Of course the most important thing you need to know is what's allowed and what's not.  The good news is that teachers can do far more than most people realize.   In the Supreme Court case of Lynch vs. Donnelly, Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote that the Constitution does not require complete separation of church and state. In fact,  it affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility toward any ... . Anything less would require the "callous indifference" we have said was never intended by the Establishment Clause. Indeed, we have observed, such hostility would bring us into war with our national tradition as embodied in the First Amendment's guaranty of free exercise of religion.

This is exactly the opposite of what many teachers and administrators assume. For example, it is all too common for a school principal--trying to remain neutral toward religion--to send teachers a memo forbidding them to use the word "Christmas" or to sing Christmas carols in their classrooms. School librarian Mary Hauser had such an experience in her Southern California school.

 "Just as December started," Mary said, "the principal put in his weekly bulletin that, 'we're approaching Christmas and you are reminded that you are not allowed to have any religious songs (...) or activities revolving around Christmas because this would offend some people.'" 

 But such action puts the school in a position of prohibiting teachers from instructing students about an important aspect of American culture. At best, it is an example of the "callous indifference" the Court warned against. At worst, it could be considered showing hostility toward Christianity. 

 By knowing the law, you can begin correcting such misunderstandings. For a list of good legal resources, check out the "Legal Resources" sidebar.

 One thing to remember, though: Although the law gives wide latitude for teaching about religion, public school teachers may not teach lessons that are worshipful, devotional or evangelistic in nature --no altar calls to the chalkboard. This can be difficult for some teachers who feel they are somehow denying Christ by not encouraging students to believe the Bible stories. But public school teachers must observe the distinction between teaching about ^2. religion and instructing in religion. 

 

If we teach about Christian holidays, we must give equal time to teaching about all holidays. 

 The truth is, no court has mandated equal time for all religious holidays.  This reasoning comes from our sense of fairness. However, fairness doesn't always mean equality. Proportionality can also be fair. 

 Examples of this are all around us. For instance, a rookie teacher and a 30-year veteran may both have the same number of students and teach the same subjects, yet they do not receive the same pay. Their pay is proportional to their years of service. Still, we say it is fair. 

Similarly, although the United States Senate is comprised of equal numbers of senators from each state, the House of Representatives is comprised of different numbers from different states, which are proportional to the states' population. Unequal, but fair. 

 

Using the principle of proportionality, the way to decide which holidays to emphasize is to ask:

A. Which religion or religions have had the most influence in shaping American culture? 

B. Which religions have a prominent influence in the local community? 

In other words, the amount of time spent on each holiday should be determined by its relevance and influence in American culture and the local community. Teachers should not leave students with the impression that all religions have had an equal impact on American culture. 

Objection Two: 

If we teach about the religious nature of holidays such as Christmas or Easter, some students will feel left out.

Teachers should never denigrate anyone's religious beliefs. But neither should they withhold significant cultural information about America regarding religion. Christian beliefs in America have a major impact on such things as our political debates, our social values and our legal system. No matter what faith traditions they follow, all of your students will be impacted by these Christian beliefs --whether your students agree with them are not. A good education must include accurate information about the major religion in America.

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Needless to say, all the good arguments in the world won't change anything unless you have good lesson ideas. Fortunately, there is no shortage of engaging, constitutionally sound ideas for teaching about religion during the holiday. Below are a few suggestions for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. 

 

• Have students read various presidential proclamations. You can find them at the library in The Public Papers of Presidents, published by the U.S. Government Printing Office. You can also find them on the Gateways to Better Education Web site at www.gtbe.org. (See the "Legal Resources" sidebar.7/11/05 ) 

• Have students create a Thanksgiving (paper) incorporating a quote from a proclamation of their choosing. 

• Discuss the topic of prayer. Since many people in American culture express thankfulness to God by praying, discuss with students what prayer means and give historical examples of times when American leaders prayed or admonished people to pray. It is perfectly acceptable to teach about ^2. this act which is highly regarded by so many Americans regardless of racial and cultural backgrounds. 

• Have your class read from the Bible about the birth of Jesus. The federal court case of Florey vs. Sioux Falls in 1980 confirmed the fact that "music, art, literature and drama having religious themes or basis are permitted as part of the curriculum for school-sponsored activities and programs if presented in a prudent and objective manner and as a traditional part of the cultural and religious heritage of the particular holiday." 

• Have Christian students in your class share what their families or churches are doing to celebrate Christmas. 

• Have students speculate on the question: What if Jesus had never been born? To help students make the connection between the birth of Jesus and their lives, you can prepare a lesson on the ways Christianity has affected American history. You might include such things as: the Pilgrims' motivation for coming to America, the Declaration of Independence, the phrase on our coin, "In God We Trust," the abolition movement, and how the Rev. Martin Luther King's Christian faith motivated him in the civil rights movement. 

• Lead a class discussion on teachings of Jesus that are often referred to in American culture. These teachings are encapsulated in such expressions as "Do unto others...," "Go the extra mile," "Turn the other cheek" and "the good Samaritan." 

• Read to students from Luke 2 ^3., and teach them related vocabulary words for a language arts unit. 

• Read Luke 22 ^4. and continue to the end of the book. (...)

• Have students use encyclopedias to write a (...) report on why and how Easter is celebrated in America. 

• Ask a Christian student's family to share what they are doing to celebrate Easter. 

• Have students pretend they are newspaper reporters and interview a local member of the clergy and other community members about Easter. What will they be doing for Easter? Why is Easter important to them? Have each student write an article based on the interview. 

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, lessons that proselytize students or involve them in acts of devotion and worship are inappropriate for public schools. But within those bounds, you can boldly teach about Christian holidays and the values that have shaped American history and contemporary culture.