Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Elonis v. U.S.

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
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...
Unit Plan
Bill of Rights Institute

Preserving the Bill of Rights

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Consider how America's founding fathers and their experiences contributed to the rights we all enjoy today. A collection of reading, writing, and collaborative exercises prompt high schoolers to think about the ways their current lives...
Unit Plan
Newspaper Association of America

Citizens Together: You and Your Newspaper

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Not all news in a newspaper comes in the form of a traditional article; photographs, charts, and even editorial cartoons help spread important information, too. A civics-based unit describes the parts of the newspaper as tools for...
Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Speaking Freely In the Soviet Union's Autocratic Government

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Speak your mind! The lesson explores the difference in free speech between the United States and the Soviet Union. Academics review the constitutions of both governments, political cartoons, and case studies to understand how freedom of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution: The American Revolution

For Teachers 5th - 8th
The contributions of African-Americans to the American Revolution are the focus of this Social Studies and language arts lesson. After reading and discussing Linda Crotta Brennan’s The Black Regiment of the American Revolution, class...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Can Say That Again!

For Teachers 10th
A discussion of the Supreme Court’s Opinion of Tinker v. Des Moines generates a discussion of the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment. Although the key elements of this activity are based on a video that is not included, the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cartoons for the Classroom: Shine the Light on Your Government

For Students 9th - 12th
What don't we know about our government? Explore the concept of transparency and freedom of information throught this analysis handout, in which scholars examine 2 political cartoons. Background information provides context, explaining...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Power of the Majority over Thought

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While Alexis de Tocqueville mourned a lack of "freedom of discussion" in America in the early republic, today's pupils are concerned about peer pressure. Using excerpts of de Tocqueville's writing and discussion questions, scholars...
Worksheet
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Cox v. New Hampshire

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Staging a debate is a great way to class members to think deeply about issues, especially those related to rights guaranteed by the US Constitution. The Supreme Court case, Cox V. New Hampshire, focuses on the First Amendment's...
Lesson Plan
Judicial Learning Center

Do You Know Your Bill of Rights?

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
The Bill of Rights is much more than an important piece of paper! The rights cover everything from freedom of speech to the right to remain silent if arrested. Scholars find out their own rights by answering the questions in the form of...
Activity
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Curated OER

Express Yourself Lesson Seed 1

For Teachers 6th Standards
Make a study of the First Amendment and its relationship to freedom. Pupils rewrite the amendment and discuss the central idea before focusing on a specific phrase. After discussing, class members write a journal entry about the included...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights and You

For Teachers 4th - 6th
The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The lesson explains what the Bill of Rights is and how it applies to everyday life, like freedom of speech or the right to a jury trial. Young historians complete hands-on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clear and Present Danger

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students assume identities of lawmakers, judges, writers, and protestors during times in American history when freedoms of speech and press were limited because country was on the brink of war or fighting one. Students use primary source...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Texas v. Johnson

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the freedom of speech. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students analyze primary documents from Texas v. Johnson and discuss the implications of the decision regarding flag burning.
Interactive
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Judicial Learning Center

Your 1st Amendment Rights

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Why should classes care about the First Amendment? An engaging lesson serves as a powerful tool for answering just that. As all four cases in the lesson relate directly to freedom of expression in schools, young scholars explore the...
Lesson Plan
University of North Carolina

Symbols and Words of Hate

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
This resource is structured with exercises that ask class members to explore hate symbols and hate speech. Learners examine the historical significance and harmful effects of these words and symbols, examine the First Amendment and...
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The First Amendment: What's Fair in a Free Country

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students describe the contents of the First Amendment while telling about an example of speech that is protected by the Constitution and that which is not. They attempt to apply the First Amendment to situations that could occur in their...
Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

The House of Representatives

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The House of Representatives has a lot of responsibility  in the United States government. But how did it all begin, and why is it the way it is now? A comprehensive instructional activity answers all of these questions about the US...
Lesson Plan
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Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

End of the Cold War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How significant was the Cold War during the 20th century? After reading and analyzing speeches by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, learners consider the historical context of foreign policy decisions made during the Cold...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Free Speech or Hate Speech?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students see the difference between protected and prohibited speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment. They explain why free speech is essential to a democracy and consider how best to deal with speech they find offensive.
Lesson Plan
Judicial Branch of California

Protecting our Freedoms: The Bill of Rights

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Take to the stage! Integrate both drama and civic skills by asking pupils to create and perform skills that demonstrate the importance of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. After reviewing the Preamble to the Constitution, learners...
Lesson Plan
NPR

Civil Rights of Japanese-American Internees

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...

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