An Educator's Handbook for Teaching about Religion in Public Schools.

During the first 6 months of 1996, a task force of teachers, administrators, and community members in the Lane Education Service District (Eugene, Oregon) studied issues and practices related to teaching about religion in public school classrooms. The task force sought to develop a framework for teaching about religion and its appropriate inclusion in the curriculum and to develop a list of resources for school-district use and support. This handbook, a product of the task force, discusses points of special concern, provides answers to frequently asked questions about religion in the curriculum, offers a framework for curriculum content, and offers recommendations for teachers' professional development. Appendices contain examples of legal support for two approaches to defining religion, policy guidelines, a position statement and guidelines from the National Council for the Social Studies, and a summary of the Williamsburg Charter principles. The resource section contains lists of publications, visual material, media kits, organizations, and curriculum projects. (LMI)