Do your students know what they’re free to say online? At school? On a public street corner? From censorship to cyberbullying, the First Amendment and the freedoms it protects are as hotly contested as ever. This EDCollection explores 16 free speech debates ranging from the founding of our nation to recent headlines to illustrate what free speech actually means, where it comes from, and how far it can go. Whether you’re a social studies teacher looking for a complete unit or an English teacher looking to spend a single class period on free expression, there’s something for everyone. Free registration required.
Media Literacy: Making Sense of the 24/7 News Cycle
A free press is essential to the success of a democracy. As the media has evolved over time to include radio, television, internet and now smart phones and social media apps, the ability in “being capable to read them” needs examining. This lesson guides students through analysis of social media posts, the definition of terms relevant to the media, and provides tools for identifying quality sources for examination of current political issues. This lesson accompanies the Talking Turkey: Taking the ‘Dis’ Out of Civil Discourse program as well as YLI and American Evolution’s First Freedom Wall. Free registration is required to access the lesson plan.
Women’s History Month Lesson Plans & Resources
The Share My Lesson team has curated a collection of free preK-12 lesson plans and class activities for educators to use in order to incorporate key figures and historical events into their Women’s History Month lesson planning. This Share My Lesson collection spans topics like women’s suffrage and women’s rights and features influential women in science, social justice and sports.
Addressing Gun Violence: Lesson Plans & Resources
The Share My Lesson team curated a collection of free lesson plans and resources to support teachers in discussing the topic of gun violence with their students. This collection explores facts, history, laws, players, potential solutions, and activism on the issue of gun violence in the United States.
Congress and the Legislative Branch: Lesson Plans & Resources
This Share My Lesson collection provides free lesson plans and resources to support teachers in educating students about the legislative branch of Congress. Students will learn about the powers of Congress and state legislatures, how those powers have been used or changed over time, and what issues face Congress today.
Constitutional Crisis and Impeachment: Lesson Plans and Activities
Historically, the United States House has only impeached two presidents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. However, neither president ended up being removed from office by the Senate. Share My Lesson has curated this collection of free lesson plans and resources to support educators in teaching students about what impeachment means, the history of impeachment, and how the impeachment process works.
Voting Rights Act of 1965: Lesson Plans & Resources
On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. This landmark piece of legislation made discrimination based on race illegal. This law protected the right to vote for all citizens; forced states to obey the Constitution; and reinforced the 15th Amendment. The Share My Lesson team has curated a collection of free lesson plans, activities, and classroom materials that educators can use to teach students about the Voting Rights Act.
Freedom of the Press
Students explore the scope and limitations of the First Amendment provision that protects freedom of the press. The lesson poses a hypothetical scenario involving student journalists handling private information. After a brief class discussion, students investigate the history, various interpretations, and modern relevance of First Amendment freedom of the press protections in the Interactive Constitution. The lesson builds on the freedom of speech lesson plan by asking students to compare and contrast the freedoms of speech and press through discussion questions including: How are speech and press related? and How are speech and press key to democratic functions?
The Supreme Court: Balancing the Branches
The nine, lifetime-appointed justices on the Supreme Court play a huge role in our lives through interpreting the application of laws passed by the United States Congress and state legislatures. The Share My Lesson team has curated a collection of free lesson plans and activities to support teachers in educating their students about the structure and role of the Supreme Court.
Foundations of Democracy: Lesson Plans & Resources
This Share My Lesson collection provides teachers with free lesson plans and resources on the foundational principles of democracies, including rule of law, limited government, and checks and balances. It can be used to build background knowledge to analyze the health of our democracy over time and in today’s environment.