In the Classroom

We’re your one-stop shop for teaching the First Amendment. Everything you need is here in Lessons in Liberty, from court cases to lesson plans. Our goal is to make your job easier. That’s why we’re here.

Why teach the First Amendment?

Help tomorrow’s citizens find their voices. Teach the First Amendment. The lesson plans, school activities and other resources below are designed to make it easier to teach our democratic republic's first freedom — the First Amendment.

The most basic liberties guaranteed to Americans — embodied in the 45 words of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — assure Americans a government that is responsible to its citizens and responsive to their wishes. These 45 words are as alive and important today as they were more than 200 years ago. These liberties are neither liberal nor conservative, Democratic nor Republican — they are the basis for our representative democratic form of government.

We know from studies beginning in 1997 by the nonpartisan First Amendment Center, and from studies commissioned by the Knight Foundation and others, that few adult Americans or high school students can name the individual five freedoms that make up the First Amendment.

The First Amendment isn’t an artifact of legal history buried in the past. It is a living part of the everyday lives of every one of us. Especially in education, First Amendment issues offer almost limitless applications and opportunities.

Teachable aspects of the First Amendment include:

  • How our core freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition came to be guaranteed is a fascinating saga of American history – involving towering figures, particularly James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. It is a saga that began even before U.S. history and continues to evolve today.
  • Students should know that the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment, did not spring whole into existence with no debate by our Founding Fathers. Rather, it arose through great contention and controversy, illustrating the early — and continuing — workings of U.S. government and our legal system.
  • We have the freedom to speak, write, worship, assemble, and ask the government for change, but how do we as citizens use those freedoms? What does it mean to exercise freedom responsibly? The First Amendment offers teachers a way into matters of civility and respect for others in society.
  • Current affairs. Examples of the First Amendment in action and in the news are inexhaustible. They can form the basis for class debates. From student protests, to issues of religious freedom in schools and in society at large, to press censorship and freedom of information, teachable First Amendment moments are everywhere.

What’s here

Below, the Free Speech Center has gathered a host of resources and ideas to help teachers teach the First Amendment. They're organized by categories representing the five freedoms of speech, press, religious liberty, assembly, and petition. There's also a general category for resources on the Bill of Rights and related material.

As more resource materials become available, they will be added.

The primers, lesson plans and resources below will draw young people into an exploration of how their freedoms began and how they operate in today’s world. Students will discuss just how far individual rights extend, examining rights in the school environment and public places. The primers and lessons may be used in history and government, civics, language arts and journalism, art, and debate classes. They may be used in sections or in their entirety. Many of these materials indicate an overall goal, offer suggestions on how to teach the lesson and list additional resources and enrichment activities.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” – The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

  • Freedom of Speech

  • Freedom of the Press

  • Freedom of Religion

  • Freedom of Assembly

  • Freedom to Petition the Government

  • General

FIRE

Beyond use in digital or in-person orientation, this lesson can be used for onboarding teaching assistants to give them an overview of their rights in the classroom. The framework for a faculty-led panel on academic freedom can also be used as a Constitution Day activity on campus. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

ICIVICS

This lesson is about the 1986 Supreme Court case Bethel School District v. Fraser, which established a school’s ability to prohibit inappropriate student language on campus. From iCivics.

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This lesson centers on Frederick Douglass’ acclaimed defense of free expression, “A plea for free speech in Boston.” The material, oriented toward Black History Month, "is also appropriate for lessons on the First Amendment, minority rights, the perils of censorship, and the power of the spoken word."

MEDIA ETHICS INITIATIVE

This Media Ethics Initiative case study tackles the question of whether it’s protected by the First Amendment to encourage another person to commit suicide.

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Beyond use during digital or in-person orientations, this lesson can be a tool to teach student-government members and student-organization leaders about how the university can and cannot respond to controversial speakers. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

FIRST AMENDMENT WATCH

This guide will help educators teach students about the First Amendment and whether or not it protects Alex Jones from libel suits against him from the families of Sandy Hook victims after he claimed the killings of schoolchildren was a hoax. From First Amendment Watch.

ICIVICS

Students will learn about Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a 2010 Supreme Court ruling about limiting government restrictions on campaign contributions. From iCivics.org.

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This special lesson geared to the annual Constitution Day helps teachers present the rationale, history and importance of the First Amendment freedom of speech. Includes a PowerPoint slide deck, summarized readings, and critical-thinking questions.

