About This Lesson
Students examine the historical context and drafting of the First Amendment through consideration of the motivations
of the Founding generation. Students will also examine various types of “speech,” such as symbolic speech, hate
speech, and political speech, to address the scope of protections promised by the First Amendment. In each instance,
students will explore when the government has some authority to restrict speech; areas of consensus among scholars,
judges, and citizens; the strongest constitutional arguments on each side of contested issues; and U.S. Supreme Court
cases that have addressed free speech rights. Students will use the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution
to look at the viewpoints of legal scholars on free speech, where they agree and where there are matters of debate.
