Three activities focus on the First Amendment, especially the freedom of speech. Scholars craft a letter to the President of the United States and express their views about a topic important to them. Another activity has participants...

If you stop a student from expressing views that advocate drug use, are you violating their right to free speech? Use the 2007 Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick to discuss a nuanced interpretation of the First Amendment....

Freedom of speech is not always free. Scholars investigate how the First Amendment provides for the right to express opinions. Through the court case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, they analyze free speech using primary documents—and hopefully...

Which right does the Constitution weigh more heavily: the sanctity of the American flag as a symbol of national unity, or the right to burn the flag in protest? The 1989 Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson explores a...

"Is school-sponsored prayer in public schools unconstitutional?" That is the question teams debate as they consider the arguments presented to the Supreme Court in Engel v. Vitale. The attorneys study the provided talking points and...

Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the protection of the Constitution when protesting military funerals? High schoolers examine the 2011 Supreme Court case of Snyder v. Phelps before comparing the situation to a fictional...

Is it illegal to lie about military service? Discuss the ways the First Amendment affects the Stolen Valor Act with a lesson that focuses on the Supreme Court case U.S. v. Alvarez. As high schoolers learn more about the history of the...

With the explosion of social media sites, with online threats and cyber bullying, issues of freedom of speech have taken on a whole new aspect. Elonis v. U.S. represents the first time the Supreme Court has considered whether or not...

Hateful as these actions may seem to many people, do groups still have the right to protest under the First Amendment? Read about the case that the Supreme Court is considering involving protests at a military funeral.

This site from Cyber Harvard Law offers summaries of three different Supreme Court cases which address the limits of free speech. Includes interactive opinion, multiple-choice questions. Links to the written opinions of the Court for...

Explore the issue of commercial speech -- think Joe Camel, the Marlboro Man -- which is speech that proposes an economic transaction. Is it covered by the First Amendment?

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.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in classifying and categorizing.

This summary provides the background for Schenck v. United States, a World War I-era Supreme Court case involving free speech. Schenck is an example of what can happen to basic constitutional rights in time of war.

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.

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...

Excellent site for students that need to know more about libel laws. Includes a definition of libel, a process to go by in order to avoid a lawsuit, and your defense options if you happen to be involved in a lawsuit.

Discussion of the implications of the Supreme Court ruling against the constitutionality of the Communications Decency Act, including give and take on the meaning of the decision for children. Includes transcript of discussion, and link...