In the Classroom

We’re your one-stop shop for teaching the First Amendment. Everything you need is here in Lessons in Liberty, from court cases to lesson plans. Our goal is to make your job easier. That’s why we’re here.

Why teach the First Amendment?

Help tomorrow’s citizens find their voices. Teach the First Amendment. The lesson plans, school activities and other resources below are designed to make it easier to teach our democratic republic's first freedom — the First Amendment.

The most basic liberties guaranteed to Americans — embodied in the 45 words of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — assure Americans a government that is responsible to its citizens and responsive to their wishes. These 45 words are as alive and important today as they were more than 200 years ago. These liberties are neither liberal nor conservative, Democratic nor Republican — they are the basis for our representative democratic form of government.

We know from studies beginning in 1997 by the nonpartisan First Amendment Center, and from studies commissioned by the Knight Foundation and others, that few adult Americans or high school students can name the individual five freedoms that make up the First Amendment.

The First Amendment isn’t an artifact of legal history buried in the past. It is a living part of the everyday lives of every one of us. Especially in education, First Amendment issues offer almost limitless applications and opportunities.

Teachable aspects of the First Amendment include:

  • How our core freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition came to be guaranteed is a fascinating saga of American history – involving towering figures, particularly James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. It is a saga that began even before U.S. history and continues to evolve today.
  • Students should know that the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment, did not spring whole into existence with no debate by our Founding Fathers. Rather, it arose through great contention and controversy, illustrating the early — and continuing — workings of U.S. government and our legal system.
  • We have the freedom to speak, write, worship, assemble, and ask the government for change, but how do we as citizens use those freedoms? What does it mean to exercise freedom responsibly? The First Amendment offers teachers a way into matters of civility and respect for others in society.
  • Current affairs. Examples of the First Amendment in action and in the news are inexhaustible. They can form the basis for class debates. From student protests, to issues of religious freedom in schools and in society at large, to press censorship and freedom of information, teachable First Amendment moments are everywhere.

What’s here

Below, the Free Speech Center has gathered a host of resources and ideas to help teachers teach the First Amendment. They're organized by categories representing the five freedoms of speech, press, religious liberty, assembly, and petition. There's also a general category for resources on the Bill of Rights and related material.

As more resource materials become available, they will be added.

The primers, lesson plans and resources below will draw young people into an exploration of how their freedoms began and how they operate in today’s world. Students will discuss just how far individual rights extend, examining rights in the school environment and public places. The primers and lessons may be used in history and government, civics, language arts and journalism, art, and debate classes. They may be used in sections or in their entirety. Many of these materials indicate an overall goal, offer suggestions on how to teach the lesson and list additional resources and enrichment activities.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” – The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

  • Freedom of Speech

  • Freedom of the Press

  • Freedom of Religion

  • Freedom of Assembly

  • Freedom to Petition the Government

  • General

C-SPAN CLASSROOM

In this First Amendment video overview from C-SPAN Classroom, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., talks about the meaning of the First Amendment.

LESSON PLANET

In this Lesson Planet exercise, students will analyze Supreme Court cases to learn about the five freedoms of the First Amendment. For grades 4-6.

FREEDOM FORUM

Actor Martin Sheen narrates this story of the political struggles involved in establishing the First Amendment and early challenges to it. From the Freedom Forum.

FREEDOM FORUM

This Freedom Forum classroom activity asks students to find examples of people using their First Amendment freedoms.

FREEDOM FORUM

Using laws and writings that influenced the development of the First Amendment, students “vote off” proposed amendments from the time period in this Freedom Forum exercise.

LESSON PLANET

Similar to the Freedom Forum game, students will learn about the First Amendment by creating their own draft amendments and voting for the most important. From Lesson Planet.

BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE

The text of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, with discussion, from the Bill of Rights Institute.

LESSON PLANET

This lesson plan, created for 5th-graders, contains a wide variety of activities focusing on the Bill of Rights, from illustrations to a mock trial. From Lesson Planet.

