If you teach the First Amendment in your classroom, then you could be eligible to win $1,000.

The 1 For All First Amendment Challenge is awarding teachers and schools for innovative teaching of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. Forty secondary-school teachers or groups of teachers will receive $1,000, and 40 dedicated schools will receive a plaque to display their dedication.

Teachers and schools can enter the Challenge through March 1 at 1ForAll.us. Challenge rules, lesson plans and recommendations for student projects are also available. Teachers of all subjects are eligible to participate.

Students in Gaby Herbst’s beginning journalism class at Beverly Hills High School, for example, conducted mock debates and Supreme Court hearings as they learned about landmark First Amendment cases.

To prepare for the debates, Herbst gave her students information sheets about each case. The names of the cases were changed so students could not research the outcomes ahead of time.

“After the debates, we reviewed what the class thought the outcome should be versus the actual outcomes of each case,” Herbst said. “Students were then able to compare how their arguments and outcomes aligned with the actual results.”

Herbst’s lesson is but one example of how the First Amendment can be incorporated into the curriculum.

“We encourage every teacher and every school to enter,” said Le Anne Wiseman, director of the American Society of News Editors’ Youth Journalism Initiative. “Teachers and schools simply submit teacher lessons plans, some samples of student projects and describe the First Amendment activities they implemented. It’s that easy.”

The Challenge is funded by a generous grant from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and administered by the American Society of News Editors’ Youth Journalism Initiative.

1 for All is a national nonpartisan program designed to build understanding and support for First Amendment freedoms. 1 for All provides teaching materials to the nation’s schools; supports educational events on America’s campuses; and reminds the public that the First Amendment serves everyone, regardless of faith, race, gender or political leanings. It is truly one amendment for all.

For more information, visit 1ForAll.us or contact Le Anne Wiseman at [email protected]. Visit 1 for All’s Facebook and Twitter pages for Challenge updates.