Free speech vs. hate speech: What’s protected?
Title
Free speech vs. hate speech: What’s protected?
Description
In the United States, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. Social media has provided a platform for anyone with an internet connection to post their views on any topic imaginable. Protesters have the right to hold signs and convey their beliefs in public places. But what about hate speech? Should certain ideas and messages be silenced.
Objectives
- Students will gain an understanding of the historical protection of free speech in the United States.
- Students will recognize the importance of protecting free speech.
- Students will explore ways to use free speech to combat hate speech.
Common Core State Standards
| http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/11-12/8/ | Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). |
| http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/9-10/1/ | Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. |
| http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/9-10/8/ | Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. |
| http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/SL/9-10/5/ | Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. |
Length
One 45-50 minute class period. Can easily be extended to two or three classes, depending upon the length of presentations and/or group vs. individual work.
Materials / resources
Links to use:
- https://www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/freedom-of-speech
- https://www.aclu.org/about-aclu
- https://www.aclu.org/other/speech-campus
- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/us/high-school-national-anthem.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/us/baraboo-wisconsin-nazi-salute-photo.html
- https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/private-school-students-gaybashing-not-free-speech-court-rules.html
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/football-anthem-taking-knee-one-all-black-high-school-team-n919116
- https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/education/cc-boe-confederate-flag-talk-continues-20180213-story.html
Rubric to print:
Lesson step-by-step
Step 1:
- OPTIONAL: Teacher shows the History Channel video (3:09 min) as an introduction to the topic. https://www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/freedom-of-speech
- Teacher facilitates a class discussion about the students’ interpretation of hate speech.
- What kind of speech do you consider hate speech?
- What do you think the school administration, teachers or students should do to deter hate speech on campus?
- Should the school news show, yearbook, newspaper include controversial ideas in their publications?
- Teacher provides background on the American Civil Liberties Union. “For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.” https://www.aclu.org/about-aclu
Step 2:
Students will:
A. Read this article about the ACLU’s position on Hate Speech:
https://www.aclu.org/other/speech-campus
B. Summarize the article in one paragraph.
C. One or two students will read their paragraph aloud to the class.
Step 3:
A. Students will choose one of these stories from recent years to research. Teacher decides if students should work individually or in groups.
- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/us/high-school-national-anthem.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/us/baraboo-wisconsin-nazi-salute-photo.html
- https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/private-school-students-gaybashing-not-free-speech-court-rules.html
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/football-anthem-taking-knee-one-all-black-high-school-team-n919116
- https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/education/cc-boe-confederate-flag-talk-continues-20180213-story.html
B. Students will summarize the 5W and the H of the story they chose.
C. Students will create a brief presentation of 2-3 slides (pptx, Google Presentation, Keynote) to share their findings with the class.
Step 4:
- Students share their presentations with the class.
- Teacher leads a class discussion about each case, focusing on ways to combat hate speech with free speech.
- Teacher assesses the presentations with this rubric: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30700_rubric.pdf
Differentiation
The entire lesson could be facilitated as a whole group, small group, or individual assignment depending upon the level of the class. If student access to technology is limited, the teacher can print out the articles in advance and distribute them to groups of students for analysis and discussion. Students could work in pairs to create posters with paper/pencil/markers rather than electronic presentations.
Students could display posters around the room and visit each poster “station” to hear from the groups. One member of each pair would stand with their poster to present. The other member would circulate to hear from each of the other presenters at their station.
Students would switch from presenter to observer halfway through the period so that each student had the opportunity to present, and each would have the opportunity to observe and learn.
For past Constitution Day materials, go here
Read MoreCitizenship in the United States: Lesson Plan for Constitution Day 2019
Description
A recent Gallup poll suggests that a record 27% of U.S. American citizens believe immigration is the most important issue we as a country face. The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution outlines what we call “birthrightcitizenship,” which has sparked much debate as of late. Those not born in the United States or its territories can apply for citizenship, and part of this process involves passing a citizenship test that many birthright citizens could not likely pass.
In this lesson, students will examine the history of ratifying the Constitution, the addition of the Bill of Rights, assess their own Constitutional knowledge by answering Constitution-specific questions from the current citizenship test, and read/discuss recent news stories and opinion pieces about the great citizenship debate.
