Learning Resources

The First Amendment

Exploring Resources on the Web

Introducing issues (audio from The First Amendment Minute):

Holy Cow

Catholic Collision

Religious Real Estate

Christmas Questions
What is a "holy" book?**

Courthouse or Cathedral?

Washington Thwarts Theology**

Under whose God?**

Free to believe, but not to act

Which God is the Right God?**

Courthouse Commandments

"In Buddha We Trust"

Read: National Constitution Center, Interactive Constitution, First Amendment (religion clauses explained)

Online work:

• Pretest: Test your knowledge: quiz 1 (before review of what follows) (save/print your results for submission)

• Video: The 1st Amendment & the Founding Fathers (uses RealPlayer)

• Audio: Discussion on the Bill of Rights (including the First Amendment): Aired on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show, October 25, 2010 (52 minutes) (transcript) (religion discussion: 14-22 min and 35-36 min) (11:20-28 and 11:42 on transcript)

• Complete these interactive exercises: when available, print, e-mail or otherwise save your responses from these exercises for submission)

  1. Freedom of Religion 

  2. Interpretations of the Establishment Clause
     Select one of the following cases to examine:

     • Lemon v. Kurtzman (can the state provide funding to religious schools for math and science books?)

     • Zorach v. Clauson (can Jewish children be excused from school to observe a religious holy day?)

     • Eagle v. Vitae (can a state require a prayer to be recited in the public schools?)

     • Lynch v. Donnelly (can Christmas decorations be permitted on city property?)

  3. Examining the Free Exercise Clause
     Select one of the following cases to examine:

     • Wisconsin v. Yoder (do the Amish have to send their children to high school?)

     • Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. and Ernesto Picardo v. City of Hialeah (can a city prohibit the Santeria religion from building a temple and performing animal sacrifice?)

• Post test: test your knowledge: quiz 2 (after review of the above) (save/print your results for submission)

Other Resources:

• The First Amendment Center on Religious Liberty (background reading: history, establishment and free exercise clauses & issues, FAQs, cases & resources)

  • Read: Establishment Clause

  • Read: Free Exercise Clause
    Explore some potential cases: from the FAQs pages: 

    • Religion in Public Life

    • Religion in the Public Schools

Reflect on your learning: what new things did you learn about this topic? what surprised you (why)? what most interested you (why)? what made sense to you? what didn't? How can you see this topic relating to your own life and/or the world around you? What more would you like to know about this topic?

Submit: 

• Results of the two quizzes

• copies of responses to the interactive exercises (should have three of these)

• Reflections on your learning (at least a good sized paragraph with significant depth of thought)

Resources:

• The Freedom Forum: Education for Freedom, Lesson Plans for Teaching the First Amendment, lesson 6: "You Are Free to Exercise"

• The First Amendment Center: Religious Liberty

• The American Religious Freedom Program

• American Religious Freedom News

• National Constitution Center Interactive Constitution (the First Amendment)

• The First Amendment Minute (audio clips regarding religious liberty)