Lessons from The Teacher Press

The purpose of "Humanist Education Lesson Plans: Curriculum Resources for the Life Span" is both to develop -- and identify -- teaching resources that can be used in Humanist Education programs for children, youth and adults of all ages. Recently we came across an incredibly useful resource called "The Teacher Press" and, because it is so appropriate for Humanist groups and so excellently done, we are giving it a "ringing endorsement"! It is clearly appropriate in several of the categories in the Kochhar Humanist Education Center's curriculum focuses, e.g., Critical Thinking, Secular Values and Virtues, and Building and Maintaining Relationships.

We begin by sharing several items from their web site which we strongly recommend that you review in its entirety: http://www.angelfire.com/biz/tchpr.

From the section on "Our Perspectives": The teaching units are described as "interdisciplinary, concept-oriented, durable, open-ended and economical to use. A limited number of fundamental ideas taken from natural science, history and the social sciences are focused upon a particular theme -- such as religion.... Students are expected to provide illustrations and examples from their lives. This makes them junior but essential partners in the learning process...."

The section on "Contents" provides a brief overview of the units which are non-sectarian and which stress critical thinking, e.g.: Thinking Logically, Thinking About the "Mysterious", Prejudice in Group Relations, Thinking About Religion, Family Group Living, and Ways to Influence People. All of these contain a student text and teaching manuals as well as lesson plans, student activities, readings, essay topics, evaluation activities, and bibliographies. Each unit is self-contained and designed for 2 to 3 weeks of study. You also will find sample lessons such as one on "The Decalogue: Bible Scholarship for Use Today" which consists of an 8 page lesson on the historical study of a Bible theme that is linked to a current "hot topic."

Let's take a closer look at these publications since they are so relevant to Humanist education:

Thinking Logically: A Study of Common Fallacies concentrates on 13 "thinking faults" such as over-generalization, singular causation, illogical analogy, either/or thinking, manipulative word play, authority posturing, and the like.

Thinking About the "Mysterious" helps students "understand occultist and psychic subterfuge" including such non-scientific practices as astrology.

Prejudice in Group Relations focuses on the nature of prejudice and the effects of prejudice, among other related issues.

Thinking About Religion includes chapters in religion and morality, religion and science, and religion and human life.

Family Group Living includes an anthropologist's perspective on understanding family forms - as well as durable relationships.

Ways to Influence People compares intellectual persuasion, propaganda, direct-action demonstrations and "animal training" techniques. It also is intended to help students understand how to make changes in their communities.

Another resource is the History of the Hebrew Bible: Current Academic Understandings which addresses such questions as: When was Genesis first put in written form and how does this information help us deal with creationists? When did the Old Testament become a closed book -- and why? How does it relate to the New Testament and the Koran?

The 30-page teaching resource which we will look at in greater depth is The Golden Rule: Basis for Morality and Ethics (2005) by Brant Abrahamson and Fred Smith A version of the publication also can be found on-line at -- www.scarboromissions.ca/Golden_rule/school_curriculum.php

The Table of Contents includes thought-provoking Student Lessons and the Teacher's Manual. The lessons include: The Golden Rule as a Standard for Moral/Ethical Conduct, A History of Golden Rule Ethics, and When the Rule became the "Golden" Rule. The Teacher's Manual includes sections on The Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments, Using the Golden Rule in Difficult Situations, "The Golden Rule from McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader, Questions and Projects, Multiple Choice Questions, and an Addenda: More Discussion Questions.

The following is just a brief sampler of some of the suggested questions and student projects:

Felix Adler (1851-1933) was the founder of the non-religious Society for Ethical Culture. He proposed this guideline: "Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby the best in yourself." In your judgment, is this guideline a useful addition to the Golden Rule? Does it illuminate the message of the Golden Rule? What reasoning supports your answer?
What happens in a society if people generally fail to follow The Golden Rule? If the members of a society fail to follow the Golden Rule and social disorder results, can order then be imposed through more and stricter laws? Through harsher punishments? Explain?
How do you explain the following kinds of anti-Golden Rule statements? "Do others or they will do you." Or "Do to others as they would do to you if they had the chance."
Are these examples of the Golden Rule? A mentally ill man who hurts others so others will hurt him.

a. Doing to others the bad things that they have already done to you.

b. Doing to others what you think they would do to you if given the chance.

c. Using "An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth" as a guide when mistreated.

d. Giving someone a gift hoping that he will give you a more costly one.

What would you say to a child who hits his brother and justifies his act by saying, "He did it to me first! I just got even."
Would you advise a timid boy or girl to use the Golden Rule if picked on by a classroom bully? Why, or why not?
Why would the Golden Rule make a more appropriate public school display than the Ten Commandments? Explain.
Use the Internet to:

e. find additional ancient and modern variations of the Golden Rule (there are many).

f. find additional references to the specific "Golden Rule" title that were used in the United States before the Civil War.

g. provide class members with a short biography of one person-mentioned in this lesson-who championed the use of the Golden Rule.

h. provide class members with a short biography of one historical or modern person-not mentioned in this lesson-whose life embodied the Golden Rule.

What evidence, if any, can be found to demonstrate that worldwide progress has been made in using the Golden Rule as a moral guide? Explain.
Is "following the Golden Rule" all that's needed to live a moral life?

i. Yes, because ___________________________, or

j. No, because ____________________________.

What new perspectives, if any, has this lesson provided for you? Has it caused you to think about your own ways of responding to people and situations? If so, how? If not, why not? Do you already follow the Rule?

In addition to Multiple Choice questions, an addenda of discussion questions includes the following items as well as several others:

To what extent are mottos such as "Do a good deed every day," or "Engage in random acts of kindness" similar to the Golden Rule? How are they different?
Think about soldiers who lose their lives trying to save their fellow soldiers in combat-or any person who dies trying to rescue others. Are these examples of the Golden Rule? Explain.

About the authors: Brant Abrahamson and Fred Smith. Both are career history and social studies teachers who reside in the Chicago area. Both are members of the American Humanist Association and their local chapter, the Humanists of Suburban Chicagoland. Brant Abrahamson's degrees are from Augustana College (BA) and the University of Iowa (MA). He was a textbook editor (Laidlaw Brothers) in 1967-68 and was selected as an Illinois Master Teacher in 1986. Fred Smith graduated from the University of Chicago (BA) and Northern Illinois University (MA).

As they taught, they became increasingly disturbed by the deficiencies of standard textbooks, and they began developing alternative materials for their students. Some of their lessons and units also have been published by GSP, Tucson, AZ, and The Teachers' Press, Brookfield, Illinois, U.S.A., 60513.

The authors encourage the reproduction of the Golden Rule lesson. In addition they encourage the duplication of any of their units once a master copy has been received. Moreover, the master copy for any one unit can be received without charge. All that is needed is an e-mail request with a mailing address in the U. S. or Canada. Educators and youth leaders are free to forward, download and reprint it provided the following credit is given:

The authors can be contacted at teacherspr@aol.com