Aiming to educate students in grades 8-12 on the Bill of Rights, this student guide focuses on each of the of the first 10 amendments and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Organized by amendment, each section includes the text of the amendment and its counterpart in the Maine Constitution; an introduction to the legal…

These learning materials are centered around the idea that each individual should "sign" the U.S. Constitution. A facsimile of the U.S. Constitution is included in each learning packet for students to sign. Section 1 contains five teaching modules on the constitutional process that can be used with any subject. The first two modules,…

Designed to supplement students' study of the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment, this text can help them identify the First Amendment as a blueprint for a tolerant society. The introduction explains the purpose of the book and describes its contents. The first chapter discusses events leading to the First Amendment's creation. The chapter…

This document is a collection of 16 lessons designed for use in United States history and American government courses at the high school level. The lessons are divided into four distinct categories: (1) religion and the Establishment Clause; (2) freedom of expression; (3) due process and other rights of the accused; and (4) equal protection of the…

Presents a student- and community-produced assembly program in which several Supreme Court cases are reenacted. Focuses on student rights concerning search and seizure, freedom of speech, and freedom of of the press. Provides a 40- to 50-minute script with roles for narrators, administrators, police officers, reporters, lawyers, and students. (CH)

Presents a simulation in which a student political action committee organizes to protest budget cuts affecting their high school. Seeks to engage students in legal reasoning over First Amendment issues. Poses possible protests, then asks students whether they believe First Amendment rights would protect them. Includes Supreme Court precedents for…

Discusses a euthanasia incident in which a doctor claimed, in a letter to the "Journal of the American Medical Association," to have given a fatal dose of morphine to a dying cancer patient. Debates the ethical issues involved in the journal's decision to print the letter, withholding the author's name. (DB)

A 4-day simulation activity encourages high school students to confront issues of law and journalism through exploration of seven legal issues: prior restraint, access to courts, rights of reply, libel, privacy, confidential sources, and use of stolen documents. The kit contains all materials needed for the simulation, including a director's…

Designed to help make the Bill of Rights a living document, the student text (user's guide) describes the history of each right in the Bill of Rights and explains how the Supreme Court has interpreted those rights throughout history. The units trace the history of the Bill of Rights, describe and analyze the first ten amendments, and explain the…

The purpose of this lesson packet is to raise issues about student rights of free expression in public schools. Included are preparatory reading material and two classroom simulation activities. The lessons are based on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, in which a Missouri high school principal and school district were sued by…