The First Amendment

Suggested Teaching Instructions

This activity may be taught following an introduction to the First Amendment. For grades 8-12. Approximate time needed is 20-30 minutes.

You may wish to share a full transcript of the Bill of Rights and the history of its creation with students before starting this activity. Introduce the type of documents and the vocabulary found in the text that might be unfamiliar to students, such as:

• amendment
• amicus curiae
• mandate
• restrain
• enjoin
• decreed
• sedition

Choose one document in the grid to model careful document analysis and matching for students.

Ask students to begin the activity, analyzing each document for a possible link to the First Amendment. Students should match each document with the specific phrase of the First Amendment that it best demonstrates. This activity may also be completed by dividing the class into pairs or small groups.

After concluding, lead a discussion with students about the documents they examined.

• Which documents involved the claim that First Amendment rights were violated?
• Which documents lead you to wonder what happened next?

Ask the students to complete further research on the stories found in one of the documents or to locate other examples of the First Amendment in action.