7.2: Activities

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Deanna Cozart, Brian Dotts, James Gurney, Tanya Walker, Amy Ingalls, & James Castle
University of Georgia via GALILEO Open Learning Materials

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Discussion Prompt: Muslim Students at School

Watch the 20/20 News program, “Your Questions about Islam”. After watching this program and reading the information presented in this module regarding Islam, what are some challenges you see for Muslim students who attend school in the U.S.? What actions can you take as a teacher to make these students more comfortable at school?

Written Response: Reflection Paper Topic

Select a religious service or gathering to attend sometime in the next few weeks that is significantly different from your past religious experiences. (i.e. If you grew up Baptist, a Methodist church doesn’t count.) Reflect about your experience and answer the following questions.

What type of service did you choose to attend and why? How was this different from the type of religious experiences, or lack of experiences, you had growing up? What were your impressions of the service? Anything that surprised you or stood out to you? Why do you think it is important to be exposed to different types of religions and religious practices as a future teacher

Discussion Prompt: World Religions

Using the ‘World Religions Assignment’ below as your guide, post your responses.

World Religions Assignment

Objective

To individually investigate aspects of different religious minority groups in the United States, including major beliefs, population size, and religious holidays. Then, to consider how these details could impact students attending school in the United States.

Assignment

You will be randomly assignment to a group within eLC. In order to see your group number, go to the Tools menu on the course navigation bar. Then, select Groups from the dropdown menu. You will be able to see the group number to which you are assigned.

Here is the key to know which group is assigned to which major religion:

Group 1 = Catholicism
Group 2 = Judaism
Group 3 = Islam
Group 4 = Buddhism
Group 5 = Hinduism

Once you have discovered which religion you will be working with, you will need to determine which question you are responsible for answering. Here are the major questions for each religion.

Research the major religious holidays for your assigned religion, including looking at the specific dates of those holidays for the current school year. Then, look up the school calendar for your home public school district and compare the school holidays and testing schedule with the holidays of your religion. Provide a discussion post where you summarize the different religious holidays and their relationship to the school calendar. (A link to the calendar may be helpful as well.) Are there any conflicts? Describe any evidence you see that your district considered the major holidays of your assigned religion. What are some of the repercussions for students of this religion based on your findings?
Discuss the history of your religion in the United States, particularly as it relates to persecution, major historical milestones, and current numbers. Are there any geographic trends you notice for groups of people who practice this religion? What are the implications for schools based on your findings?
Describe your assigned religion in terms of the major belief systems and the practices of those that adhere to it.

For example, “In Protestantism, people believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and you can only gain access to heaven by believing in his death and resurrection. Common practices include baptism, by either sprinkling or immersion (dunking), and denominations vary in terms of whether or not they baptize infants.” Your response should include more depth than this example, but this should give you an idea of the content to include.

In order to determine which question you need to answer, follow this guide according to the first letter of your last name.

Question 1 = Last names beginning with A – I
Question 2 = Last names beginning with J – R
Question 3 = Last names beginning with S – Z

Response Expectations

Once you have determined your assigned religion and question, you will need to compose a two – three paragraph response. This should be posted to the appropriate religion discussion board. There is a forum for this activity, and each individual religion has its own board within that. Make sure you clearly identify your religion and question in your response, as well as including a reference list. Your textbook and reputable websites are encouraged. (As religion can be a contentious topic, make sure any site you reference is offering legitimate content.) You may also review the information included in my lecture notes for this module.

Once you have posted your response, be sure to go back and read the responses by others in the class.