How does the First Amendment impact life in

How does the First Amendment impact life in America? Suggested Instructional Activity: Bow Tie Strategy Learning targets: • • Summarize rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights (8. 19 D) Describe the importance of free speech and press in a constitutional republic (8. 21 B) Trace the development of religious freedom in the United States (8. 25 A) Analyze the impact of religious freedom on the American way of life (8. 25 C) Questions for students to answer as they read their reference card: • • How does this freedom limit the government? How does this freedom protect people’s rights? Statement for group to respond to in the center of the bow tie: • • Without the First Amendment, America would ________. We can infer this based on ______. Responses should include a symbolized illustration of their written response as well. Other optional statements for groups to respond to in the center of the “bow tie”: • • Overall, we can generally say that ______ led to ____ because ______. An important connection between _____ and _____ is _____. Over time, ______ changed by ________. The most significant thing about what we’ve learned is ________ because _______.

1 st Amendment: Freedom of Religion What it says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. ” Timeline: Religious freedom in America has changed slowly over time and continues to change even today. Why it’s important: Freedom of religion is designed to prevent the government from interfering with religious groups and the religious beliefs of individuals. 1630 s: Puritans establish theocracies (government influenced by religious authority) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony; not tolerant of other religions It’s often called “separation of church and state. ” It means the government (“the state”) can’t establish a national religion. It also means that individuals are free to “exercise” whatever religious beliefs they choose, so long as they don’t harm others. 1620: Pilgrims settle in Plymouth Colony and establish self-governing churches 1636: Roger Williams founds Rhode Island as a safe haven for Puritan dissenters and outcasts; no state church 1649: Maryland, a safe haven for Catholics, passes the Maryland Toleration Act which allows freedom of worship 1681: Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn, guarantees religious tolerance and freedom 1786: Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom written by Thomas Jefferson, separates church and state 1791: The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights; protects religious freedom

1 st Amendment: Freedom of Speech What it says: “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech…” What it does protects: Freedom of speech protects an individual’s right to communicate ideas and opinions without government interference or punishment. Examples of this right include: not speaking, wearing symbolic clothing, sharing your political and social views, contributing money to political campaigns, advertising, even hate speech, just to name a few. What it doesn’t protect: free speech doesn’t protect you from criticism or consequences like being fired by for participating in a hate group rally. Young people’s free speech can be limited by parents (and guardians or school leaders who are acting on behalf of parents). Freedom of speech doesn’t protect actions that create “clear and present danger” (like shouting “fire” in a crowded building when there isn’t a fire) or causes harm to others is not protected. Finally, lying under oath is also not protected by the First Amendment. Why is it important in a constitutional republic? Freedom of speech means that the government should not interfere with people sharing information, ideas, and beliefs. Free speech allows people to get information, make their own choices, and share their ideas with others. This helps people make better decisions about many things, including voting, education, careers, and philosophy. However, false ideas and information are often shared by individuals and groups to mislead people. Being educated plays an important part of protecting a free society.

1 st Amendment: Freedom of the Press What it says: “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of the press. ” What it protects: Freedom of the press protects the right of individuals and groups (often called the “media”) to obtain and publish information or opinions without government censorship or punishment. This freedom was added to the Bill of Rights to make sure that government officials can’t block or hide information from being broadcast to the public. Freedom of Information” laws have been created over the years to ensure the media has the freedom to access and publish information from the government. What it doesn’t protect: Freedom of the press often protects even the most careless publishing of information. Sometimes even false information is protected. Publications that are false and are proven to have been created with malicious (destructive and hateful) intentions are not protected. In some cases, broadcasting obscenities and other inappropriate materials is not protected. Why is it important in a constitutional republic? America is a constitutional republic. That means our government leaders are elected by the people and those elected leaders must uphold the law. The people who vote must be informed about what’s going on in the government in order to make good decisions when they vote. Freedom of the press prevents government leaders from being able to cover up corruption by making sure people have access to information through the press.

1 st Amendment: Peaceful Assembly & Petition What it says: “Congress shall make no law… abridging… the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ” What it protects: The right to peaceably assemble means that people have the freedom to gather in common places and exchange ideas and information and speak out about issues of concern. This right includes things like protests, rallies, and parades. The right to petition the government refers to the freedom individuals have to publicly call on the government to fix something that people are concerned about. These two rights are closely related because when people assemble, their “voice” becomes more powerful and the government is more likely to listen to their petition. What it doesn’t protect: Assemblies and petitions must be peaceful to be protected from government interference. When they turn to violence or threats, people may be arrested and jailed. Why is it important in a constitutional republic? America is a constitutional republic. That means our government leaders are elected by the people and those elected leaders must uphold the law. The American people have power in this system through voting, but in between elections, people can influence decisions that leaders make by making their “voice” known public assemblies and petitions. This not only lets the leaders know what issues are really important to people but also raises awareness about those issues to the general public.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION • What does freedom of religion protect? • How does religious freedom impact your life? FREEDOM OF SPEECH • How has religious freedom changed over time? • What actions are protected by this part of the First Amendment? 1) The First Amendment impacts our lives by: • Why are the rights to assembly and petition important in America? 2) Without the First Amendment, we might: • What speech is not protected by the First Amendment? We think this because: • What kinds of assemblies are not protected by the First Amendment? • What speech does the First Amendment protect? 3) Draw with/without pictures in the boxes below to help explain your answers. • Why is freedom of speech important? • What are the downsides to free speech? PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY & PETITION With the First Amendment Without the First Amendment • What does freedom of the press protect? • Why is a free “press” important in America? • What are the downsides to freedom of the press? FREEDOM OF THE PRESS