THE FIRST AMENDMENT

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Class Activity: Quiz

 Which of the specific rights guaranteed by

the First Amendment can you name?
 In the U.S. is it legal to burn the flag as a
means of political protest?
 Can a public university censor a student
newspaper?
 What does it mean to be “free”?
 What does it mean to “have rights”?

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Six Big Ideas: Constitution

The Six Big Ideas are:

 limited government
 republicanism
 checks and balances
 federalism
 separation of powers
 popular sovereignty

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-QUESTION:

What are the five basic

freedoms that are listed
in the 1st Amendment?

What are civil liberties?

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What are civil liberties?

 The freedoms we have to think and act

without government interference or fear of
unfair treatment

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Facts

 If you didn’t know the answers to the

previous questions you are not alone!
 Only 17% of Americans could name all five
freedoms guaranteed in the First
Amendment.
 Only 25% of students knew it was legal to
burn the flag in protest.
 As far as censoring a student newspaper at a
public university, it is against the law.

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Forty-Five Important Words

The First Amendment

“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.”

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Question:

What five basic freedoms does the 1st

Amendment protect?

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What does the 1st amendment
prohibit Congress from doing
concerning religion?
 Congress cannot establish an official religion in
the United States
 The Establishment Clause

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What else does it protect
concerning religion?
 Guarantees Americans the right to practice
their faith as they wish
 Free-Exercise Clause

 They may not favor one religion over another

or treat people differently because of their
personal beliefs

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Students & Religion

As students, it’s important to know your religious rights in

school.

1. You are free to pray alone or in groups, as long as the activity

is not disruptive and does not infringe upon the rights of
others.
2. As long as it is not disruptive, disrespectful of the rights of
other students, and does not pressure or coerce others, you
can exercise your faith.
3. Schools cannot organize religious activities. This includes
making students pray.

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REMEMBER:

 The government cannot force you to believe

in any religion. Everybody has the right to
practice the faith they believe in, when and
where they want to. Thanks for the First
Amendment, we are all guaranteed the
freedom of religion.

 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!!!!!

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Class Activity

Write a paragraph explaining

WHY freedom of religion is an
important FIRST AMENDMENT
right TO YOU

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Class Activity

Write a few sentences for each of the following:

WHY WOULD American 1st Amendment
FREEDOM OF RELIGION be important…
1. For a very religious grandmother?
2. For a somewhat religious family?
3. For a Hindu ?
4. For an atheist?
5. For someone who changes religions?

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Freedom of Speech

 Free speech is the liberty to speak and

express one’s opinions. It is the right to
express ideas, information, opinions, etc.
with very limited government restrictions.

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What types of communications
are protected under freedom of
speech?
 Face to face
 Internet communication
 Art
 Music
 Clothing

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Think…

 Free speech includes the right to criticize

public officials, politicians, religious leaders,
and public and corporate policies. Without
this right a democratic nation could not
survive.

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Name some of the limits to
freedom of speech.
 Do not have the freedom to provoke a riot
 Cannot speak or write in a way that leads
immediately to criminal activities or efforts
to overthrow the government by force
 May not spread lies that harm a person’s
reputation
 May not interfere with the rights of others

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11. What are the two ways
someone can spread lies about
someone else?
 Slander = spreading spoken lies
 Libel = printed lies

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Meaning?

 "I disapprove of what you say, but I will

defend to the death your right to say it".
Commonly attributed to Voltaire

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Class Activity

Write a PARAGRAPH explaining why

FREEDOM OF SPEECH
is important to a
DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY,
and a second paragraph explaining
why freedom of speech is important
TO YOU:

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Freedom of the Press

What does press and media include?

 Books
 Newspapers
 Magazines
 Radio
 Television
 Internet

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How does freedom of press
limit the government?

 The government cannot practice censorship.

 It cannot ban printed materials or films
merely because they contain alarming or
offensive ideas

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The press is often called “the fourth branch of
government.” It helps to keep the other three
branches in check.
Without a free press, this would not be possible,
and the democratic conditions we enjoy in the
United States, would not exist.

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Class Activity

Write a “letter to the Editor” expressing

YOUR OPINION
on some subject important to you.
I will choose some of these (anonymously) to
READ and which we can DISCUSS in class

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What rights are covered by
the freedom of assembly?
 Protects our right to gather in groups for any
reason, so long as the assemblies are
peaceful.
 They can make rules about when and where, but
cannot ban them.

 We also have the right to form and join social

clubs, political parties, and labor unions.

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 Life without Freedom of
Assembly
 People would not  It would be harder to
be allowed to protest opinions and
peacefully gather in use the other
large groups freedoms guaranteed
without permission in the first
amendment

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9. What does freedom of
petition allow the citizens
to do?

 The right to express one’s idea to the

government.
 Petition = formal document

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Life Without Freedom of
Petition
People could be People would be
penalized for unable to
political views and communicate with
beliefs. their senators and
congressmen

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Harry S. Truman, 1950
“In a free country we punish men for
crimes they commit but never for the
opinions they have.”

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 Although we have many
individual freedoms, whose
rights come first?
 The rights of the community / society

Otherwise, the society would break apart – “My right to

swing my fist ends where your nose begins”

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