Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, but teaching it in the classroom can be difficult. Students may not have been exposed to Islam before, or what they have heard may be characterized by misinformation and stereotypes. In reality, Islam is a huge and varied tradition with a long history, fascinating contributions to society, and a modern population with incredibly diverse lives, beliefs and practices. Learning about other religions is important — a study by the First Amendment Center found that teaching world religions in the classroom has a positive effect on students’ views on similarities between major religions, religious freedoms, and the importance of civil liberties in general.
Click here for a guide on how to address difficult topics in the classroom, and find below a collection of resources for educators: articles, books, and infographics to inform how you teach Islam, lesson plans and scripts to help plan your curriculum, and multimedia resources like novels, films, and podcasts to supplement your own lesson plans.
Recommended Topics to Discuss
- The history of Islam
- Muslim practices and holidays
- Similarities and differences between Islam and the other Abrahamic religions
- Sunni Islam vs. Shia Islam
- Muslim demographics – are all Muslims Arabs, or vice versa? (hint: no!)
- Muslims in America (in-depth resource guide to come, so make sure you’re signed up for future newsletters!)
Background Information
- 10 Things to Know About Islam from the TeachMideast website
- What’s Missing in the Teaching of Islam from the TeachMideast website
- Timeline of Early Islamic History from the TeachMideast website
- Sunni vs. Shia explainer from the Council on Foreign Relations
- Educator’s Guide to Muslim Religious Practices from the Council on American Islamic Relations
- Infographic: The World’s Muslims: Religion, Politics, and Society from Pew Research Center
- Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
- Islamicity is a great website too explore – too much background info to link!
- Introduction to Islam a video from Khan Academy
Lesson Plans and Teaching Guides
- Lesson plans, PowerPoints, and scripts on Islam and other faiths from Islamic Networks Group. Registration is required for access, but it’s free!
- Lesson plan with handouts and activities on The Five Pillars of Islam from PBS
- Access Islam is a website designed to support teaching Islam to grades 4-8, and has downloadable lesson plans, short videos, and glossaries of terms.
- Islam: Myths and Realities Powerpoint and notes from the University of Arizona Center for Middle East Studies
- Lesson plans on Islam in Southeast Asia from the Asia Society
Films & Documentaries
- The Message: The Story of Islam is a dramatized epic depicting the founding of Islam (DVD)
- Allah Made Me Funny follows three comedians on a tour covering Islam, comedy and stepping outside our cultural perceptions (online for purchase)
- One Day in the Haram is a beautifully shot documentary about Mecca, one of the holiest locations in Islam (online for purchase)
- PBS: Islam: Empire of Faith (free online)
- BBC: The Life of Muhammad (free online)
YouTube Videos
- AJ+: What’s the Difference Between Shia and Sunni Islam?
- CrashCourse: Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars, All Without a Flamewar
- Vox: What Does it Mean to be a Muslim? There are 1.7 Billion Answers
- Teen Vogue: #AskAMuslimGirl series
- TedTalk: What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman’s hijab?
- NYT Opinion: The Secret History of Muslims in the U.S.
- NowThis World: What Does “Jihad” Actually Mean?
- TedEd: On Reading the Quran
- An award-winning Quran reciter reading the story of Noah in Dubai mosque
- The Muslim call to prayer in Mecca
Books
- Nonfiction
- Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed is a deep dive into thousands of interviews with Muslims conducted by Gallup Polls
- And a teaching guide from TeachMideast
- Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World by Shelina Janmohamed is a nonfiction book surveying young Muslims on their beliefs, fashion, internet dating, politics, and more
- No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan is a foundational and readable scholarly intro to Islam
- Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary is a narrative-style history of Islam
- Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed is a deep dive into thousands of interviews with Muslims conducted by Gallup Polls
- Fiction
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a bestselling graphic novel about a girl coming of age during the Iranian Islamic Revolution
- Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson is a sci-fi novel about djinn (Islamic genies), hacking, and faith
- The Taqwacores by Michael Muhammad Knight is a novel about a fictional Muslim punk movement
- Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed is a fantasy adventure novel about sorcery, ghul (demons from Islamic mythology), and swordfighting (and it’s a series!)
- And more from Lithub: 10 Contemporary Novels By and About Muslims You Should Read
Podcasts
- Muslims in America from NPR, a radio series on what it means to be a young American Muslim
- Three Islamic Truths from Philosophize This! discusses three schools of thought on “truth” in Islamic philosophy
- Islam and the U.S. from Backstory on America’s long and surprising relationship with Islam and Muslims
- Islamic Extremism in the Modern World from 15 Minute History (A UT Austin Project) briefly discusses Islamic extremism today and how to approach it in the classroom
- Islam’s Enigmatic Origins from 15 Minute History reexamines what we actually know about the life of the Prophet Muhammad
Local Resources
- Are you looking for someone local to talk to your class about Islam – maybe a local faith leader, organizer, or imam? Search IslamicFinder for a database of mosques and Islamic center in your area, and consider reaching out. Many people are happy to come share their religion and culture with a classroom.