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In a pandemic, how can scientific inquiry, including disagreements, be openly discussed, without opposing viewpoints being labeled as "misinformation"? This lesson explores the value of freedom of speech in a time of uncertainty and fear.

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On campuses across the country, speech and due-process rights have been challenged as administrators struggle to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. See how these trends have affected vital student and faculty rights in higher education. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

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This lesson "explores some of the current controversies around free speech in education through various activities, videos, DBQs, and discussion-focused questions. Students will learn about some of the most popular arguments against free speech and how to respond to them, as well as why it can be important to voice your opinion, even if it’s an unpopular one."

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"Students who wish to be effective, persuasive communicators must develop argumentation skills. This unit includes sample debate topics, instruction on how to form a powerful argument, and activities designed to help students build comfort with taking, defending, and challenging competing positions on controversial topics."

MEDIA ETHICS INITIATIVE

When professional football player Rashard Mendenhall tweeted about celebrations surrounding the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, he gained the ire of many Americans. This case study explores the story of Mendenhall’s tweets and the freedom of speech. From the Media Ethics Initiative.

ICIVICS

This iCivics lesson, formatted as a game quest, will teach students about their First Amendment rights as they protect their “law clients.”

FREEDOM FORUM

Social media platforms are private companies, which means they can censor material posted on them according to their own rules and regulations. This primer shows major social media platforms’ policies on hate speech, obscenity, misinformation and harassment. A primer from the Freedom Forum.

FIRST AMENDMENT MUSEUM

This lesson teaches elementary schoolers about the First Amendment, focusing on Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). From the First Amendment Museum.

FREEDOM FORUM

This exercise from the Freedom Forum asks: Do schools have the right to punish students for online speech when they are off campus?

FREEDOM FORUM

This lesson plan can be used with any of the case studies in the Freedom Forum’s Free Speech Essentials collection.

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"Drawing from the life and journey of NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom, this mini-lesson highlights the unique protections of the First Amendment in the United States in comparison with restrictions abroad."

FREE SPEECH CENTER

This lesson provides key concepts, materials and readings on Free Speech on campus for both private and public colleges. From the Free Speech Center.

MEDIA ETHICS INITIATIVE

The Media Ethics Initiative provides various articles on topics related to the First Amendment, complete with discussion questions. 

NEW YORK TIMES

This lesson, provided by The New York Times, teaches students about how the First Amendment applies online, especially to bloggers.

READ WRITE THINK

Provided by Read Write Think, this instructional plan helps students to think about the meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance and how they use their freedom of speech.

USCHS

The United States Capitol Historical Society provides this lesson plan on the history of the First Amendment and freedom of speech.

MEDIA ETHICS INITIATIVE

This Media Ethics Initiative case study discusses the ethics of Twitch’s hate-speech policies.

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This lesson looks at how people cope socially and emotionally with unwelcome but protected speech, and covers ways that students can develop skills of resilience, refutation, and self-advocacy. Bonus section: Teaching Healthy Discourse.

FIRST AMENDMENT WATCH

This First Amendment Watch teacher guide discusses NFL “take a knee” protests and their relation to the First Amendment.

CALIFORNIA COURTS

California Courts presents this lesson on the First Amendment, focusing specifically on the freedom of speech and what types of speech are considered protected.

FREEDOM FORUM

This interactive guide helps determine whether certain speech is protected by the First Amendment with four simple questions. A primer from the Freedom Forum.

STUDENT PRESS LAW CENTER

Students will use this lesson to learn about video games and why the First Amendment keeps the government from restricting access to them. From the Student Press Law Center.

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This video can serve as a resource on campus web pages explaining student-speech rights, teaching incoming students about when speech crosses the line and loses First Amendment protection. This module focuses primarily on defining and providing examples of freedom of speech limitations, such as harassment, true threats, intimidation, and other unlawful conduct. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

ICIVICS

Students will examine a case about band-themed T-shirts in high school and use evidence to build arguments about whether or not the T-shirts are disruptive. From iCivics.org.

LESSON PLANET

This lesson will have students examine the works of Norman Rockwell and analyze the First Amendment. From Lesson Planet.

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The video adaptation of this lesson and the script can be used in digital or in-person program orientations to teach students tactics for responding to offensive speech and when offensive speech loses First Amendment protection. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

FIRST AMENDMENT MUSEUM

Targeted for 8th-grade students, this lesson focuses on propaganda and censorship during World War I. From the First Amendment Museum.

