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Drawing on empirical data from student surveys, as well as insights from faculty and higher education leaders across the country, ACTA's report details how the rapid shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the ongoing free speech crisis on college campuses, further suppressed viewpoint diversity, and encouraged more self-censorship among students. The report also delineates steps that faculty, administrators, and governing boards can take to help promote a culture of free expression in the online classroom. "The lifeblood of the liberal arts is debate, dialectic, inquiry, and challenge," said Dr. Michael Poliakoff, president of ACTA. "In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that has threatened the strength and even the survival of so many institutions, online education moved to the fore. We have seen that it can bless us with access to a vibrant exchange of ideas, but it also has the potential to eliminate the opportunity for growth of character and intellect." With the release of "Building a Culture of Free Expression in the Online Classroom," ACTA identifies vulnerabilities in the remote learning environment that, if left unaddressed, will further imperil open dialogue. By implementing the strategies outlined in the report, colleges and universities will be prepared to address controversies when they happen and can shape an academic culture that celebrates viewpoint diversity and the free exchange of ideas.

Stemming from an American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Chapters concern, the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leaders team was charged with creating a guide for AASL to support school librarians in addressing challenges related to censorship and patron privacy issues, particularly with LGBTQ+ materials. "Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries" is more than a collection of resources. This guide offers ways to use the Shared Foundations from the AASL Standards -- "Inquire," "Include," "Collaborate," "Curate," "Explore," and "Engage" -- to build LGBTQ+-inclusive library instruction, collections, and spaces. Activities in each section make this a valuable tool for professional development. This guide is a great example to any practitioner about how they can use the AASL Standards as a lens to address ANY school library issue!

Since its first publication in 2005, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has distributed more than 138,000 print and online copies of its "Guide to Free Speech on Campus." In that time, FIRE's commitment to advocating on behalf of the essential rights discussed in the pages that follow has remained unwavering; however, threats to free speech on campus have evolved sufficiently over the past six years to necessitate a new, revised edition of this "Guide." Campuses have changed, too--in many cases, for the better, as students educated by this book have worked with FIRE to fight for student rights by reforming unconstitutional and illiberal speech codes and ending myriad abuses of student liberties. In addition to its more than 200 public victories and many more private ones, FIRE has impacted the legal landscape as well; several of the new cases cited in this "Guide" are the result of FIRE's coordinated challenges to illiberal and illegal restrictions on student speech. However, despite FIRE's sustained success, more work remains to be done. Too many campuses still silence students who dare exercise their right to free expression. It is FIRE's sincere hope, therefore, that this second edition of its "Guide to Free Speech" reaches every student who needs it--and it is its foremost goal to see that it does. Precise Legal Citations of cases discussed are appended. [Additional funding for this paper was provided by the Aequus Institute, The Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Pierre F. and the Enid Goodrich Foundation, and The Joseph Harrison Jackson Foundation.]

Before one can have the freedom to express ideas in open debate, however, one must have freedom of conscience: the right to arrive at one's private beliefs, without being coerced into an artificial unity by those who wield power over him/her. After all, the freedom to speak is a dead letter if one lacks the freedom to think, to believe, or to disbelieve. At the heart of American liberty lies a recognition of individual rights, individual responsibility, and individual dignity. Over one's inner mind, conscience, and self, no one has coercive power. The form of censorship with which this "Guide" is concerned is the affirmative form of censorship that goes beyond prohibiting "bad" speech and ideas. It instead seeks to impose on a student, and coerce the student to adopt, and to believe in, the "approved" point of view advanced by the authorities. The fundamental rights of conscience and belief, the thought-reform programs that threaten those rights at today's universities, and the means by which a decent and free people can challenge such programs are the topics of this "Guide." (Contains 1 footnote.)

