About This Lesson
In this session, students will examine the historical context and the drafting of the First Amendment’s free exercise and establishment clauses. Students will examine the protections enshrined in the First Amendment’s religion clauses. They will explore the Interactive Constitution to study the religion clauses’ text and history and how the Supreme Court has interpreted them over time. Finally, students will compare and contrast the questions, opinions, and dissents in a series of Supreme Court cases to define when the free exercise and establishment clauses do and do not limit government action.
