Lesson Summary:

This lesson by Tolerance.org is not designed exclusively for Jewish students, so educators can adapt the lesson to fit their community's needs.

This lesson is the first in a series called “The Rich Tapestry of Religion in the United States.” The overall goals of the series are to help students explore the similarities and differences among different faith traditions, learn that there is no one “right” belief system, identify the implications of living in a country whose religious freedom has engendered tremendous religious diversity, and consider their own responses to those who believe differently than they do.

In this introductory lesson, students are introduced to the word “belief.” They learn about several different religions and examine how many people across the United States follow those religions, and how many follow no religion at all.