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First Amendment Lesson Plans

First Amendment Lesson Plans

Here is a selection of lesson plans that cover various topics related to the First Amendment. Our lesson plans range from elementary to high school and were created by educators for educators.

Do you have a favorite First Amendment lesson plan? Please send it to us!

These plans will be a helpful resource to introduce or expand upon your students’ knowledge of the First Amendment. Each lesson plan is linked below as a downloadable PDF.


Free Speech and the First Amendment

Free Speech Lesson Plan

Description: Using the landmark Tinker v. Des Moines Supreme Court case to learn about free speech, as well as the First Amendment in general.

Grade Span: Elementary School

Link to download PDF


Learn Your Five Freedoms Group Activity

First Amendment Introduction Lesson Plan

Description: Have students work in small groups to learn about one of the five freedoms and consider how they might live that freedom. Then, have students come back together to review each freedom and learn more about the history and limitations of all the freedoms, as well as the way the five freedoms work together to support participatory democracy.

Grade Span: Middle School

Link to download PDF


Postal Censorship in the World War One Era

Postal Censorship WW1 First Amendment Lesson Plan

Description: Students act as censors after they read letters from the World War One era. Students will have viewed World War One propaganda and learned about censorship. Now they will make an emotional connection
by acting as the censor. Each student will be given a black sharpie and a photocopy of a World War One-era letter.

Grade: 8th

Link to download PDF


What (Not?) To Wear: Liberties and Limits of Clothing at School

Freedom of Speech in School Lesson Plan

Description: Students will learn about some liberties of and limits to freedom of speech that the Supreme Court has identified in two cases related to speech in schools, Tinker v. Des Moines and Morse v. Frederick. They will think about the concept of “symbolic speech” and how that might relate to clothing and accessories worn by students at school. They will create posters that can be displayed in classrooms, the library, or hallways of school to share their learning with the school community. 

Grade Span: High School

Link to download PDF


The First Amendment and School

The First Amendment and School Lesson Plan

Description: Students read about a high school scenario that attempts to raise questions about all of the areas protected by the First Amendment. They will also be encouraged to explore the pivotal concept of the tension between government control versus private liberty.

Grade Span: High School

Link to download PDF

Protecting Democracy is a full-time job. We all must do our part to defend our Freedoms. Won’t you help today?