Teaching without Fear, Part 8: The Pledge of Allegiance in Your Classroom

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Many students recite the Pledge of Allegiance without thinking about its meaning. They’ve done it their whole lives in schools, but most likely have never been taught what each phrase means.I recommend teachers take a few minutes and lead their classes in discussions about the Pledge. Why do we pledge allegiance to a flag? What do words like “indivisible,” “liberty” and “justice” mean? And, why do we say “One nation under God”?   

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Step 1: Write each phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance on the board.

Step 2: Lead students in a discussion of the meaning of each word or phrase. Lesson script:

Introduction: Today, let’s spend a few minutes learning about each part of the Pledge. You could look at the Pledge as having two parts: a dedication to our country and a description of our country.

A Dedication to Our Country

The first thing we say in the Pledge is, “I pledge allegiance.” What does it mean to make a pledge? [Invite answers] To make a pledge means to make a promise.

What does the word allegiance mean? [Invite answers] Allegiance means to be faithful or loyal. It means people can count on you to be on their side.

So, we say, “I pledge allegiance to the flag.” Why the flag? [Invite answers] Because, the flag is a symbol of our fifty states joined together to be one country. When we say the Pledge, we are promising to be faithful to our country.

The next thing we say in the Pledge is “of the United States of America.” That’s our country.

Then, we say, “and to the Republic for which it stands.” One of the really good ideas that bond us together as Americans is our loyalty to the way we govern ourselves - as a republic. That simply means that we elect people to represent us when they lead our country for a certain amount of time. They are accountable to us for the job they do. So, the flag is a representation of our country.

A Description of Our Country

Next, the Pledge describes our republic by highlighting four important parts. It describes America as “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Let’s think about each part of that.

“One Nation under God.” The people who started our country (people like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) believed that the government doesn’t give us our freedom.

They believed that our freedom comes from God. They created our government to make sure that our God-given freedom is protected. That’s what they wrote in the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence is a very special document they wrote in 1776 to declare (or announce) why they wanted to be a separate (or independent) country from England. (Read the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence.)

So, when we say “one Nation under God” in the Pledge we are reminding ourselves what the people who founded our country believed about God giving us our freedom and our government being there to protect that freedom.

Then, we say in the Pledge, “indivisible.” What does that mean? [Invite answers] It means we won’t be divided. It means that we pledge ourselves to stay together as a country, even when we disagree with each other.

The Pledge ends with the phrase, “with liberty and justice for all.” Liberty means freedom, and we commit ourselves to such liberties as the freedom to have our religion, the freedom to gather together with other people, and the freedom to speak our minds. We also commit ourselves to justice, which means being fair and right in our judgment of people.

By reciting the Pledge, we remind ourselves of these important ideas about America. Let’s all stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

RESOURCES:

Click here to purchase a copy of AMERICA'S STORY: The History of the Pledge of Allegiance

Click here to purchase a beautiful poster explaining each phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance

Click here for our Pledge Lesson Plan

Teaching without Fear, Part 6: Christmas in Your Classroom

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Many educators want to teach about Christmas but are afraid to do so. Their fear usually stems from complaints they have had (or think they will have) from parents, administrators, or colleagues. The good news is, schools and teachers CAN teach about the religious aspects of holidays as an important part of learning about American culture.

Part of a Student's Education In the case of Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, upheld the constitutionality of the school's policy on religious holidays. The policy stated:

"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."

Reading the Christmas Story In Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court stated "The Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like."

Christmas Carols The Supreme Court assumes your school is having children sing Christmas carols. In Lynch v. Donnelly, dealing with the public display of a nativity scene, the Court commented:

"To forbid the use of this one passive symbol while hymns and carols are sung and played in public places including schools, and while Congress and state legislatures open public sessions with prayers, would be an overreaction contrary to this Nation's history and this Court's holdings." (Emphasis added)

The largest organization of public school music teachers, the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), states that "the study and performance of religious music within an educational context is a vital and appropriate part of a comprehensive music education. The omission of sacred music from the school curriculum would result in an incomplete educational experience."

