Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: Twenty First Amendment
Actual text of the 21st Amendment along with an explanation of its meaning. Part of the Annenberg Classroom Civics Education. Links to related resources.
Other
Lesson Plans for Teaching the First Amendment
This FreedomForum.org site lists the three English documents that were precursors to the American Bill of Rights.
Other
First Amendment Center: Freedom Forum, Newseum
This First Amendment Center "newseum" offers dozens of reports, articles, papers, and pages collected by the Freedom Forum. Includes today's news as well as archives.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The First Amendment
This resource presents lessons on the First Amendment. It contains many resources for use with children, and links to primary source documents.
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.
University of Florida
Freedom of Speech: The First Amendment and the u.s. Constitution
Interactive site outlines thoughts on the First Amendment from four founding fathers. Click on their faces to find an index reflecting their thoughts. From a student project at University of Florida.
Other
Fac: Curfews, Loitering, and Freedom of Association
This detailed article offers a well-documented overview of this constitutional freedom, as well as an FAQ section and additional cases and resources focused specifically on this aspect of the First Amendment. (Published Sept. 16, 2002 /...
Other
Libraries & First Amendment: Banned Books
This overview of censorship in the United States cites Supreme Court decisions and links to a number of other resources. (Date of Article: Sept. 13, 2002)
Other
First Amendment Schools: Lesson Plans: Religious Liberty
A series of lessons examining freedom of religion. A few of the lessons are off-site and the links no longer work.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: U S. Constitution: Annotation 18: First Amendment
Information about the boundaries of seditious speech and the permissibility of governmental measures which are directly concerned with the content of expression.
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
This resource includes information on the Supreme Court case, Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. The case involves the First Amendment rights of high school students and the publishing of their high school newspaper.
PBS
Now With Bill Moyers: Supreme Court and Freedom of Speech
Brief descriptions of several case studies involving decisions by the Supreme Court concerning First Amendment rights, especially freedom of speech.
Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute: Religious Freedom and the Affordable Healthcare Act
Summary, resources, and activities addressing the constitutionality with regard to the first amendment which surfaced with the Affordable Healthcare Act.
University of Missouri
Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Engle v. Vitale
Read the majority and dissenting opinions in the Engle v. Vitale case of 1962 which held that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: Petition Signed by Thomas A. Edison
What a surprise to read about the several controversies engendered by the request that the Columbian Exposition be open on Sundays. This lesson plan examines the background of the main controversy and its relation to the First Amendment....
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: Are Bible Readings Ever Allowed in School? [Pdf]
Article on the consitutionality of prayer, worship or reading the Bible at school. Students analyze Supreme Court cases, answer questions for discussion and debate the protective clause of first amendment rights.
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: Citizen Student
A multi-part NPR program on the views of students about civic participation. Part 1 discusses Voting, Part 2 discusses "Bringing the First Amendment into the Classroom," and Part 3 talks about the strong messages teenagers have grown up...
Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute: The Stolen Valor Act and False Speech
A lesson plan, including an extension opportunity, addressing whether the Stolen Valor Act violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Cornell University
Cornell University: Law School: Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
Offers the complete syllabus of the landmark Supreme Court case of Lemon v. Kurtzman. This case dealt with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and established the "Lemon test," which states that there be no excessive...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Free Exercise of Religion in America
Activity on first amendment rights and the protection of religious freedom. Students develop a deep understanding of religious liberty and how it has been interpreted as they examine the contoversies surrounding individual rights versus...
Cornell University
Cornell University: Law School: Agostini v. Felton (1997)
Offers the full text of the Supreme Court landmark decision on Agostini v. Felton. This case dealt with the issue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Freedom of the Press: The Trial of Peter Zenger
In this lesson, 5th graders learn about the trial of Peter Zenger and how it laid the foundation for the freedom of the press. They will examine primary source documents and hold a mock trial, ending with a discussion of the First...
National Women’s History Museum
National Women's History Museum: The Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), proposed in 1923, has never been ratified. Activists seeking gender equality have sought its ratification since its first proposal but that dream fell short after the anti-ERA movement fought against its...
C-SPAN
C Span Classroom: Social Media and Free Speech
Complete learning module with lesson plan, video, vocabulary and activities on free speech and social media. Students examine arguments through video and text and debate to what extent should social media be protected as free speech...