The benefits of participating in Foundations of Freedom are far-reaching and numerous. This competition model:
- Is based on successful active-learning formats.
- Meets the requirements of state and national content standards.
- Integrates the study of history with other disciplines, including the performing arts, social sciences, math, language arts, and geography.
- Supports professional development, historical scholarship, and effective teaching methods and techniques.
- Offers resources and curriculum aids in supplementing classroom instruction.
- Encourages interaction with historians, artists, legal experts, religious leaders, and politicians through academic discovery of original documents and significant events in historical perspective.
- Involves families and communities in support of education and the protection of religious freedoms and First Amendment rights.
Educational Worthiness
The following three statements define the educational worthiness of Foundations of Freedom:
One: Foundations of Freedom supports teachers and student learning by meeting local, state, and national educational content standards as teachers integrate and design their instructional lessons/activities. (You may receive a complete list of all national and state content standards by contacting us and requesting a copy.)
Two: Foundations of Freedom is both legally and educationally appropriate for use in a public classroom setting for student instruction.
Three: Foundations of Freedom is aligned with national strands in history, performing arts, and literature curriculums. Each particular student entry (presentation) must meet American history, civic government, or world history standards unique to each entry.
Resources
The following is a partial and diverse list of Internet resources for teaching about religion that may assist teachers and students in their development and understanding of how religion has affected American history.
California Department of Education. History-Social Science Course Models. www.history.ctaponline.org. Model standards-based lessons are provided online for grades K-12.
Constitutional Rights Foundation. www.crf-usa.org. The Constitutional Rights Foundation website includes publications, online lessons, and links to other recommended websites.
First Amendment Center. www.freedomforum.org. Has a wealth of information on how to teach about religion in the public school classroom. It is an excellent resource for teachers in keeping pace with evolving law, changing trends and emerging challenges that touch on religious liberty and public education.
Pages of the Past (SCORE). www.score.rims.k12.ca.us/litsearch.html A production of the California County Offices of Education History-Social Science Committee that aligns 1800 pieces of children’s literature to the History-Social Science Standards for grades K-6 including instructional strategies and analysis skills.
Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE) www.score.rims.k12.ca.us/ SCORE provides standards-based lessons developed by California teachers for grades K-12 and links to exceptional lessons from other sites.
Thomas: Legislative Information. http://thomas.loc.gov/ A Library of Congress database of bill text and summaries of current legislation.
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. www.archives.gov/ This essential research site includes an Online Exhibit Hall, Genealogy Page, and Historical Records of Government Agencies. Of special interest to educators: The Digital Classroom offering online lessons that feature archival documents and promote the development of critical thinking skills.
Bennett, William J. (1997). The Children’s Book of Heroes. Simon & Schuster, Documents and Symbols of American Freedom. SCORE. http://rims.k12ca.us/symbols_freedom/index.htlm
Gilder Lehrman History Online. The Religious Roots of Reform. www.gliah.uh.edu/historyonline.us15cfm