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    Three Pillars of the First Amendment

Education Freedom Literacy

Lesson Plan for the Middle School Conference on First Amendment Rights

Thursday, April 29 th

at the HartfordMagnetMiddle School

on the campus of the Learning Corridor.

Overview: Students will listen to a panel of speakers addressing First Amendment Rights. The topics are freedom of expression as it relates to education, freedom and literacy. Students will understand how the Constitution protects individual freedoms.

Central Themes: The U.S. Constitution & First Amendment Rights/ Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens/Freedom of Democracy

Objectives: Students will be able to identify freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Students will be able to distinguish between political and personal rights. Students will be able to describe how the Constitution limits government powers. Students will be able to explain the importance of freedom of expression as a tool for participation in American society.

Procedure:

Initiation: The Center for First Amendment Rights will present a brief overview of the First Amendment.

Development of the lesson:

• Professor John Brittain will address the impact of inferior education as it impairs the understanding and use of the First Amendment. The Learning Corridor will be used as an example to demonstrate ways in which cities and towns have tried to address the problem of inequity.
• Professor Marty Marguiles will talk about student rights that are protected by the First amendment. He will specifically address the Pledge of Allegiance, court case Tinker v. Des Moines, and pending cases regarding ‘clapping for the governor’ and ‘comments made about the President’.
• Author Katherine Patterson will address the freedom to read, to write, to think and the freedom not to have your books banned.

Closure: The Center for First Amendment Rights will entertain questions and have students summarize their understanding of the freedoms protected by the First Amendment. Students will for example re-state the facts with responses such as- “The First Amendment allows us to ….”

Evaluation:

Student Performance: Students will be asked to filter questions to the guest speakers through student representatives (HMMS student hosts). Questions will be written on index cards, reviewed and read aloud by the student hosts. Example: Here is a question from John Smith from Bloomfield.

Self-evaluation: Students will complete a response card giving an overall rating and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the program.

Social Studies Content Standards & Performance Standards:

Standard #5- Students will apply knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, how the U.S. system of government works and how the rule of law and the values of liberty and equality have an impact on individual, local, state and national decisions.

• Performance standard- explains how individual’s rights are protected by the Constitution.

Standard #6- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of citizens to participate in and shape public policy, and contribute to the maintenance of our democratic way of life.

• Performance standard- explain the meaning of political rights (e.g., right to vote, right to assemble) as distinguished from personal rights (e.g. freedom of speech, freedom of movement).
• Performance standard -describe the role of the U.S. Constitution in the limitation of government powers.

Follow-up Activities:

• Students will be asked to describe how important freedom of expression is in their lives.
• Students will be asked to identify the most significant aspects of the First Amendment

-ability to present your own ideas

-ability to consider other points of view

-ability to influence others using persuasion instead of violence

-ability to accept decisions outside of your control

3.   Students will be able to make connections between the First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement.

Sample: Response Card   

        Three Pillars of the First Amendment                 

Student Name ____________________________Hometown _______________

Overall Rating:           Excellent     Good      Fair       Poor

Most Interesting Pillar:         Education         Freedom          Literacy

Most Interesting Fact: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Would you recommend this Conference for other students?   YES      NO

Explain why or why not. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________