First Amendment education goes beyond the textbook
In Peter Paccone’s classroom, every Monday is “First Amendment Monday.”
The San Marino High School social studies teacher encourages students in his U.S. government classes to look for news stories and editorials that raise First Amendment issues and email him a description and a link for extra credit points. Then, each Monday, Paccone begins his classes by describing a First Amendment issue that has been in the news.
Paccone, who has taught social studies for 27 years, said he thinks it’s important to teach the First Amendment in schools so that instead of just telling students that the United States is great, they understand the why and the how.
“Just think where we would be without it,” he said. “Religious minorities could be persecuted; the government could establish a national religion; protesters could be silenced; the press could not criticize government; citizens could not mobilize for or against social change; teens could be told that until they become adults, they are to be seen and not heard.”
Later in the semester when Paccone gets to the textbook-oriented First Amendment lessons, he continues to use current, real-world examples and encourage student participation through role-playing activities and meet-and-greets. A meet-and-greet is designed to give students in the class an opportunity to hear and learn from individuals appearing in either the textbook or the newspaper, Paccone said.
Educators in California and elsewhere are increasingly trying to bring civic learning to the front burner, Paccone said. His advice to teachers who want to bring the First Amendment into their classroom is not to hesitate and to just jump in anywhere, anyhow.
The First Amendment is something that almost every student has a keen interest in, Paccone added.
“In other words, great forces outside of the classroom and great forces within the classroom want you to teach the First Amendment,” he said.
If you teach the First Amendment in your secondary-school classroom, then you’re eligible to join 1 For All’s First Amendment Challenge. Forty teachers will receive $1,000 for their innovative First Amendment lessons. Tell us how you teach the First Amendment in your classroom by May 1. Click here for more information and to fill out an application.
“First Amendment Monday” examples
Students in Maryland Test Civic Participation and Win Right to Vote
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/10/us/politics/students-in-maryland-test-civic-participation-and-win-right-to-vote.html
A License to Say Anything?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/10/opinion/a-license-to-say-anything.html
Student Sues Citrus College Over Free Speech Restrictions
http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-free-speech-20140702-story.html
First Amendment simulation classroom activities
In this simulation, students role play radio station executives deciding whether particular talk-radio show hosts should remain on the air.
http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-11-4-d-talk-radio-playground-for-free-speech-or-a-forum-for-hate
In this simulation, students role play city council members called to decide whether to require filters in their city’s public library computers.
http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-15-4-a-young-people-and-the-internet-issues-of-censorship-and-free-expression
In this simulation, students role play members of the U.S. Supreme Court and examine different examples of abortion-clinic protests before deciding whether each is protected by the First Amendment.
http://crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-16-3-c-the-rescue-movement-pushing-the-limits-of-free-speech
In this simulation, students role play members of the U.S. Supreme Court and decide whether permitting student-led, student-initiated prayer at football games violates the establishment clause.
http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-17-1-a-should-students-have-the-right-to-lead-prayers-at-public-school-events
In this simulation, students role play members of the U.S. Supreme Court and decide whether including the phrase “under God” in recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools violates the establishment clause.
http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-20-4-c-should-we-take-god-out-of-the-pledge-of-allegiance
Meet and Greet information: Connecting Students with the World at Large
http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/connecting-students-world-large
Paccone’s recommended educational resources
Freedom of speech and expression articles from The New York Times
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/freedom_of_speech_and_expression/index.html
First Amendment articles from The New York Times
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/u/us_constitution/first_amendment/index.html
Freedom of speech articles from the Los Angeles Times
http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/freedom-of-speech
25 great ideas for teaching current events
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson072.shtml
Bill of Rights in Action homepage and archives
http://crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/
Paccone’s description of how civic learning has been revitalized in California
