Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Freedom of Speech and Automatic Language

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Contains plans for four lessons that use the "Pledge of Allegiance" to discuss the concepts of freedom of speech and automatic language. Ties in well with novels that deal with First Amendment rights such as Laurie Halse Anderson's...
Primary
Cornell University

Cornell University: Law School: Schenck v. United States (1919)

For Students 9th - 10th
Features a syllabus of the landmark Supreme Court case of Schenck v. United States which decided that the defendant's right to criticize the draft was not protected by the First Amendment.
Activity
Illinois Institute of Technology

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource contains information on the case including how the justices voted, an audio file of the Oral Argument and an abstract of the case regarding high school journalists and their call for First Amendment (free speech) rights.
Activity
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: The Supreme Court: Landmark Cases: Schenck v. u.s. (1919)

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS offers a summary of the landmark Supreme Court case of Schenck v. U.S. which dealt with when an individual's free speech rights under the First Amendment presented a "clear and present danger." This case has since been overturned.
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Minersville v. Gobitas (1940)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court's decision that allowed schools to require students to salute the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Students learn about the First Amendment and how the interests of...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This mini-lesson covers the Supreme Court's decision about limiting government restrictions on campaign contributions. Students learn about campaign finance, Super PACs, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold Act), and the...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court's decision that extended First Amendment protections to learners in the classroom. Students learn about the concept of symbolic speech and how learners gained the right to engage in...
Primary
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: Additional Amendments

For Students 9th - 10th
The Constitution contains within itself the process of changing it. The amendment process is described in Article 5. Amendments can be proposed in Congress when 2/3rd of both Houses agree. The states can play a role in proposing changes...
Lesson Plan
Other

Supreme Court Historical Society:texas v. Johnson (1989)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A complete unit on constitutional law that uses the court case of Texas vs. Johnson, in which Gregory Lee Johnson was convicted of desecration of a venerated object after lighting an American flag on fire. The case became an argument...
Website
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Texas State Library and Archives Commission: The Battle Lost and Won: The Nineteenth Amendment

For Students 9th - 10th
After the "Susan B. Anthony" amendment was passed by the Senate, suffragists stepped up in order to persuade the states to ratify it. Read how Texas suffragist Jane Y. McCallum was part of that cause and about the opposition she faced...
Website
Other

San Francisco Unified School District: Bill of Rights

For Students 6th - 8th
A collection of resources for learning and teaching about the Bill of Rights. Includes ideas for projects, links for the First to Eighth Amendments, videos, resources on significant Supreme Court cases, and histories of the Amendments....
Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Classroom: That's Your Right

For Students 9th - 10th
An engaging online card game where students learn about the Bill of Rights by matching situations with the correct right. There are three levels of difficulty. Includes a short video for each of the first ten Amendments to the...
Website
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Rcfp: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

For Students 9th - 10th
This non-profit organization collects instances of First Amendment and Freedom of Information cases throughout the United States and reports on the facts and outcomes. An interesting cross section from this section of our law.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Church and State Separation: Challenge and Debate (Lesson Plan)

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Describes the elements of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment as it relates to the separation of church and state and freedom of religion. Speculates on the probable constitutional issues associated with the separation of church and...
Activity
Illinois Institute of Technology

Oyez Project: Dennis vs. United States

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief summary of Dennis v. United States, a First Amendment case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1951 involving limits to the freedom of speech. Includes portraits of the justices on the court of the time and information about how...
Handout
This Nation

This nation.com: Amendments to the u.s. Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides the text of all the amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The first ten are the Bill of Rights.
Primary
US National Archives

Nara: Treasures of Congress: The First Congress the Bill of Rights

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Visit The National Archives & Records Administration's website on the Bill of Rights. The site gives some background information on the drafting of the Bill of Rights, lets you view the text to the document, lets you view an image of...
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Prohibition

For Students 9th - 10th
Looks at the Prohibition Era in the United States when it was illegal to sell or import alcoholic beverages. The ban was lifted when the 21st Amendment was passed in 1933.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: The Fight Against "Demon Rum"

For Students 5th - 8th
The Eighteenth Amendment showed how difficult it is to legislate morality. Read about the advantages of Prohibition, especially in terms of public health. The disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. See how lawlessness increased...
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1844 1877: Reconstruction: The First Kkk

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains how the Ku Klux Klan came into existence and how they terrorized African Americans as well as those who sympathized with them. The Klan would suppress the black vote so that Democrats had a better chance of winning an election...
Activity
University of Missouri

Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Marsh v Chambers, u.s. Supreme Court

For Students 9th - 10th
Chief Justice Burger's majority opinion in the case of MARSH vs. CHAMBERS, 463 U.S. 783 (1983). The case dealt with whether an opening prayer in the Nebraska Legislature violated the First Amendment.
Website
University of Missouri

Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The "Clear and Present Danger" Test

For Students 11th - 12th
Modern first amendment law was formed by cases during the WWI era. Were dissent and subversive activity protected by freedom of speech? Examine five cases that answered this constitutional question. Included are the full opinions of the...
PPT
Tom Richey

Tom richey.net: The Missouri Compromise: America's First Slavery Debate [Ppt]

For Students 9th - 10th
Presents key ideas for examining the events surrounding the Missouri Compromise.
Lesson Plan
Other

Our Courts: Bill of Rights: You Mean I've Got Rights? [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A great, active lesson about the Bill of Rights. Students compare rights they think they should have with the rights in the actual amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The language of the amendments is broken down into simpler English so...

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