Students consider how free speech applies to journalistic practices in light of a legal case involving two reporters. They participate in a fishbowl discussion about journalism codes of ethics and write response papers.

Students read the story "The Secret to Freedom" and participate in active reading to personalize what they have read. In this reading lesson, students follow  several writing activities and discuss their work . Students integrate...

Engage your class in a series of activities, each related to the use or analysis of symbols used to convey patriotic or national concepts. They identify different national symbols and explain their meanings, discussing the importance of...

Sixth graders examine the religious issues of the early settlers in the New World and the current issue of separation of church and state. They discuss a list of colonial laws from the 1600s, participate in a class discussion, and in...

Second graders discuss who Nelson Mandela is and what he did to help South Africans gain the right to vote and participate in a voting activity and discuss it's importance.

Fifth graders read the biographies of seven colonists and determine their position on the freedom of religion. They conduct a panel discussion of seven personalities and debate the religious freedom in America.

Students explore freedom of speech. Individually, they complete a K-W-L chart. Students participate in a "Stand If You Can" activity where they make statements regarding the freedom of speech. Students stand if they agree with the...

Students explain when and why the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms became law, list two important rights or freedoms contained in the Charter and apply the law given in the handouts to the facts of the story to arrive at two...

The contributions of African-Americans to the American Revolution are the focus of this Social Studies and language arts lesson. After reading and discussing Linda Crotta Brennan’s The Black Regiment of the American Revolution, class...

A discussion of the Supreme Court’s Opinion of Tinker v. Des Moines generates a discussion of the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment. Although the key elements of this lesson are based on a video that is not included, the activities...

How did free and enslaved blacks work to craft freedom for themselves and their families before the Civil War? Young historians read about the life of Thomas Day, a free black man who also owned slaves and had abolitionist ties in...

Students listen to data on African American women in Texas before the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students compare and contrast the lives of slave and free women, and discuss case studies, locating areas on a map. Students...

Research, role-playing, and reflection are the three “R’s” that form the basis of an examination of Cyberbullying. Although based on the Criminal Code of Canada, the included scenarios and case studies provide valuable resources for a...

Fifth graders read a book about independence, freedom, and slavery. Students create a story map of the book. They research the causes of the Civil War. Students write a newspaper article from the point of view of an American colonist.

Students explore the concept of democratic freedom. In this service learning lesson, students investigate the freedom the Pilgrims sought as they moved from England and write a journal from their point of view.

Students trace the development of sectionalism in the United States. They explore slavery, freedom and the Constitution. Students identify influential opponents and defenders of American slavery. They explain different solutions to...

Students read excepts from various government documents on the issue of slavery in America. Using the internet, they research a topic related to slavery of interest to them and present to the class their findings. They examine the life...

Students examine and analyze various excerpts from documents of freedom such as Magna Carta and Virginia Declaration of Rights, identify how documents influenced each other, and discuss ideas and rights necessary to build representative...

Students identify First Amendment rights of Freedom of Religion. They identify the colonies which were settled by people escaping religious persecution. They study the beliefs of the five major religions in the US.

Learners discover the American Medal of Freedom, also known as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Using the internet, groups of students research the history of the award, its recipients, and its origin. Each group prepares a PowerPoint...

Here is a fantastic primary source analysis activity regarding Frederick Douglass' speech delivered at the unveiling of the Freedmen's Monument in 1876. The follow-up discussion questions and activities highlight Douglass' discussion of...

Students research online and in books city statutes regarding posting signs on utility poles, interview appropriate officials about ordinances and how completely it is enforced, explore what has happened elsewhere when citizens decided...

Fourth graders present research on war. In this debate lesson plan, 4th graders create a power point presentation debating for or against the American Revolution. Students share their presentations with the class.

When do people ask for anonymity? Why? After reading the New York Times article "For a Reporter and a Source, Echoes of Broken Promise," young readers participate in a roundtable discussion focusing on freedom of the press and the use of...