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Terminology It may be helpful to use the term "recognizing Christmas" rather than "celebrating Christmas." Using the word "celebrate" may cause some people to feel that you are promoting religious participation in the holiday. There is a difference between "participating" in the holiday in a devotional manner and "recognizing" the holiday in an engaging academic manner.

It is also best to teach about Christmas using words of attribution such as: "Christians believe...;" "The Bible says...;" "Christmas is special for Christians because...;" and so forth.

Nativity scenes can be used as teaching aids to illustrate the cultural lesson regarding the birth of Jesus. They are not to be permanent fixtures in the classroom.

Christmas carols can be sung as educational experiences for culture understanding; not religious experiences. In a musical program it is best to include non-religious songs like "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty the Snowman" along with traditional carols.Reading the story of the birth of Jesus to students is permissible to help students gain a basic academic familiarity with a person who has influenced so many people throughout history in government, art, literature, music, and social movements.

Presented with an eye toward education, not endorsement or devotion, recognizing the religious aspects of Christmas is a legitimate academic activity.  

RESOURCES:

Gateways Christmas Resources

VIDEO: Just Say "Merry Christmas." Watch this 5-minute video of a religious Jew urging American's to say "Merry Christmas." 

SHOP: Give "A Gift for Teacher" to educators you know. It is an eight-page booklet designed to look like a greeting card. It uses a humorous story where Santa explains what can legally be done at Christmas.

The card includes a model policy, quotes from court cases, and lesson plan ideas. An envelope is provided.

Teaching without Fear, Part 4: The Ten Commandments in Public Schools

Posting the Ten Commandments in public schools has recently been in the news in Texas and Georgia. I understand the desire to “take a stand” for God in our schools, and posting the Ten Commandments is seen by some as such a stand to take. However, I encourage educators to move beyond the symbolism of a plaque on a wall and, instead, focus on teaching about the influence of the Ten Commandments within an academic subject. The Supreme Court actually supports this use of the Ten Commandments in public schools. In the case of Stone v. Graham the Supreme Court addressed the issue of using the Ten Commandments in Kentucky public schools. A state law required posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom with private funding and with a statement at the bottom of the poster pointing out that “secular application of the Ten Commandments is clearly seen in its adoption as the fundamental legal code of Western Civilization and the Common Law of the United States.”

The Supreme Court found this unacceptable because:

“The Commandments do not confine themselves to arguably secular matters, such as honoring one's parents, killing or murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, and covetousness. Rather, the first part of the Commandments concerns the religious duties of believers: worshipping the Lord God alone, avoiding idolatry, not using the Lord's name in vain, and observing the Sabbath Day.”

While the Court ruled that in this particular case the Ten Commandments couldn’t be posted in the way the Kentucky law required, the Court also went out of its way to note:

“This is not a case in which the Ten Commandments are integrated into the school curriculum, where the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like. Posting of religious texts on the wall serves no such educational function.” (Emphasis added)

When appropriately connected to an academic subject, the Supreme Court supports public school educators teaching students about the Ten Commandments. Substance over symbolism is much better ground on which to take a stand.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Review your state’s academic standards for references to the Ten Commandments. For example, in Georgia students are to “explain the development of monotheism including the concepts developed by the ancient Hebrews.” In Texas, students are to “identify the impact of political and legal ideas contained in the following documents…the Jewish Ten Commandments.”

If your state is using Common Core English/Language Arts standards, the Bible is referenced four times for its relevance to literature. An English teacher recently told me how she uses this to teach about the Ten Commandments as the students read The Crucible.

Because of the influence of the Ten Commandments on Western culture, as the Supreme Court pointed out, they are relevant to teaching students about a variety of topics such as ethics (for example, bearing false witness), social movements (MLK Jr. developed his own “Ten Commandments”), legal issues (for example, murder and theft), and holidays (for example, Shavuot, is a Jewish celebration of the Torah and Ten Commandments. Pentecost is a Christian holiday during the same time as Shavuot).

Watch a series of 5-minute videos on the Ten Commandments that may give you ideas for their cultural relevance. They are produced by commentator, Dennis Prager. CLICK HERE.

Teaching without Fear, Part 3: Addressing Religious Holidays at School

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Thanksgiving and Christmas will soon be here. Do you need to strip them of their religious meaning when you recognize them in a public school? No, you don’t.This question was addressed in the federal court case of Lynch versus Sioux Falls School District. The school district had a very common-sense approach to handling holidays. It stated:

“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.”

