SUMMARY
A new directive from Oklahoma’s top education official requires all public schools to teach the Bible and the Ten Commandments. It comes weeks after Louisiana mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Stephanie Sy discussed more with Ryan Walters, the author of the order and Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public education.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who issued this directive for Oklahoma schools to begin teaching the Bible and the Ten Commandments?
- When will this mandate begin to take effect?
- What are potential consequences for teachers who don't comply?
- How does the education head justify the inclusion of the Bible in American history lessons?
- Why do critics argue that this is unconstitutional?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why do you think Oklahoma has instituted this rule now? What has changed in the legal landscape that makes the new directive possible?
Media literacy: How can students research and find different viewpoints on the Oklahoma directive?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do: Learn more about where funding for religious schools comes from. In this video, analysts discuss the problems with using public vouchers for private religious schools.
This post was written by Raegan Lusk, a senior at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and an intern with PBS NewsHour Classroom, and edited by NewsHour's Luke Gerwe.
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