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Handout
2
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Random House

Focus On: Censorship & Banned Books

For Students 6th - 12th
Billy Collins' "Rain" introduces the Random House 104-page magazine for educators that focuses on censorship and banned books. The resource is packed with teaching guides, articles by noted authors, and links to organizations against...
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Handout
Curated OER

Banned Books

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should people be able to ban books from schools and libraries if they find them objectionable? Scholars read the three main pros and cons regarding banned books. They also review a list of the top 10 challenged books from 2017 and...
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Lesson Plan
1
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K20 LEARN

To Ban or Not to Ban? Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After examining different perspectives on book banning, scholars select a book from a list of frequently banned books and research the controversies surrounding it. They then craft an argument about their chosen book, including arguments...
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Lesson Plan
2
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My Access

“Banning Books” Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
To Kill a Mockingbird, Hunger Games, Brave New World. Welcome to Banned Books Week. As part of a study of censorship and book banning, class members investigate censorship, the purposes of censorship, and First Amendment rights,...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Curated OER

Ban That Book!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Take advantage of Banned Book Week to pique high schoolers' interest and get them reading! Create a classroom display of previously banned books and allow each member of your class to choose one to read. After they have read their book,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look at the History of Book Banning in America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Why do books end up on the banned book list? How do these banned books contribute to the literary canon? Start by showing the photo slide show, and discussing notably banned books. Then focus on some of the most popular objections:...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Why are Children’s and Young Adult Books Challenged and Banned?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
September's "Banned Books Week" brings attention to the number of books that are challenged, censored, or banned each year. After watching a video about banned book week, reading articles about the history of book banning, and examining...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
PBS

The History of Book Banning in America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Harry Potter, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, To Kill a Mockingbird. Kids view a slide show and then discuss the seven banned books featured in the presentation and the reasons why the books may have been banned.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
K20 LEARN

Trigger Warnings - Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 1

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Warning: Conducting this lesson may be harmful." Such statements, called "Trigger Warnings," are the focus of a two-part lesson that looks at censorship, especially the pros and cons of trigger warnings. Class members read two articles,...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Banned Book Week: Tips for Teaching Censorship

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Consider how book censorship erodes our right to free speech and intellectual freedom.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am a Book

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discuss books that have been banned and the things that they have in common. They explore the concept of freedom of speech and write poems based on their discussion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

First Amendment Guarantee of Free Speech (Senior, Social Studies)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students receive a list of banned books from which they choose one to read. They read their chosen book and write a paper that includes a discussion of the First Amendment and its guarantees and the reason(s) why they believe their book...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Censorship in the Classroom: Understanding Controversial Issues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine propaganda and media bias and explore a variety of banned and challenged books. Following this, students choose a side of the censorship issue and support their position by developing an ad campaign about the banned book...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Banned Book Week Lessons

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students are surprised when they discover how many books are challenged each year.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Socratic Seminar

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
After reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and an article about the use of the novel, class members engage in a Socratic seminar focused on whether or not Twain's book should be banned.
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Top Ten Thought-Provoking Teen Books

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Teen Read Week is a time to explore books that get everyone thinking and talking.
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Almost Famous: Three People Who Aren't in the History Books

For Teachers K - 6th
Enrich your history lessons with books about three little known figures: Thomas Banning, Annie Taylor, and Tony Sarg.
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Study Guide
Penguin Books

Teacher's Guide: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelous

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is controversial. Like many other Angelou books, it is frequently challenged or banned from schools. In fact, Angelou is one of the most frequently banned authors in the United States. An...
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Activity
Prestwick House

Fahrenheit 451—Activity Pack

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
The burning questions is at what point do readers of Fahrenheit 451 recognize the many literary devices Ray Bradbury employs in his dystopian classic that warns of  a society that uses media to indoctrinate the public and denigrates...
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Activity
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Teaching Tolerance

Civil Rights Activity Book

For Students 4th - 6th
An activity booklet includes a timeline of the movement, a song, and various informational reading passages on leaders, events, and the Civil Rights Memorial in Washington DC. Reading response questions and word puzzles are sure to...
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Lesson Plan
University of Virginia

Analyzing Social Commentary in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn continues to be one of the most frequently banned books. The satire and social commentary present challenges when using the book as a core text. Direct readers' attention to how Twain uses plot,...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Penguin Books

An Educator's Guide to the Works of Laurie Halse Anderson

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Laurie Halse Anderson tackles challenging topics for teens. An educator's guide shares activities for many of her novels such as Prom, Shout, and Wintergirls. Questions, perfect to use as either discussion or as essay prompts, accompany...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Do You Mean I Can't Read That?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discuss censorship/banned books. They select and read one banned book. They conduct research to find the pro and con positions on the book. They present the book to the class.
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Lesson Plan
Penguin Books

Folklore and Fairytales: A Guide to Using Traditional Tales and Reimagined Classics

For Teachers K - 8th Standards
Every culture has its own stories to tell. An interesting educator's guide shares a large collection of fairytales and folktales, some from different cultures and some re-creations of classics. A summary and brief teaching ideas...

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