The institute featured lectures by experts and fieldtrips to historic Richmond sites.  Teachers re-examined religious freedom through the lens of the religious institutions and the believers who participated in them.  They learned about the evolution of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, the First Amendment, the First and Second Great Awakenings, suppression of Native American worship, the rise of the Abolition and Temperance Movements, slave religions, the Civil Rights Movement, and the immigrant experience.  As a part of the week-long institute, teachers prepared lesson plans based on their institute experience, local Standards of Learning requirements, and their curriculum.  We invite you to visit the links below to view their lesson plans (PDF).

Elementary School Lesson Plans

George Mason
A Lesson about the Life and Contributions of Thomas Jefferson

Middle/Junior High School Lesson Plans

The First Amendment: Establishment and Free Exercise of Religion
Religious Persecution in Virginia
State and Federal Constitutional Religious Liberty Rights
Hypocritical Polices Against Freedom or Religion
Characteristics of the Colonies
The Struggle for Equality

High School Lesson Plans

First Amendment Religion Clauses
Examining the Bill of Rights with Emphasis on Religious Freedom
Understanding Rights and Privileges
The Impact of Religious Policy on Civil Liberties
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
The Temperance Movement
Exploring Religious Freedom and Historical Perspectives during George Washington's Presidency
The Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause
Spirituals...the Song of Father


Footprints of Religious Freedom was a week-long summer institute for teachers of 3rd through 12th-grade students living in the Greater Richmond, Tri-Cities and surrounding areas. For more information, email us at caff@firstfreedom.org.