Objectives
- Students will ascertain why some states debated the initial ratification of the Constitution.
- Students will test their own knowledge of the Constitution by answering questions that appear on the current citizenship test.
- Students will critique recent news stories and op-eds about the current debate surrounding citizenship and immigration.
Common Core State Standards
| http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/11-12/2/ | Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas. |
| http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/11-12/3/ | Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain. |
| http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RH/11-12/9/ | Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources. |
Length
90 minutes
Document for handout: CSDAY2019 (PDF)
Materials / resources
Links to stories provided on the second page of the document:
- https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2019/07/24/no-shower-23-days-us-citizen-held-deportation-shares-like-immigrant
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/07/26/enduring-cruelty-trumps-immigration-agenda/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.802ca5601cdb
- https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/10/birthright-citizenship-other-countries-trump/574453/
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/tijuana-expectant-moms-hope-u-s-asylum-n1032806
- https://thefederalist.com/2019/07/01/constitution-grant-citizenship-anyone-born-inside-united-states/
- https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-07-21/with-send-her-back-chant-trump-tears-at-the-meaning-of-citizenship
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/29/us/politics/democratic-debates-immigration.html
Lesson step-by-step
Step 1 — 30 minutes
Distribute the handout for the students and explain that they are to follow each portion from 1-7-8-7 — ask them to pause before beginning the last 7. Note: Encourage them to answer the questions on their own first (without the aid of classmates or other resources).
Step 2 — 45 minutes
Ask the students to read one or two of the articles (time permitting) by visiting the links provided. Encourage them to take notes about the content of the article, perspectives presented, references to the Constitution and its amendments, and potential biases they can identify.
Step 3 — 45 minutes
Discuss articles the students read, and then encourage them to read the remaining articles. You may add extra time for further discussion.
Ask students to locate additional articles for discussion. Journalism advisers: encourage your staff to brainstorm/explore the issue of citizenship in future coverage.
Differentiation
Students who may not have studied this material previously may be encouraged to use textbooks or the Internet to answer the questions on the first page of the activity. In addition, you may wish to divide students into small groups to read one article each and then summarize it for the class.
For past Constitution Day materials, go here.
Read MoreEvaluating political ads
Title
Evaluating Political Ads
Description
In this lesson, students are introduced to how political advertisements use free speech and persuasive techniques to motivate voters. Students will evaluate advertisements, consider the ethical dilemmas of using persuasive tactics in political advertising and create their own political advertisements.
Objectives
- Students will explore trends in political advertising.
- Students will identify persuasive techniques in political advertising.
- Students will evaluate ethical dilemmas and free speech issues in political advertising.
- Students will create their own political advertisements.
Common Core State Standard
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.8 | Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 | Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3 | Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4 | Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper). |
Length
90 minutes (depending on class size
Materials / resource
Slideshow: Political Advertising
Storyboard Assignment Sheet (Copy front to back, and have extras)
Lesson step-by-step
Step 1 — Review political ads and strategies (30 minutes)
Use the slideshow linked above to review political ads and teach strategies commonly found in advertising. There are teacher notes and prompts in the slideshow, and showing the linked ads along with pausing for discussion prompts will likely take around 30 minutes.
Step 2 — Introduce the lesson (5 minutes)
Explain to students that they need to use their knowledge of political advertising to create an idea for their own political ad. You, their teacher, and thinking of running for state senate, and your students should create an ad idea to persuade voters (if you’re really feeling brave, you can let them decide whether they are persuading FOR you or AGAINST you!).
Step 3— Storyboarding (20 minutes)
Pass out the storyboard assignment sheet to the groups you formed during the discussion and slideshow review.
Give groups 20 minutes to determine the storyboard for their ad, sketching the scenes and describing the music, mood, lighting, and techniques on the lines below each scene.
Step 4 — Present and assess (5-8 minutes per group)
Groups should present their storyboards. As groups present, instruct them NOT to give away the strategies being used in the ad, just the description of how the ad will flow.
Students in the audience should take notes of which strategies they identified in each ad as a way to check for understanding.
Finally, decide as a class which ad will be more persuasive and why.
For past Constitution Day materials, go here.