LESSON PLANET

Students in grades 8-10 will use this lesson to learn about the Bill of Rights and the circumstances leading to its writing. From Lesson Planet.

LESSON PLANET

In this Lesson Planet activity, students in grades 9-12 will analyze the Bill of Rights and research the First Amendment and others.

BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE

The Bill of Rights Institute offers a variety of guides and lesson plans based on constitutional principles, including the First Amendment.

LESSON PLANET

This Lesson Planet lesson, made for 9th-graders, will help students to understand the First Amendment and its impact on their daily lives.

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This FAQ can be handed out to new students. Additionally, the text or video can be used on university web pages explaining student rights. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

The AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION offers a primer on censorship and the First Amendment, as well as links to other relevant resources.

LESSON PLANET

Students will conduct a survey centered around the First Amendment and use it to analyze how aspects of the First Amendment come into play at school. From Lesson Planet.

SCHOOLJOURNALISM.ORG

This annual contest run by Schooljournalism.org challenges students to write a public-service announcement that explains and affirms the importance of the First Amendment.

LESSON PLANET

This lesson, written by Lesson Planet for 5th-graders, will help students to analyze the First Amendment and use it to solve a school-related issue.

NEWHOUSE SCHOOL, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

These six short films, produced by the Tully Center for Free Speech at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, teach about different Supreme Court cases and other topics related to the First Amendment.

FREE SPEECH CENTER

The Free Speech Center’s compilation of significant historical events, court cases, and ideas that have shaped First Amendment law as we know it today.

ANNENBERG

This Annenberg Classroom timeline traces developments in the history of our First Amendment freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.

LESSON PLANET

From Lesson Planet: 12th-graders will learn about the First Amendment and its day-to-day importance in their lives with this lesson.

CALIFORNIA COURTS

Provided by the California Courts, this lesson plan focuses on the Bill of Rights, specifically the five freedoms of the First Amendment.

FREEDOM FORUM

Students explore the interplay among the five First Amendment freedoms as they play an elimination game to determine the most important freedom. From the Freedom Forum.

FREEDOM FORUM

Students will be able to define the five freedoms of the First Amendment and provide examples of how they exercise these freedoms in their lives. From the Freedom Forum.

FREEDOM FORUM

Students apply their knowledge of the First Amendment to specific scenarios to determine when those freedoms are protected and when they are not. From the Freedom Forum.

LESSON PLANET

Students will examine the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and other resources to create a brochure about a civil rights topic. From Lesson Planet.

SCHOOLJOURNALISM.ORG

From Schooljournalism.org, two days of lessons created by ASNE, now the News Leaders Association, on First Amendment law. Other resources can also be found on this page.

FIRST AMENDMENT MUSEUM

Students will learn about the five freedoms of the First Amendment through this group activity from the First Amendment Museum.

FREE SPEECH CENTER

A report summarizing best practices for educators to approach and promote advocacy and engagement around the First Amendment’s five freedoms.

Lessons in Liberty

FREE SPEECH CENTER

First Amendment hypotheticals for classroom use, developed by the Poynter Institute’s Press Pass program in partnership with the Free Speech Center.

Making the Law Come Alive: Teaching the First Amendment Through Contemporary Conflicts

FIRST AMENDMENT WATCH

First Amendment Watch at New York University offers many lesson plans and teacher guides on the First Amendment, each relating to issues America faces today. 

FREEDOM FORUM

Students build on research from “The First Amendment in Action Today” lesson to create, execute and document a plan of action to address a community issue. From the Freedom Forum.

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"En este módulo de lección, encontrarás tres presentaciones en español que puedes usar para explicarles a tus estudiantes sobre los elementos filosóficos, históricos, y jurídicos de la Primera Enmienda de la Constitución Estadounidense."

NEH - EDSITEMENT!

The National Endowment for the Humanities provides hundreds of “EDSITEment” lesson plans, including First Amendment lesson plans such as The First Amendment: What’s Fair in a Free Country?

GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, a lesson for grades 10-12 on the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment.

GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Students in grades 4 through 6 can use this lesson to learn about the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment. From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

PBS NEWSHOUR CLASSROOM

These resources, created by PBS, teach students about issues America faces today, helping them understand the importance of civics. (This resource is the new version of PBS NewsHour EXTRA. The old content on EXTRA has not been fully converted to Classroom and is currently accessible at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/.)

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From banned books that warn against censorial regimes to international stories about fighting censorship to books chronicling the First Amendment’s role in America’s media landscape, this list has a book or document fit for any academic program. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

This study aid will help students remember which rights are protected by each amendment. From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

ICIVICS

This iCivics lesson, formatted as a web quest, will have students analyze Supreme Court cases that interpreted the First Amendment, as well as explain the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the Constitution.

FREE SPEECH CENTER

As valuable as the Bill of Rights is, most Americans know very little about it. Test your own knowledge — and your students’ — by taking the Free Speech Center's quiz.

FREE SPEECH CENTER

In 1776, our founders risked their lives to publish a Declaration of Independence. Those early Americans sought “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” by creating a nation founded on freedom. This Free Speech Center quiz tests knowledge of the Declaration of Independence.

LESSON PLANET

This lesson, targeted toward 9th-graders, will teach students about the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment. From Lesson Planet.

LESSON PLANET

This learning resource from Lesson Planet will help teachers begin educating their students about the Bill of Rights.

LESSON PLANET

In this lesson, 11th-graders will analyze the First Amendment through surveys and evaluation. From Lesson Planet.

LESSON PLANET

This worksheet from Lesson Planet, made for 4th- and 5th-graders, will help students analyze the First Amendment and its importance in their lives.

FIRST AMENDMENT MUSEUM

With this lesson plan, teachers will lead students through a First Amendment-related story, asking questions and prompting debate along the way to help students think more deeply about the five freedoms. From the First Amendment Museum.

FREE SPEECH CENTER

This comprehensive Free Speech Center resource boasts “more entries on the First Amendment than any other work of its kind.” With more than 1,500 searchable entries, it can give you information on any First Amendment question you might wish to explore in class.

FREEDOM FORUM

Students research an individual or group using the First Amendment to solve a community issue, then turn their findings into digital posters. From the Freedom Forum.

LESSON PLANET

This lesson explores the rights of the First Amendment and the responsibilities that come with it. From Lesson Planet.

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This course from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression "reviews the unique inheritance of basic rights and freedoms bestowed on all American citizens by our founding documents, which draw from Enlightenment conceptions of liberty and individual human dignity. It also covers the essential role of open discourse and reasoning in examining evidence and seeking truth."

FIRST AMENDMENT WATCH

This First Amendment Watch guide will help educators teach about the Sedition Act of 1798 https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/sedition-act-of-1798/ and its impact on the First Amendment at the time.

ANNENBERG

A series of 10 short documentary videos, one for each amendment in the Bill of Rights, showing how each freedom came through controversy to ratification by the Founding Fathers.

FREEDOM FORUM

The Freedom Forum presents these resources for educating about the First Amendment, including training, lesson plans and more.

FREEDOM FORUM

Learn how activists in past social movements leveraged the power of First Amendment to bring about change, then dissect persuasive techniques used to shape public opinion and their application to current issues. From the Freedom Forum.

FREE SPEECH CENTER

Can you envision life in the United States without the five freedoms of the First Amendment? This exercise from the Free Speech Center will help instill a greater understanding and appreciation for the freedoms the First Amendment guarantees and protects.

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"This character-building lesson, designed for Women’s History Month, offers students an empowering glimpse into the many achievements and profound emotional strength of one of America’s most admired First Ladies."

ICIVICS

This lesson teaches students about the rights guaranteed to them by the Bill of Rights. From iCivics.org

JUDICIAL LEARNING CENTER

This primer, presented by Judicial Learning Center, teaches students about the rights protected by the First Amendment, using case studies and other activities.

LESSON PLANET

Classes will use this Lesson Planet lesson to discuss the First Amendment and why students should care about it.