About This Lesson
Throughout the 20th century, the meaning of the First Amendment's establishment clause provoked debate, especially on the issue of prayer. The related issue of Bible readings has also prompted great controversy. First, students read about the historic Supreme Court case of Abington Township v. Schempp (1963) that made devotional, school-led Bible readings unconstitutional. Then, in a role-play activity, students apply judicial standards to a proposed Bible course in public school.