Read MoreResources for working on student free press legislation
For Constitution Day, we created a resource for those working on state student free expression legislation. This resource can take stakeholders through the stages of the process.
We hope this blossoms into a robust resource area. Samples are included for many items, but please remember, these are samples of what others have done. It is not a best practice to use them as your own. Your information should be specific to your state and should include issues of concern to your legislators.
• This Google Drive includes the following:
Writing the legislation
Finding a sponsor
Organizing advocates
Preparing for the long process Citizenship
Building the case for legislation
Lobbying with students and following up
Educating all before and after bill passage
If you have questions or something to add to this resource, please send it to keekley@gmail.com.
I wish you the best in this legislative season.
Lori Keekley, SPRC director
For past Constitution materials, go here.
Read MoreSeems like you never know … until it’s too late
by Candace Bowen, MJE Your principal is a good one who answers questions for your news staff and encourages your yearbook staff to tell what really happened this year. Even Twitter and Instagram have not been a problem for your journalism students.
Sure, you and your staff share stories with your principal when they cover sensitive topics. Yes, you’ve asked her views on quotes from other sources. So what? She’s a good administrator, and you’re just being thoughtful. What’s wrong with that?
Maybe plenty.
But let’s back up a bit. An early May discussion strand on the JEAHELP email distribution list centered around a former New Jersey adviser who is now suing her district for not allowing her to tell the real story about prior review and censorship at her school in 2017.
A junior who wore a t-shirt saying, in large letters: “TRUMP: Make American Great Again” in his yearbook photo ended up with a plain navy shirt in the published version. In the ensuing brouhaha, the district would not let adviser Susan Parsons tell the REAL story: New Jersey online said, “Parsons claims the district routinely forced her to edit yearbook photos to alter anything that could be controversial, from words on T-shirts to hand gestures to students not wearing shirts on a school trip.”
This time community members were so upset, Parsons received death threats and says she is now afraid to go out in the community – largely because she has not been allowed to defend herself and point out the true censors were administrators, or, in this case, she says, a secretary acting on the principal’s behalf.
The JEAHELP listserv posts that followed information about this incident covered a wide range of viewpoints. One said, “Prior review can be a positive thing in a friendly environment,” admitting, however, it is “a slippery slope.”
Others argued the chilling effect of prior review almost makes it unnecessary to have true censorship – prior restraint – because students either are afraid to publish something they think might upset their administrators or worry that what they do will negatively impact their favorite teacher.
Then one said exactly what I was thinking at the time: When has prior review ever been good from an educational standpoint? When has it taught good critical thinking skills? When did it help students become better media consumers or understand media’s role as the Fourth Estate, the very necessary check on governmental power? When did it lay down the foundation for future journalists, for those in student media who wish to have this as a career?
Then one said exactly what I was thinking at the time: When has prior review ever been good from an educational standpoint? When has it taught good critical thinking skills? When did it help students become better media consumers or understand media’s role as the Fourth Estate, the very necessary check on governmental power? When did it lay down the foundation for future journalists, for those in student media who wish to have this as a career?
But some kept arguing they had good relationships with their administrators and gave examples of times a really thorough discussion with the principal or others helped students understand a problem.
Fine. But that principal may not be at your school next fall.
According to the National Education Policy Center,“Only about one-half of newly hired middle school principals remained at the same school for three years, while only 30 percent remained at the high school level for three years. After five years, less than one-half of newly hired middle school principals remained, and only 27 percent of high school principals.”
In other words, that understanding man or woman behind the principal’s desk may be replaced before you know it by someone whose legal training isn’t as First Amendment-based and whose biggest concern is the school’s image, not how much its students learn.
Having a policy of prior review with that administrator won’t be a chance to discuss and learn more. It will be the very opposite of good education, but you’ll have little chance to change things then. After all, the prior review policy would have already been in effect.
Having a policy of prior review with that administrator won’t be a chance to discuss and learn more. It will be the very opposite of good education, but you’ll have little chance to change things then.
So don’t even give any administrator an idea to start down that slope. It could lead to a law suit like Susan Parsons has filed. And, definitely, it wouldn’t be the best way for your students to learn.
A good resource to use:
What to tell your principal about prior review?