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» Pre-Viewing Lesson Plan
Understanding Key Concepts
and Terms
» Part One
» Lesson Objectives:
In this part of the lesson, students will:
- Evaluate their understanding of some key terms and ideas before they view "The Jesus Factor"
- Discuss their sense of these terms and ideas with their classmates
- Compare their definitions to a glossary of terms
» Materials Needed:
» Time Needed:
Part One of the lesson will take 30-60 minutes, depending upon the students' previous exposure to the terms.
» Procedure:
This part of the lesson is divided into three steps:
Step One:
Ask students to explain as many of the terms as they can on the Student Worksheet "Key Concepts and Terms." They should work alone.
Step Two:
After they fill in as many answers as they can, students should compare their definitions with those of their classmates. They may work in groups of three to four or, if the teacher prefers, as a whole class.
Step Three:
Students should then compare their definitions with the definitions provided on the Student Worksheet: "A Glossary for Reference."
Stress to students that throughout the discussion they will return to (and sometimes investigate further) the concepts in the glossary.
» Method of Assessment:
Students should write a paragraph that either:
- Describes one idea or concept about which they had been confused or ignorant; or
- Discusses one idea or concept whose meaning surprised them.
» Part Two:
» Lesson Objectives:
In Part Two of the Pre-Viewing Lesson, students will look closely at the language of the First Amendment and of a letter from Thomas Jefferson that lays out his ideas regarding the separation of church and state.
» Materials Needed:
» Time Needed:
30-45 minutes for discussion; 15-30 minutes for group preparation.
» Procedure:
Students should return to Questions #4 and #10 on the Student Worksheet: "A Glossary for Reference." Both the First Amendment and Jefferson's letter are short enough for students to read easily. Explain to students that, despite their brevity, these two documents are often debated at length.
(Note: If time is an issue and the teacher prefers, half the class can do Step One and half the class can do Step Two.)
Step One:
- Students should read the First Amendment aloud in groups of three to four. [URL: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment01/]
- Students should focus on the passage that says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
- As a group, students should write a paraphrase of this First Amendment phrase. The groups should be sure to take into account what "establishment of religion" and "prohibiting the free exercise thereof" mean. Each group should then write its paraphrase on the board.
- The teacher should facilitate the discussion about the discrepancies in paraphrases that will inevitably appear. For example, teachers might point out:
- Differences and similarities in the choice of words in the students' paraphrases. For example, how do students paraphrase "establishment" and "free exercise thereof"?
- The emphasis of each paraphrase. For example, does the paraphrase indicate a group's point of view?
- The prior knowledge each group brought to the exercise.
Step Two:
Note to Teachers: Before presenting this exercise to students, teachers might want to consult "A Wall of Separation," [http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danbury.html] a scholarly article from the Library of Congress Web site that explains the religious and political context in which President Thomas Jefferson wrote his 1802 Letter to the Danbury Baptists.
- Students should read Jefferson's letter aloud in groups of three to four. [http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html]
- Students should focus on the passage in which Jefferson writes: "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."
- As a group and using their own words, students should list at least three important ideas in the passage from the Jefferson letter, being sure to take into account what "building a wall of separation between Church & State" means in the context of the whole passage. Each group should then write its ideas on the board.
- The teacher should facilitate the discussion of the important ideas.
- Are there any ideas that all groups included? If so, circle those ideas.
- Are there any obvious differences? If so, ask the students to discuss the differences.
- Tell students to copy and save their classmates' paraphrases of the First Amendment and of the important ideas of Jefferson's letter. They should be prepared to use these notes in the Debate and Press Conference activities after they have seen the film.
» Method of Assessment:
Participation in classroom activity
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