The roots of international law are long and ancient. Archaeologists have unearthed treaties between two Mesopotamian rulers dating back to 3100 B.C. Of all the ancient peoples, the development of modern international law owes the most to the Romans. The 20th century saw two attempts to bring world order through the use of international organizations, the League of Nations and the United Nations. Both were designed as a forum for settling international conflict, a source for international law, and to provide a peacekeeping function through collective security. For the United States, one of the most difficult issues in foreign policy is deciding when the U.S. should exercise military force, as it did in Iraq. This teaching guide on the war in Iraq is divided into four sections: (1)"War and International Law" (A Brief History of the Law of War; America's Foreign Policy: A Brief History; America's Foreign Policy: Military Intervention); (2) "War and the Media" (Fact Finders The Media in Times of Crisis; Press Freedom vs. Military Censorship); (3) "Helping Students Cope" (Suggestions for Teachers; War in Iraq--How Do You Feel? What Do You Think?; Handling Controversy; Project Suggestions); and (4) "Web Links" (Statistics and Information; Web Directories; Maps; Encyclopedias; Gulf War (1980-88); Hussein; Humanitarian Groups; Anti-War Movement; Doves Who Became Hawks; Weblogs; Analyses of Media Coverage; Bush Doctrine; Reporters in the Field; Other Links). The guide contains many types of activities. (BT)

The issues that ignited the Solidarity movement in August 1980 had been fermenting for years during the Edward Gierek regime (1970-1980). This curriculum project presents students with an experiential exercise to provoke thinking about the economic shortcomings of the communist countries of the former Soviet bloc. The project also presents the issue of the heavy censorship of Polish media to disguise the government's shortcomings. It asks students to use statistical information to describe the living conditions for most Polish people during the 1970s. The project is divided into four sections: (1) "Experiential Exercise: The Unraveling of the Soviet-Style Economy"; (2) "Media Censorship"; (3) "Researching Life in Poland in the 1970s Using Microsoft (MS) Encarta"; and (4)"Bibliography." (Contains 14 references.) (BT)

This small book is a handy guide for bringing the work of author Alice Walker into the classroom. It includes biographical information, ideas for literature circles using Walker's short stories, sample writing lessons using Walker's poems, suggestions for teaching "The Color Purple," and a wealth of resources for further investigation of Alice Walker and her work. The book's 6 chapters are: (1) "Where Life and Art Intersect," with background information about Walker, including her activism during the 1960s civil rights movement; (2) "Writing from Models," offering guidelines for having students write their own poems modeled after several of Alice Walker's; (3) "'The Color Purple,'" exploring how students can develop the reading skills they need to navigate this challenging text; (4) "Taking a Critical Stance," offering reviews and critical analysis of Walker's work from various viewpoints, helping students reconsider and refine their own experience; (5) "Censorship," exploring issues of censorship in the classroom and providing suggestions for teachers committed to supporting their students' right to read; and (6) "More," containing additional sources of information about Alice Walker and her work. A chronology of Alice Walker's life is included. (Contains 19 references.) (SR)

This book presents 30 brief practical teaching ideas for writing and English instruction in secondary classrooms. The first chapter presents various strategies for helping students learn to write well: students compile their own examples of effective writing; they turn interviews into gift books; they record their own activities for a whole day to help them develop an eye for detail; and they practice supportive peer-feedback techniques. Other activities in the first chapter focus on close observation, word play, and poetry writing. The second chapter presents activities intended to foster appreciation and understanding of literary works--among the elements of these strategies are a dialectical journal; a list of questions to help students analyze characters; guest poets; a discussion of banned books; an examination of conflict between friends; and an in-depth poetry project for seniors. Freeze frames, a reading quilt, and riddles that require research are a few of the activities in the third chapter entitled "Explorations." Other activities in the chapter vary in focus, but they have several things in common: they inspire teachers; they motivate students; and they offer opportunities for genuine learning in the classroom. (RS)

Noting that almost all current issues have some controversial "overload" to them which cause many teachers to approach them with trepidation, this guide aims to help teachers handle discussions and writing assignments related to contemporary issues. The guide aids teachers in framing and in balancing classroom interactions so discussions of controversial issues can proceed fairly. The four units in the guide contain material on: how to write personal essays; how to view and think critically about mass media presentations; how to deal with censorship of books; and how to conduct discussions about controversial issues. Activity sheets in the units guide students in: producing objective accounts, media viewing and group discussions, sending letters to their parents about issues, and giving persuasive speeches. The guide also contains an annotated bibliography on the "Schoolbook Protest Movement." Appendixes include an essay titled "Lessons Learned from Three Schoolbook Protests" (Edward B. Jenkinson); a censorship paper; and an informative paper, both written by students. (NKA)

