This four-day learning activity on the controversy of exclusion of gays and subsequently atheists in Boy Scouting is particularly relevant because it highlights the complexities that surround issues of equality, equity, the provision of leisure services, First Amendment rights, and the implications of court decisions on social justice. This lesson…

The Christian Right opposes the inclusion of sexual orientation in school policies, charging that the schools are legitimating and promoting homosexuality. The arguments have moved past the trite, "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," to claims of violations of parental rights and the First Amendment, often positioning…

Summarizes three case studies concerning the first amendment that address: (1) whether a state-owned television station can exclude a candidate from a televised debate; (2) whether decency conditions placed on grant projects by the National Endowment of the Arts censors freedom of expression; and (3) the constitutionality of the Line Item Veto…

Presents a plan for a student-organized open discussion relating to conflicts between the desire to protect children from harmful material on the Internet and the need to protect First Amendment rights. Includes a note to teachers, instructions for conducting the forum, background information, and roles for students participating in the…

Presents background information on Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin could not compel Amish students to attend high school. Outlines a lesson plan for simulating the court's decision. Includes discussion questions that distinguish between the First Amendment establishment and free exercise clauses and…