About This Lesson
Available On Demand!
In these sessions, students will examine the historical context and the drafting of the First Amendment—focusing especially on the factors motivating America’s founding generation. Students will also examine various types of speech, including symbolic speech, hate speech, and political speech. Students will learn that in America, speech can only be limited by the government when it is intended to and likely to cause imminent violence. Exploring when the government has the authority to restrict speech, students will learn about 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.