Intended primarily for teachers, this brochure from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) discusses censorship guidelines for nonprint media--television, music video, videotape, film, radio, compact disk, and hypertext for personal computers--that English language arts teachers often use in their classrooms and for student assignments. An introductory section explains that the examination of potentially controversial materials can allow students to confront the stereotyping, propagandizing, and editorial gatekeeping so prevalent in the media. The brochure contends that this classroom study of nonprint works is threatened by direct and indirect censorship. It then offers 13 principles and 11 guidelines for educators and practitioners to follow, as well a list of responsibilities of teachers in dealing with nonprint materials. In addition, the brochure provides 17 print resources, 4 nonprint resources, and a selected list of organizations that furnish information about teaching nonprint materials and censorship. (NKA)

This handbook presents course information, reading materials, and application/research projects for a distance education course that provides an introduction to the genre of texts targeted for adolescent/young adult readers. The first section of the handbook discusses the goals, structure, assessment scheme, readings, and resources for the course. The second through fifth sections present four core units on (1) What Is Adolescent/Young Adult Literature?; (2) Adolescent Development; (3) Adolescent/Young Adult Literature and Issues of Diversity; and (4) Issues of Censorship and Privacy. Most of the core units follow a pattern of a unit overview, reading and responding to articles related to unit topic, reading examples of adolescent/young adult literature related to unit topic, and an application/research project (which may include library research, Internet research and activity, developing teaching units, interviewing students, and evaluating teaching effectiveness). (RS)

This program examines the changing relationship between the military and the press. In this episode leading journalists and military public affairs officials debate uses of censorship, access to the battlefield, and the impact of live television on military operations. The study guide offers questions to use before viewing the video, questions to follow the video, classroom activities to focus student thinking on the problem, topics for further research, and a list of eight resources. (EH)

Intended to make the First Amendment relevant to young people by addressing issues that speak directly to their lives, this guide assists teachers in using "Talk about Freedom," a series of eight educational print advertisements (ads) for teenagers, in the classroom. The eight print ads presented in the guide address: (1) censorship of school newspapers; (2) what students wear as a form of expression; (3) school prayer; (4) what books students should be allowed to read; (5) racist, sexist, or hate-filled speech; (6) incendiary song lyrics; (7) parental warning labels for music albums; and (8) flag burning. The guide presents copies of each ad, suitable for student handouts or classroom display; ready-to-use exercises; discussion guides; and suggestions for interdisciplinary activities. The guide also includes a description of the First Amendment and key U.S. Supreme Court rulings related to the rights of students in public schools. A list of nine organizations that regularly address First Amendment issues and a description of other activities are attached. (RS)

This manual advises library administrators in the state of New York on the responsibilities of individual institutions regarding censorship, patron confidentiality, and other intellectual freedom issues. Besides listing organizations available for consultation, the manual recommends procedures and policies for dealing with law enforcement inquiries, materials selection questions, reconsideration requests, and unequal access. The texts of some relevant federal and state laws are provided. A bibliography lists 52 information sources. Appendices include: (1) New York Library Association forms, including a self-censorship quiz, membership applications, an incident report form, and a formal request for assistance; (2) three sample policies, one each from an academic, public, and school library in New York State; and (3) American Library Association policy documents, including, among other things, the Freedom to Read Statement and the Library Bill of Rights. (BEW)

This program examines the series of myths generated by the media about war, peace, and the use of force. This episode explores the emergence of the popular interpretation of violence by "good" citizens who use violence to produce positive results during wartime. The study guide offers questions to use before viewing the video, questions to follow the video, classroom activities to focus student thinking on the problem, topics for further research, and a list of 10 resources. (EH)

