Freedom of Speech and of the Press Lesson Plans for the Classroom

Free Speech Week is the perfect time to introduce your students to the history, significance and current events surrounding freedom of speech and freedom of the press in our country, and around the world. To take some of the work out of planning, we have compiled a list of some creative, free lesson plans from around the web that focus on the areas of freedoms of speech and of the press and of freedom of expression, in general. If you have a lesson plan you would like us to include on this list, please let us know. We would love to hear from you!

Elementary and Middle School

EDSITEment – Lesson plan appropriate for grades 3-5 titled “What’s Fair in a Free Country?” Visit http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/first-amendment-whats-fair-free-country#sect-thelesson

Also on EDSITEment, for grades 6-8, “Norman Rockwell, Freedom of Speech – Know It When You See It,” a Picturing America resource authored by Kaye Passmore, Ed.D and Amy Trenkle, NBCT. Visit http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/norman-rockwell-freedom-speech-know-it-when-you-see-it#sect-thelesson

National Constitution Center – Presented by the National Constitution Center and Duquesne University, this Freedom of Speech lesson plan by Yolanda Medina Zevas includes a range of materials including worksheets, graphic organizer, articles and prepared questions. Visit: https://constitutioncenter.org/media/const-files/EDU_FY20_FreedomofSpeech_LessonPlan.pdf

National First Ladies Library – For middle school classrooms, “Should Students Have Free Speech?” adapted by Averil McClelland, Kent State University. Visit http://www.firstladies.org/curriculum/curriculum.aspx?Curriculum=1816

High School

California Courts – Freedom of Expression: The First Amendment, for grades 9-12 and Is your Speech Free?: The First Amendment for grade 12.

Education World – On Education World, “Lesson Plan Booster: Student Clothing and the First Amendment” by Jason Tomaszewski. Visit http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson_plan_boosters/student_clothing_and_the_first_amendment.shtml

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) – FIRE’s Free Speech Curriculum offers comprehensive resources from lecture outlines and prepared PowerPoint slides to reading lists, suggested assignments, videos, handouts and assessments. Appropriate for middle and high school students, materials can be accessed for free on their website: www.thefire.org/resources/high-school-network/high-school-curriculum/

First Amendment Center – Do Students Have the Right to Read? explores issues surrounding freedom of the speech and of the press, and of banned books in school libraries. Also, Where do Student Press Rights Start…and Stop?

iCivics – Stipulating Speech studies both protected and unprotected speech. Students examine five Supreme Court rulings regarding hate speech, as well as how the decisions might apply to student speech codes. Can serve as background for classroom discussion on controverisal questions, such as “Do Speech Codes Violate Students’ First Amendment Rights?” Site requires free registration and log-in to access full lesson plan.

JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission – The Journalism Education Association (JEA)’s SPRC has developed several lesson plans for Constitution Day that focus on freedoms of speech and of the press. Visit http://jeasprc.org/constitution-day-lessons-and-activities-2014/

Judicial Learning Center – Three landmark cases are presented: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 1969; Bethel School District v. Fraser, 1968; and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 1988. Visit http://judiciallearningcenter.org/your-1st-amendment-rights/

The New York Times – In The Learning Network of The New York Times: “Freedom of Expression Online: Outlining the First Amendment for Teenagers” by Sarah Kavanagh and Holly Epstein Ojalvo. Visit http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/freedom-of-expression-online-outlining-the-first-amendment-for-teenagers/?_r=0

PBS – In PBS’s Newshour Extra, “The Dilemma of Protecting Free Speech – Lesson Plan” by Greg Timmons. Visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons_plans/the-dilemma-of-protecting-free-speech/

ReadWriteThink – Freedom of Speech and Automatic Language: Examining the Pledge of Allegiance, author Dawn Hogue, Wisconsin, published by the National Council of Teachers of English.

SchoolJournalism.org – Exploring the First Amendment by Patricia L. Robinson, Belle Chasse Academy

Student Press Law Center – These SPLC materials include handouts, lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations on press freedoms. Visit http://www.splc.org/page/presentations-and-handouts