Thomas C. Leaf
Lesson Objectives: The students will read and select what they deem to be the three most important words of the First Amendment. The students will provide a reason for the importance of each of their selections in a paragraph no less than five sentences for each word. The students will create an open ended question using “I wonder why…” as a beginning. The students will exchange questions in groups of three to write responses to each other’s questions.
Materials: Each student will need a complete copy of the First Amendment to keep in their notes for later reference. Each student will need at least two sheets of loose leaf paper for small group work.
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.
Methods:
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1) Begin lesson with the 1st Amendment on the board, have students copy the entire Amendment into their notebooks.
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2) Request a volunteer to read the Amendment aloud for the class.
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3) Have each student read the Amendment to his/her self and then give them at least five minutes to pick what they think are the three most important words ad for each word they must provide an explanation of the word’s importance and meaning or something that relates to the word they chose.
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4) Begin making a list of words on the board as student call them out and make a check mark next to each word that is repeated, this way students can see that they may share similar views or values on certain word choices and don’t feel discounted, it also can provide incite the class’s values as a whole.
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5) After the word list is done, have each student create an open ended question about the First Amendment. While they are doing that team up students into groups of threes.
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6) After each student has designed his/her own question and broken down into groups they are going to circulate their questions to either the right or left and then respond to the question they have just received. Each response should be a paragraph no less than five complete sentences. Once completed the group will change again and each student will read the question, the response and write their own response to both the question and prior response. The students will switch once more and each student will then write a response to what their peers have said about the question that he/she raised.
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7) Collect the responses from each group and assign credit as per usual.
Homework/Further Assessment: Locate and example of the First Amendment in use and explain how the Amendment is being used. For example: a demonstration outside of the White House is a form of peaceful assembly.
