Identifying First Amendment Protections in School

For this activity, students will create scenarios when the protections of the First Amendment are allowed in the classroom and when the First Amendment is not allowed. For each scenario, students are to define which 1st Amendment freedom they are going to visualize, create a visual representation, and then explain in the space below why the action is or is not protected by the First Amendment.

The key teaching point of this activity should be centered around the concept of an action “being disruptive to the educational environment.” Teachers should discuss this concept with their students prior to the assignment. Teachers should show historic examples of silent protests/symbolic speech so students can understand how speech and protests does not always include yelling, shouting, or even sound at all.