World Religions Curricula

For All Ages - From UUA and Non-UUA Sources

Primary (Grades 1-3)   |   Elementary (Grades 4-6)   |   Junior High/Middle School (Grades 7-8)   |   Senior High (Grades 9-12)   |   Adult

Primary (Grades 1-3)

Picture Book World Religions by Kate Tweedie Erslev. 15 sessions. An introduction to Hindu, Islamic, and Buddhist faiths for Kindergarteners thru 2nd Graders. 15 sessons designed for 15 engaging picture books. (Kate Tweedie Erslev, 2006)

Elementary (Grades 4-6)

Buddhism by Rachel Brown. 8 sessions. Activity-based lessons focused on the life and teachings of the Buddha. This curriculum focuses on how to teach about Buddhism rather than on the content of Buddhism. Information about Buddhism must be found in the resources used in the curriculum. Activities are designed for people new to both Buddhism and the religious education classroom. (Rachel Brown, 1998)

God Images by Mary Ann Moore. 25 sessions. This year-long curriculum engages children in their own religious quests. Allows for personal decision making in the context of lively discussion and creative activity. Presents God images that are derived from the Jewish and Christian traditions, from several world religions, and from modern science. (Jim Moore, 1987)

Holidays and Holy Days: A Whole Year of Celebrations by Charlene Brotman, Barbara Marshman, and Ann Fields. In this program, participants learn about the origins and meanings of holiday and holy day celebrations. The authors state, "Holidays are the natural, age-old vehicle of religious socialization. Their festivities tell a story which children absorb with delight, through experiences far more than through words. Decorations, colors, costumes, dances, lights, songs, foods, festivity, gifts, excitement, pageantry, solemnity, ceremony, and ritual: it is of these that tradition is woven, that memories, beliefs, values, fears, hopes, and reverence are transmitted. A holiday is not something to talk about . . . it's something to DO." The program is divided into three calendar sections: fall, winter, and spring. (Brotman-Marshfield, 1983)

Honoring Our Mother Earth:: Experiences in Native American Spirituality by Tirrell H. Kimball with Gina Orlando. 6 sessions. This program teaches young people the need to revere and preserve all living things. While it draws on the authors' understandings of Native American spirituality, it is not a study of Native American cultures and religions. Experiential in approach, it uses ceremonies and rituals, myths and stories, song and dance, and arts and crafts. (Green Timber Publications, 1988)

Islam: Activity Based Lessons for Upper Elementary Students by Rachel Brown. 9 sessions. This curriculum introduces children to the beliefs, history, and traditions of Islam through activities and discussion. (Rachel Brown, 2000)

Junior High/Middle School (Grades 7-8)

Neighboring Faiths: Exploring Religion with Junior High Youth by Christine Reed and Patricica Hoertdoerfer. 34 sessions. Inspired by the UU classic, Church Across the Street, this yearlong curriculum helps youth in grades 7-9 learn about their own Faith and other faith traditions through interactive experience such as field trips and interviews. These encounters with other religions are given meaning through periods of reflection and discussion about Unitarian Universalist and personal beliefs and values. (UUA, 1997) At UUA Bookstore.

Senior High (Grades 9-12)

Neighboring Faiths: Exploring Religion with Junior High Youth by Christine Reed and Patricica Hoertdoerfer. 34 sessions. Inspired by the UU classic, Church Across the Street, this yearlong curriculum helps youth in grades 7-9 learn about their own Faith and other faith traditions through interactive experience such as field trips and interviews. These encounters with other religions are given meaning through periods of reflection and discussion about Unitarian Universalist and personal beliefs and values. (UUA, 1997) At UUA Bookstore.

Sacred Threads: An Asian Religions Curriculum for High School Youth by Jeff Liebmann. 20 sessions. This curriculum introduces high school youth to some of the basic concepts, beliefs, and practices of major Asian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Zen, and various folk religions. (Jeff Liebmann, 1997)

Truth and Meaning: Questions about the Western Religious Heritage of Unitarian Universalism for High School Youth by Jeff Liebmann. 25 sessions. This curriculum for high-school youth explores questions about Western religions that young people encounter in their daily lives. In particular, it compares and contrasts Unitarian Universalism with other Western religions. The sessions are grounded in the format of questions about religious practices and theological concepts, life and afterlife, religious "extremes," religious prejudice, and dogma and creeds. Rather than offer concrete answers, the questions invite youth to develop their own answers. (Jeff Liebmann, 1998)

Adult

God Images (Adult Supplement) by Mary Ann Moore. Encourages adults to explore their own processes of God imaging with reference to images of God in many religious traditions and in scientific models of reality. May be purchased separately from or as a supplement to the children's program (see God Images in Elementary section). (Jim Moore, 1986)

Paganism 101: A Unitarian Exploration of the New Paganism by Louise Bunn. 9 sessions. This nine-session introduction to “what Paganism is (and isn’t)” is both informative and participatory in its structure. Although the rituals are initially led by the course’s leader, as time passes they are performed by the participants. The emphasis for the participants is to receive a taste of Pagan practices and to know they can repeat and modify them if they wish. To this end, participants are provided with a “Book of Shadows” in which to record their reflections on the material in the course. (Louise Bunn, 1998)

Rise Up and Call Her Name: A Woman-honoring Journey Into Global Earth-based Spiritualities by Elizabeth Fisher. 13 sessions. This multimedia program provides a unique format for learning about goddesses from a variety of traditions, hearing and telling personal stories, creating sacred art, participating in rituals, talking about important questions in feminist spirituality, and engaging in personal discovery. Includes a leader's guide, video, 2 audiocassettes, sourcebook and journal, and a goddess booklet. (Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, 1994)

Understanding the World's Religious: A Study Guide to Huston Smith's The World's Religions by Gary Kowalski. 9 sessions. This study guide to Huston Smith’s classic work The World’s Religions (originally published in 1958 as The Religions of Man) follows its source—nine sessions for each nine chapters—offering suggested questions for discussion by a small group. Following up on our Unitarian Universalist tradition of interest in other religions, this guide offers anyone the chance to become better acquainted with the major faith traditions of the world. (UUA, 1997)

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