Do you use document-based questions in your classroom?

This fall the Bill of Rights Institute is blogging a document-based question on the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Each weekly post will feature an excerpted document related to the case, along with some questions to guide your thinking on it. Each document should be used to address the question: “Assess the role played by the Court as the protector of individual rights against the tyranny of the majority in Brown v. Board of Education.”

Virginia Criminal Code (1847)

Any white person who shall assemble with slaves, [or] free Negros … for the purpose of instructing them to read or write … shall be punished by confinement in the jail … and by fine.…

>What does this law reveal about African Americans’ access to education in mid-nineteenth century Virginia?

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Check back each week to see the next document and how it might change your thinking on this important question that affects all public school teachers and students in the U.S.! If you are enjoying this DBQ – be sure to check out our curriculum Supreme Court DBQs: Exploring the Cases the Changed History.

A new plan in New York City would ban the sale of all sugary drinks including sodas and energy drinks over 16 fluid ounces in fast food restaurants, delis, and movie theaters.  Grocery and convenience stores would be excluded and fruit juices, dairy-based drinks, and alcoholic beverages would not be included under the size limitation.

According to a New York Times article, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg hopes the ban will curb obesity in New York.  The article states: “The measures have led to occasional derision of the mayor as Nanny Bloomberg, by those who view the restrictions as infringements on personal freedom. But many of the measures adopted in New York have become models for other cities, including restrictions on smoking and trans fats, as well as the use of graphic advertising to combat smoking and soda consumption, and the demand that chain restaurants post calorie contents next to prices.’

Read the entire New York Times Article: New York Plans to Ban Sale of Big Sizes of Sugary Drinks

What do you think?  What are the implications of this proposed ban for personal liberty?

Martin Luther King, Jr. persevered for civil rights throughout his life.  King was born in Georgia in 1929.  He found for desegregation and equal rights for African Americans by speaking out and leading marches.  He always preached non-violence as a means for change.

The most important march of King’s career was the March on Washington in 1963.  A quarter of a million people packed the National Mall.  King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  In his speech, King referred to the “architects of our republic” and their commitment to freedom.  He electrified the crowd with his speech, saying, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

In the years that followed, King led civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama.  He always urged moderation in non-violent protest. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  King was assassinated in 1968.  Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral was attended by 300,000 people, and his courageous life continues to inspire people today.

For Black History Month, A More Perfect Blog will feature profiles of influential and heroic African-American leaders from our curriculum,

Martin Luther King, Jr. persevered for civil rights throughout his life.  King was born in Georgia in 1929.  He found for desegregation and equal rights for African Americans by speaking out and leading marches.  He always preached non-violence as a means for change.

The most important march of King’s career was the March on Washington in 1963.  A quarter of a million people packed the National Mall.  King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  In his speech, King referred to the “architects of our republic” and their commitment to freedom.  He electrified the crowd with his speech, saying, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

In the years that followed, King led civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama.  He always urged moderation in non-violent protest. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  King was assassinated in 1968.  Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral was attended by 300,000 people, and his courageous life continues to inspire people today.

Share this clip from the Today Show with students and ask them for their reactions:

What do you think? Try some of these strategies to discuss airport security and the Fourth Amendment with your students:

1. Write the Fourth Amendment out on the board and brainstorm synonyms for “secure,” “unreasonable,” and “search”.
2. Have a fishbowl debate on the constitutionality of the searches.
3. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a TSA oversight hearing Wednesday, November 17. Have students call or email their Senators expressing their opinions on the constitutionality of the new procedures. Students should write out bullet points of their key constitutional arguments to prepare.

Is this lesson and fillable PDF helpful to you? If so, please subscribe to our weekly Constitution Courier newsletters to receive a free new classroom lesson in your inbox each week!

Parents guide their moral upbringing, direct their education, and, with some rare exceptions, are legally responsible for their children until they reach the age of 18. As young people gain responsibility, they increasingly acquire the rights and privileges of citizenship. Along these lines, the Supreme Court has never held that the protections in the Bill of Rights apply to minor children in the same way they apply to ordinary adult citizens. A recent post of ours mentioned a Supreme Court case from the state of California regarding a law regulating the sale of violent video games to minors and the controversy surrounding all sides of the debate.  The case brings up lots of  questions about the First Amendment, like whose rights are being challenged in this case–the minors’, the parents’, or the game producers’?

Our friends at the National Constitution Center recently published their own blog post about the issues surrounding video games, minors, and free speech and explained why laws banning the sale of violent video games are often ruled unconstitutional. The author, Professor Geoffrey R. Stone, wrote:

“Basically, the courts have reasoned that (a) minors have constitutional rights (even if they are not precisely coextensive with the rights of adults), (b) video games are protected First Amendment expression (they are artistic and they may reasonably be seen as interactive novels) … and (e) the responsibility for dealing with these issues properly rests with parents rather than with the government.”

What is your reaction? How should the rights of minors be understood and enforced by law? What arguments for or against the ban could be made by the following individuals/groups?
- minor children
- parents of minor children
- video game producers
- owners of video game stores
- members of society who believe violent video games cause children to act violently towards others

To learn more about Supreme Court cases involving the rights of young people, check out Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988).

If you’re interested in learning more about the First Amendment, you might try our Is it a First Amendment Issue? eLesson.

By Pete Wright via Wikimedia Commons

- Obama T-shirt serves as voting ‘dress code’ reminder: Can the government stop voters from wearing politically-themed clothing to the polls?

- NPR’s federal funding questioned after analyst fired: Did NPR, which is partially funded with taxpayer dollars, abridge the First Amendment when it fired Juan Williams?

Do you agree with the actions taken in each of these articles?