Media Smarts
Cyberbullying and the Law
Research, role-playing, and reflection are the three “R’s” that form the basis of an examination of Cyberbullying. Although based on the Criminal Code of Canada, the included scenarios and case studies provide valuable resources for a...
Curated OER
Pornography Debate
Present your seniors with a controversial topic while studying the first amendment: pornography. This multi-layer resource has scholars writing a pros and cons research paper. They also attend a city council meeting to prepare for an...
Curated OER
Freedom of Expression in Special Places
Young scholars analyze the judicial decision making process, and identify three places presenting First Amendment problems. They analyze how the 1st Amendment applies to school newspapers, and argue for and against limiting 1st Amendment...
Curated OER
Freedom Of Expression In Special Places
High schoolers learn about First Amendment rights as they pertain to school and school newspapers.
Curated OER
Painting Inside the Lines
Learners examine how freedoms of expression and religion are shaped within democracies. They consider reactions to controversial art exhibit in Moscow. They compose reaction papers supporting or refuting a quotation from the article read...
Harvard University
Harvard Law: Freedom of Speech and Anonymous Speech
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...
Teaching American History
Teaching American History: Speech on Veto of the Mc Carran Internal Security Act
Read this impassioned speech given by President Harry S. Truman in which he gave his justification for vetoing the McCarran Internal Security Act, claiming that it would help Communists rather than root them out, as the act intended.
Choices Program, Brown University
Choices: The Struggle to Define Free Speech: From Skokie to Paris
Relevant resource on free speech in which students examine how different societies define freedom of expression. Through multi-media sources students look at historical sources as well as current controveries over free speech.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Times Film Corp. V. City of Chicago (1961)
Read the majority opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in Times Film Corp. v. City of Chicago, a 1961 case that focused on free speech and obscenity.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Constitution: First Amendment Protections
This resource contains an annotated look at the different topics covered within the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Click on any subtopic link for in-depth information about that part of the First Amendment.
Boston College
Boston College: Freedom of Speech: Court Decisions: Roth v United States
Transcript of a Supreme Court decision, from 1957, in Roth v United States, a case that weighed constitutional freedoms of speech and the rights of individuals to own and distribute materials deemed by the government to be obscene.
Center For Civic Education
Center for Civic Education: What Responsibilities Accompany Our Rights?
These are discussion topics to incorporate into your lesson on rights and responsibilities of citizens. Features questions to encourage debates or essay ideas. Also includes lesson plans.
Other
Office of Public Sector Information: Human Rights Act 1998
The Human Rights Act 1998 is published online including an interactive contents list, allowing you to go straight to particular sections.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Freedom of Speech and Automatic Language
Contains plans for four lessons that use the "Pledge of Allegiance" to discuss the concepts of freedom of speech and automatic language. Ties in well with novels that deal with First Amendment rights such as Laurie Halse Anderson's...
New York Times
New York Times: Cyber Law Journal
Cyber Law Journal, a weekly publication of the New York Times, reflects on the legal issues raised by the Internet.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: (Civil Liberties Lesson Plan)
A lesson plan that directs students to review the concept of civil liberties and to examine examples from American history wherein rights were restricted. They will investigate key arguments between those who seek to restrict liberties...
PBS
Pbs Newshour Extra: The Dilemma of Protecting Free Speech
Students will compare various examples of offensive expression. How does the fact that the expressions are offensive to others impact Freedom of Speech? Students will review and analyze and complete a case study of cases where the...
Other
Article 19: Promoting Freedom of Expression
Discusses right to information and freedom of expression issues. Bright, colorful, nicely designed with many resources.
Other
Freedom Forum: First Amendment Struggles & Triumphs
Find out how the First Amendment serves citizens in real life by reading about Daniel Ellsberg, Mary Beth Tinker, and Alton T. Lemon, all of whom were principal litigants in landmark Supreme Court cases regarding the freedom of expression.
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Espionage and Sedition Acts
Comprehensive overview presents detailed facts and information on the Espionage and Sedition Acts that made it illegal to write or speak anything critical of U.S. involvement in WWI.