Intended to help literature teachers examine ways in which the traditional canon can be expanded to include diversity in curricular choices, this book invites readers to work together to find new and better ways to introduce an ever-changing student body to what has heretofore been either unacknowledged or undervalued. The book is divided into three sections. Part 1, "Multicultural Literature for Whom?" develops a rationale for expanding the canon to include multicultural literature in every student's experience and also confronts the issue of censorship. Part 2, "Curricular Challenges: Beyond Eurocentric Values," begins the task of cataloging the multitude of literary works that might be included in the new repertoire and also explores the process of learning a different kind of critical analysis. This section of the book also provides comprehensive bibliographies of African American, Asian American, Jewish, Latino, Native American, and cross-cultural literatures, as well as bibliographies of literature addressing emotional/mental and physical disabilities, homelessness, homosexuality, older adults, teenage suicide, and Vietnam veterans. Finally, Part 3, "Teaching Strategies for Multicultural Literature," gives examples of how multicultural works can be incorporated into literature courses. Also included are discussions of incorporating multicultural perspectives within composition classes, assessing student writing, and making interdisciplinary connections in teaching multicultural literature. (NKA)

This language arts unit of study for high ability learners in grades 5-6 highlights persuasion in oral and written form, focusing especially on oral communication. Emphasis is placed on providing evidence for opinions. Students must cite passages from literature to defend their points of view in discussion as well as in written arguments. Opportunities are presented for impromptu speeches, informative and persuasive speeches, debate, small and large group discussion, and critical listening skill development. Students work on independent research on the topic of book banning and make an oral presentation of their opinions and supporting evidence. The unit guide presents a rationale and purpose, goals and outcomes, a list of student readings, an assessment model, special features of the unit, a paper on the concept of change, teaching models, 23 lesson plans, assessment forms, a 49-item bibliography listing works taught in the unit and resource materials used in its development, an annotated bibliography of 23 items on the concept of persuasion and change, and a list of 31 computer software resources. (JDD)

The single great value of composition theory is that it gives writing instructors ways to perceive and to talk (about)/write (about) and experience the language that they purport to teach. It is a vocabulary (or set of vocabularies) that, in its structures and definitions, (re-)structures and (re-)defines perceptions of language. If writing is a social process, there must be serious advantages to treating it as such--and to doing this by using the social dynamics accessible in the classroom as part of the course of writing instruction. In an experimental, team-taught course on censorship students were allowed to select their own topics and their modes of discourse. Subject matter was presented not only by the designated professors and students but also by a number of guest lecturers. Students completed assignments that consisted of both written (collaboratively composed proposals about a controversial work of art for which the audience would be the students' local board of education) and oral (a 15-minute dramatization of the proposal) components. Both students and teachers were forced to explore attitudes they found uncongenial. If the cultural boundaries present within the class had not been present, much of the dynamic force of the collaborative efforts would have been absent, and students would not have risen to the challenge of collaborative and not always comfortable work. That they did so, and achieved a high level of researched coherence in their work, suggests that their modes of coping with the "friction" inherent in the arrangements were both appropriate and effective, and that these do not necessarily delimit the possibilities for intercultural communication, but actually enable intellectual exchange and growth. (SAM)

The mission of today's school library media center is to help prepare students to enter the information age of the 21st century. To carry out this mission, library media specialists, administrators, and teachers must ensure that students can effectively locate, access, interpret, evaluate, and communicate information. The school library media center can offer assistance if it is adequately staffed and funded to develop a program that reaches all students in meaningful ways. This publication is intended to help districts develop library media programs that meet the needs of students and teachers. The following areas are addressed: (1) the library media center program; (2) library media center staff; (3) resources; (4) facilities; (5) financial support; (6) the library media center and the curriculum; and (7) the library media center and technology. Included in the appendices are state requirements for school library media centers; automation standards for school library media centers; position statements of the American Association of School Librarians; documents relating to material selection, censorship, and copyright issues; a planning guide; and a library media center appraisal checklist. (Contains 61 references.) (JLB)

Noting that young adult literature is especially vulnerable to censorship, this guide maintains that every teacher should have a written rationale for every book that is required reading in the classroom. It presents 19 guidelines for writing a theoretical rationale for any book used in the classroom. Twenty references and a list of where to get help if a censorship problem occurs are attached. (SR)