The ACLU didn’t like it and sued the school district. And…the ACLU lost at the local level. It appealed to the federal level, and lost again. In its ruling the Court wrote:

“We view the thrust of these rules to be the advancement of the students’ knowledge of society’s cultural and religious heritage as well as the provision of an opportunity for students to perform a full range of music, poetry, and drama that is likely to be of interest to the students and their audience.

“It would be literally impossible to develop a public school curriculum that did not in some way affect the religious or nonreligious sensibilities of some of the students or their parents. School administrators should, of course, be sensitive to the religious beliefs or disbeliefs of their constituents and should attempt to avoid conflict, but they need not and should not sacrifice the quality of the students’ education.”

Sadly, in too many schools today the quality of the students’ education is being sacrificed because of misinformation. People are saying, “We can’t do this! The courts are all against it! It’s illegal! We’re going be sued!”

The fact of the matter is, the courts have supported appropriate inclusion of religion in the curriculum, whether it involves studying about it or recognizing it in relation to a holiday.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

1. See if your school district already has a policy regarding recognition of holidays. If so, be sure to quote the policy on any holiday-related assignments or communication going home to families.

2. If your school district doesn’t have a policy regarding holidays, recommend your school board adopt the Sioux Falls School District policy which has already stood the test of ACLU lawsuits.

3. When communicating with students, parents, and colleagues, refer to acknowledging or recognizing a holiday. You should not celebrate it. Not everyone celebrates a particular holiday, but anyone can recognize it in fun and educational ways that include music, art, literature, and drama.

To purchase Gateways Holiday Cards to share with colleagues or your children’s teachers visit our SHOP.

New Jersey School Board Stands by "Under God" Flag

The East Hanover (New Jersey) Board of Education decided against removing the “One Nation Under God” flags from East Hanover Middle School and the Frank J. Smith Elementary School. This came in response to a letter from the atheist group, Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), asking for the removal of the two flags that fly below the American flags.It is worth noting that FFRF isn't just against the display of "One Nation Under God" on a flag. It also opposes the phrase being in the Pledge of Allegiance, as well.

This isn't the first time "under God" has come under attack in New Jersey. In 2015, the Superior Court of New Jersey found in favor of keeping "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance after being challenged by atheists. In American Humanist Association v. Matawan–Aberdeen Regional School District the Court gave this inspiring statement:

"Over and over, from the writings of the founders of the Constitutions of both the United States and the State of New Jersey, emerges a faith in, and a reliance and even dependency upon God to help secure the blessings of liberties and freedom attendant upon good governance....

"[T]he founders of our present 1947 New Jersey Constitution saw fit to preface that document by expressing the gratitude of the people of this state 'to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy,' and the hope that God would 'bless[ ]...our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations.' The preamble to the 1947 Constitution is identical to the preamble to the Constitution of 1844.

"Indeed, the New Jersey Constitution, in various permutations since 1776, has made explicit references to 'Almighty God.' Under plaintiffs' reasoning, the very Constitution under which plaintiffs seek redress for perceived atheistic marginalization could itself be deemed unconstitutional, an absurd proposition which plaintiffs do not and cannot advance here. (Emphasis added)

"...Moreover, the words 'under God' are now as interwoven through the fabric of the Pledge of Allegiance as the threads of red, white, and blue into the fabric of the flag to which the pledge is recited. As a matter of historical tradition, the words “under God” can no more be expunged from the national consciousness than the words “In God We Trust” from every coin in the land, than the words “so help me God” from every presidential oath since 1789, or than the prayer that has opened every congressional session of legislative business since 1787." (For more information, visit The Becket Fund.)

Maybe the East Hanover schools should begin posting -- in every classroom -- the preamble to the New Jersey Constitution as a civics lesson:

"We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Or, they could just summarize it with the words "one nation under God." Either way, teachers need to instruct their students on why "under God" is so important to our nation, their state, and their own lives. (Read my blog on this.)

As students grow into adulthood they will not defend what they do not cherish, and they will not cherish what they do not understand.