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Lesson Plan - The First Amendment and You!
About the Article
Students will integrate information from an article, a video, and a political cartoon to learn about the First Amendment.
• U.S. Supreme Court
• Curfews, the Pledge of Allegiance, and Social Media
Social Studies:
• Study interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions
• Consider the proper scope and limits of authority
• Understand civic ideals and practices
English Language Arts:
• Learn and use domain-specific vocabulary
• Identify central ideas and key details
• Integrate information presented in multiple formats
Key CCSS Standards
RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, SL.6-8.1
1. Preparing to Read
Build Background and Vocabulary
Before reading the article, have students take the five-question Prereading Quiz at junior.scholastic.com. The interactive quiz is self-scoring and will give an explanation after students answer each question. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms from the article.
2. Reading and Discussing
Read the Article
Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to underline, highlight, or jot down the central idea of each section.
Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• What is the central idea of the article? (Central Ideas)
The central idea is that the First Amendment safeguards important individual liberties (freedom of speech, religion, and the press, along with the right to assemble peaceably and to petition the government for change) and applies to all Americans’ lives today.
• What did the Supreme Court mean when it said that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate”? (Making Meaning)
The Supreme Court meant that students still have First Amendment rights at school. While school administrators can restrict personal expression and speech that interfere with learning, they can’t restrict those actions solely because they are controversial or unpopular. For example, the Court ruled that Mary Beth Tinker had a right to wear a black armband to school to protest the Vietnam War.
• Summarize the section “Freedom of Religion.” (Summarizing)
Although the Pledge of Allegiance contains the words “under God,” courts have ruled that public schools can lead students in reciting it as a patriotic exercise. Schools in all but three states do. However, students don’t have to salute the flag or say the Pledge. The Supreme Court ruled that students have that right to opt out in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette in 1943.
3. Skill Building
Watch a Video
As students watch “Breaking Down the Bill of Rights,” ask them to think about these questions: What other liberties does the Bill of Rights protect? Which of them do you think are most important? Why? Use Think-Pair-Share to discuss students’ responses.
Assess Comprehension
Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.
For Struggling Readers: Support students by having them listen to the article as they follow along. On the article’s webpage, click “Text-to-Speech” in the toolbar on the left. Two reading speeds are available.
For Social and Life Skills: Discuss these questions: How do you like to express yourself? What do your clothing choices reveal about you? Have you ever had your clothing choices or speech limited? Did you think it was fair? Why?
Printable Lesson Plan
Interactive Slide Deck
Text-to-Speech Standard Slower
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