Events
Your AAR staff continues to work toward holding the Annual Meeting in Boston, Nov. 21-24, 2020. We are aware of the uncertainty and contradictory projections related to the COVID-19 pandemic and with health and safety as a priority, we will continue monitoring the guidance of governments and health experts as we plan and make decisions. Should any changes need to be made related to the 2020 Annual Meeting, we will promptly notify you.
Open Registration:
All remaining regional meetings for 2020 have been canceled
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 K-12 Social Studies Guidelines for the Academic Study of Religion
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) includes a supplement to its College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for the academic study of religion in K-12 social studies instruction. The “Religious Studies Companion Document for the C3 Framework” (pp. 92–97, June 2017) recognizes religious studies as an essential part of the social studies curriculum. The C3 Framework is widely used by state and school district curriculum experts for social studies standards and curriculum development. The entire C3 Framework including the new companion document is available at www.socialstudies.org/c3.
The C3 Framework pairs fundamental college and career education with civic life, uniting students and educators to build upon NCSS’s longstanding position that citizens must acknowledge the past, understand their changing cultural and physical environments, and act in ways that promote the common good. The Companion Document—which is the product of a teacher-led initiative that launched at a conference for educators at Prospect High School in Mt. Prospect, IL—was developed by educators, school administrators, and subject matter experts from Harvard University and Rice University, with the support of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and of the Religious Freedom Center (RFC) of the Newseum Institute.
The Companion Document builds upon the AAR Guidelines for Teaching about Religion in K‑12 Public Schools in the United States, published in 2010. The academic approach used in the NCSS Supplement—initially articulated by James V. Panoch and adopted by the First Amendment Center—encourages student awareness of religions, but not acceptance of a particular religion; studying about religion, but not practicing religion; exposing students to a diversity of religious views, but not imposing any particular view; and educating students about all religions, but not promoting or denigrating religion.
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