith, including terminology, beliefs and practices, holidays, and key historical figures. It was written by Dr. Susan Douglas on behalf of CCAS. Click here for the PDF.