Introducing the First Amendment

Introduce the rights protected by the first amendment.

Objectives

• Students will be able to identify the rights protected by the First Amendment.

Resources

• Space to move around the room labeled R, A, P, PR, S (each of the four walls and sitting at desks is suggested)
• Read-aloud First Amendment statements (below)

Scaffold note: If movement around the room is not feasible, mini whiteboards and dry-erase markers could replace the movement. Mini whiteboards could also be used if peer pressure might sway students’ movement with the group.

First Amendment Statements

• I can go to a temple and worship however often I want, even if not at all.
• I can criticize my country for funding a foreign country’s war by posting online.
• I can support the policies of a political movement by attending a rally.
• I can write song lyrics that support a presidential candidate.
• My friends and I can hang out at the park after school.
• If I wanted to add disc golf to the park, I could email the city government.
• I can put a “vote for” sticker on my car.
• My school allows me to have a break to pray.
• I can donate money to a group that works to support a cause or people I believe in.
• I can join a “sit-in” at a library when they are initiating policies I disagree with.

Facilitation Notes

• This activity allows students to move around the room while they practice sorting opinions and factual statements into the proper right protected by the First Amendment. Hanging or projecting visible labels before the start of the lesson will enable the lesson to flow smoothly. For religious liberty, it is suggested that there are two subsections for the two clauses: Free Exercise and Establishment.