SET IN STONE?: Considering Issues and Sensitivities in the Separation of Church and State

August 29, 2003

SET IN STONE?
Considering Issues and Sensitivities in the Separation of Church and State

Grades: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Civics, Current Events, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Monument Is Now Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind, By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN", August 29, 2003

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students explore how different people interpret the separation of church and state and how these different interpretations affect their actions. Through role-playing a situation involving this issue, students understand first-hand the complexities involved in this sensitive issue.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:
45 minutes- 1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

React to an image of the Ten Commandments in their classroom; discuss the concept of the separation of church and state.
Learn about the controversy regarding the Ten Commandments monument at an Alabama courthouse by reading and discussing the article "Monument Is Now Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind."
In groups representing different segments of the population, discuss the implications of raising a religious monument on government property.
Develop group speeches for a town hall meeting; participate in and process the town hall meeting.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

image of the Ten Commandments (some images are available at
http://www.ariustile.com/ariuscatalog/im030009.htm or
http://www.paintedchurch.org/stokesay.htm,
or you may choose to draw the image yourself, writing five commandments each on two "tablets" on the classroom board
pens/pencils
classroom board
student journals
copies of the article "Monument Is Now Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind" (one per student)

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:
NOTE TO TEACHERS: Due to the sensitivity of this topic, prior to the Warm-Up activity, students should be told that they will be shown an image that may invoke very strong emotions, and that the purpose of showing it to the class is to encourage discussion, not to support any particular point of view.

WARM-UP/DO NOW: Prior to class, display a picture of the Ten Commandments on the classroom board. Upon entering class, students respond to the following question in their journal (written on the board prior to class): "How would you feel if this image was displayed in our classroom, and why?" After a few minutes, ask students to share their responses. Students at a parochial school may have less of a reaction to this image but should be encouraged to share their personal feelings regarding this image. After students share their initial reactions, conduct a discussion based on the following questions: Would your response to this image be different if you saw it in a home? A church? A public building? What does "separation of church and state" mean, and why do you think such a law exists in the United States? Do you think that displaying this image in a public school is a violation of the separation of church and state? Why or why not? What "separation of church and state" issues can you name?
As a class, read and discuss the article "Monument Is Now Out of Sight, but Not Out of Mind," focusing on the following questions:
1. What was removed from an Alabama courthouse on August 27, 2003?
2. How did protesters respond to the monument's removal?
3. What was Chief Justice Roy Moore's statement regarding the removal of the monument?
4. Why was the monument removed?
5. According to Charles Tourney, for what purpose did he think he was building the monument?
6. What is Attorney General Bill Pryor's role in the removal of the monument? How have people reacted to his actions?
Present students with the following scenario: "Your town's mayor has commissioned a monument of the Ten Commandments for the town hall. Before it is built, the plans will become public and a town meeting has been called." Divide students into seven groups, assigning each group to one of the following roles: a right-wing Christian group, a right-wing Jewish group, a civil rights law firm, a group of Hindus, a group of Muslims, the public high school's student council, and the city council. In their groups, students discuss the following questions and develop a position on the displaying of the monument at the town hall (Note: Although all students in a particular group are representing the same interest group, they may have differences of opinion among themselves. These differences can be noted and explained during the town meeting.) List the following discussion questions on the board for easier student access in group discussions:
- What was your immediate reaction to the news that this monument had been commissioned?
- What are your religious beliefs? How do these beliefs influence your position?
- Do you think this is a violation of the separation of church and state? Why or why not?
- How do you think the displaying of such a monument will affect the community?
- Do you support the display of the monument? Why or why not?
WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each group should develop a brief (two to three minute) speech to be given by a representative of the group expressing the group's position, including an dissenting opinions, based on the group discussion. In a later class, a community meeting should be staged. A representative from each group should present their speech, followed by a short debate on the issues raised by each speech. At the end of the meeting, students, acting as town representatives, should vote on whether to allow the monument to be erected and discuss the results of the vote.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Would you have been in favor of or against Judge Moore's monument? Why?
What do you think was the original intention of the law regarding the separation of church and state? Has the intention changed since then? Explain.
Do you think that the separation of church and state inhibits religious belief or expression? Why or why not?
Do you think that Charles Tourney should have inquired into the purpose of the monument before he agreed to build it? Do you believe that he did not know where it was going to be displayed?
What do you think should be done with the monument now that it has been taken down?

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal response, participation in class and group discussions, thoughtful group completion and presentation of a town hall speech, and individual participation in a class debate.

VOCABULARY:
revivals, speculation, rotunda, intervene, appellate, pending

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

Research the history of the separation of church and state. Find out how this concept was introduced into the United States government, what debates arose when it was first suggested, and how it has been applied throughout United States history. Create an illustrated timeline displaying your findings.
Read some or all of the book "The Ten Commandments: The Significance of God's Laws in Everyday Life" by Dr. Laura Schlessinger (you can find an excerpt at
http://www.bookbrowse.com/dyn_/title/titleID/229.htm).
Critique the book, which is based on the claim that the Ten Commandments can be a moral guide for anyone, regardless of his or her religious or cultural background. Also include a personal statement about what role, if any, this famous set of rules plays in your life.
Write a letter expressing your opinion on the Ten Commandments monument controversy to someone involved in it, such as Chief Justice Moore, Charles Tourney or Bill Pryor. Include your feelings about this person's involvement in particular, as well as your thoughts on the issue as a whole.
Create a monument celebrating the concept of the separation of church and state. Your monument should represent the positive aspects of this law, such as tolerance, freedom of religion, and personal autonomy. For ideas on how to create such a monument, see the Civil Rights Memorial Web site at
http://www.splcenter.org/cgi-bin/goframe.pl?dirname=/centerinfo&pagename=lci-2.html.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Fine Arts- Create a blueprint for a monument that you think would be appropriate to display in front of a judicial building. Include an explanation of why you chose this image and how it reflects the values housed in such a building. You may choose a religious image as long as you feel you can justify the reason it is an appropriate image to appear in this location.

Global Studies- Many countries do not share the United States' concept of separation of church and state. Learn about two countries in which religion (or lack of it) is directly tied to the government, such as in Iran and China. Write a two to three page comparison paper exploring the relationship between religion and government in the countries you researched.

Media Studies- Watch "Indian Jones and the Lost Ark," paying special attention to the way that the ark is perceived by the different groups attempting to find it. Write an essay reflecting on the role of this ancient artifact from different points of view (archaeological, religious, and political). What do you think would be the "right" motives for wanting to find this object? Do you think that anyone in the film had the right motives? Why or why not?

Teaching with The Times- Read the New York Times articles "Judges Ban Pledge of Allegiance From Schools, Citing 'Under God'" and "An Intense Attack By Judge Thomas on Cross-Burning", and consider the questions raised in the articles regarding the potency of religious symbols and concepts. When can a religious symbol or concept be said to have been "secularized" by common usage? Can religious symbols or concepts ever be separated from their theological and historical source? Write an essay exploring these questions.