MEDIA ETHICS INITIATIVE

This Media Ethics Initiative case study discusses the trend of coaches’ banning their athletes from social media and whether or not this practice is ethical.

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This lesson in programming explains IT policies or codes of conduct. The video can also be placed on university web pages explaining student rights or IT policies. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

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Video lesson on "legal considerations and competing interests involved in social media censorship of 'misinformation' about the coronavirus, and steps tech companies are taking to elevate information from authoritative sources."

KNIGHT FOUNDATION

The First Amendment Center and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation present this guide on social media and the First Amendment for middle and high school teachers, including lesson plans, resources and more.

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"Free-speech rights have proven themselves essential in securing a fair hearing for demands for justice and equal Constitutional protection for marginalized groups and isolated, targeted individuals throughout U.S. history. This module examines the crucial role of free speech in the Abolitionist, Women’s Suffrage, and Civil Rights movements."

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This annual report condenses the considerable research in FIRE’s Spotlight database into an accessible picture of the state of free expression on our nation’s campuses. The report surveys speech codes at America’s largest and most prestigious colleges and universities, providing readers with key data on individual schools and national trends.

ICIVICS

Students will learn about the restrictions of the First Amendment in this iCivics lesson, from Supreme Court rulings to speech codes on college campuses.

MEDIA ETHICS INITIATIVE

This case study examines anti-vax memes on Facebook and other social media platforms and whether or not the best solution is to ban them. From the Media Ethics Initiative.

EDUCATION WORLD

Education World offers this lesson plan on how freedom of speech and freedom of religion affect what students can wear at school.

BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE

A lesson plan from the Bill of Rights Institute delving into students’ free-speech rights on school grounds.

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Study-abroad programs have experienced extensive changes recently due to COVID-19, but while the logistics of travel are different and may remain changed in coming years, the underlying freedom of expression issues remain constant. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

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Beyond use in digital or in-person orientations, this video adaptation can be placed on university web pages explaining student rights, or on diversity and inclusion pages, to give a fuller picture of how to embrace difficult conversations. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

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An important way to develop student respect for freedom of speech is to teach them how to have "meaningful conversations with their peers."

ICIVICS

Students will use this iCivics lesson to learn about Texas v. Johnson, the 1989 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag is protected by the First Amendment.

BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE

Two lessons examining why free speech is vital for self-government and how freedom of speech has been both limited and expanded. From the Bill of Rights Institute.

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What do you do when you see something absurd. Do you speak up? Working from Hans Christian Andersen’s fable “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” "this lesson examines the importance of thinking for oneself, even if everyone else disagrees."

LESSON PLANET

Students will use this lesson to explore free expression under the First Amendment and the Constitution. From Lesson Planet.

LESSON PLANET

Students will discuss examples of speech and whether or not they’re protected under the First Amendment, as well as apply the First Amendment to their own lives. From Lesson Planet.

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This lesson "explores the landmark cases and legal reasoning behind the strong speech protections that Americans uniquely enjoy, while correcting some common misconceptions."

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This research documents the ways and reasons that scholars have faced calls for sanction; how scholars and institutional administrators have responded to different forms of targeting; and what (if any) sanctions scholars have ultimately faced. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

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From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, this video can serve as a resource on university web pages explaining student-speech rights.

BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE

This video from the Bill of Rights Institute’s Homework Help series analyzes how a student protest against the Vietnam War went all the way to the Supreme Court.

ICIVICS

This iCivics lesson teaches students about the Supreme Court decision that extended First Amendment free-speech rights to students at school, Tinker v. Des Moines.

ICIVICS

Students will learn about West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, the 1943 Supreme Court case that determined that it was unconstitutional for schools to force students to salute the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. From iCivics.org.

FIRST AMENDMENT MUSEUM

High school students will explore the liberties and limits of speech and expression in schools in this First Amendment Museum lesson.

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA SCHOOL OF LAW

This primer covers which government employees are not allowed to speak to the news media and the First Amendment implications of these restrictions. From the University of Georgia School of Law.

FREEDOM FORUM

Using laws and writings that influenced the development of the First Amendment, students “vote off” proposed amendments from the time period. From the Freedom Forum.

FREEDOM FORUM

Students use their First Amendment knowledge to weigh in on a current First Amendment issue or controversy via multimedia response pieces in this Freedom Forum lesson plan.

FREEDOM FORUM

Students in this Freedom Forum exercise engage in a simulated high-stakes debate over a national security situation that highlights the causes and effects of tensions between journalists and government officials.