Islamophobia is driven in part by the large degree of religious illiteracy that characterizes the U.S. Increasing the opportunities to learn about religion in public schools is one way to counteract Islamophobia and other forms of religious bigotry.

Below are links to materials along with a list of books that will aid K-12 educators in teaching about religion and religious literacy.

Online Resources

Guidelines for Teaching about Religion in K-12 Public Schools in the United States (American Academy of Religion)

Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to Religion and Public Schools (First Amendment Center)

A Teacher’s Guide to Religion in the Public Schools (Religious Freedom Center)

Religious Diversity in the Classroom (Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding)

Teaching Resources on Religion in American History and Culture (Center for the Study of Religion & Culture)

Bible Electives in Public Schools: A Guide (Society of Biblical Literature)

Let’s Teach About Islam in Our Schools (Time, 2014)

7 Reasons We Should Teach More Religion in Public Schools (FaithStreet, 2015)

Teaching about Religion in Public Schools Can Be Risky, But It’s Worth It (Washington Post, 2015)

Publicly Funded Islamic Education in Europe and the United States (Brookings Institute, 2015)

The Abdelkader Education Project 

Books

Linda Wertheimer, Faith Ed: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance (Beacon Press, 2015)

Kent Greenawalt, Does God Belong in Public Schools? (Princeton University Press, 2007)

Martin E. Marty, Education, Religion, and the Common Good: Advancing a Distinctly American Conversation about Religion’s Role in Our Shared Life (Jossey-Bass, 2000)

Diane L. Moore, Overcoming Religious Illiteracy: A Cultural Studies Approach to the Study of Religion in Secondary Education (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007)

Stephen Prothero, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – and Doesn’t (HarperOne, 2008)