This curriculum unit for high school government or civic classes was developed as a requirement of a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship seminar in Indonesia. It deals with aspects of political control that the government exercises over citizen rights. The unit compares the situation in the United States, where the Bill of Rights guarantees the freedom of speech and expression, with that in Indonesia. Indonesia is considered a developing nation that is making steady economic progress, but its political structure does not allow for much freedom of expression in the public domain. Government, especially the head of government, the president, exercises an important role over the social, economic, and political life of the Indonesian people. The focus of the unit asks: if the political and legal structure of a country does contain some mechanism like the First Amendment that is designed to protect the rights of the individual vis a vis the government, how pervasively can that government permeate the social and economic life of its citizens? The unit is very skill oriented, using the cooperative learning approach as much as possible. Learning objectives include: (1) analyze the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights; (2) analyze political cartoons; (3) analyze editorials; (4) analyze news articles; (5) hypothesize about social, political, and economic conditions in Indonesia; and (6) compare and contrast the different societies, the United States and the Republic of Indonesia. Procedures for using the unit are suggested. Handouts include U.S. political cartoons, an interview with an Indonesian newspaper editor, newspaper and magazine articles, and questions for students. (DK)

This workbook was prepared in order to assist public school officials in the development of appropriate procedures for the selection of educational resources, handling of complaints, and reevaluation of such material. The workbook was developed by borrowing and adapting language from selection policies from a variety of sources. Introductory material addresses related Minnesota State Board policy and regulation; the purpose of selection policies; developing a selection policy; using the workbook, and terminology. "Essential Elements of Educational Resource Selection Policies and Reevaluation Procedures," a checklist developed by the Minnesota Coalition Against Censorship, is included. The first main part of the workbook deals with policy, including objectives; freedom to read, view, and listen; and legal responsibility. Topics related to selection procedures are considered in the second part, including description of resources covered by the policy; the process used in the selection of resources; selection criteria; and recommendations for selection. The third part covers reevaluation procedures, including policy statements; the person to whom a reevaluation request is directed; information meetings; the reevaluation committee; the reevaluation process and timeline; open hearings; status of resources during the process; criteria for reevaluation; decision of the reevaluation committee; application of the decision; and appeal. Various documents needed for the process are appended. (Contains 7 references.) (ALF)

Contends that since Columbine and September 11th, censorship and subtle forms of censure have begun to hinder educators in their efforts to teach creative writing. Explains that in this environment, many teachers feel the need to self-censor to keep administrators happy. Outlines the author's attempt to help students deal with contemporary events through historical readings. (PM)

This article addresses the censorship of reading material and the education of gifted students. It argues that, in order for parents and teachers to nurture gifted children in the market place of ideas, all ideas must be available. Forms of censorship are defined and guidelines for selecting books are provided. (Contains references.) (CR)

Describes censorship cases that have affected the author while he served on intellectual freedom committees of the International Reading Association and/or the National Council of Teachers of English. Recommends four books as valuable resources for protecting the freedom of teachers and students to have access to materials, and the freedom of all to learn, to grow, and to express themselves. (SG)

Provides background information on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) focusing on the educational programs for the CCC. Presents a lesson on the censorship of the booklet "You and Machines" from the CCC programs. Includes excerpts from "You and Machines," copies of newspaper articles about the booklet, and a student handout. (CMK)

Shows the need for teachers to acknowledge to themselves the extent of self censorship in their reviewing and purchasing decisions. Discusses teachers' and students' responses to the novel "I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This." Offers strategies that encourage and support the use of Social Issues Realism, and strategies that support a proactive stance toward the censorship of literature. (RS)

Describes how two teachers at the author's middle school went through a censorship challenge, a difficult experience that ultimately helped teachers and administrators clarify and improve the process of meeting such challenges in the future. Argues that having a written, district-supported procedure for handling challenges, with which all are familiar, makes the experience much less stressful for the teachers involved. (SR)

Considers the importance of developing a well constructed publications policy and notes that a carefully designed policy will provide some mechanism for addressing questions regarding the inevitable conflicts that will arise when students express a desire to publish certain controversial material. (SC)

Suggests that it is easier to invigorate class discussion and stimulate critical thinking if students discover the constructed nature of the canon by first seeing that their notions about a "typical" Poe story have been shaped by an often invisible process of selection and exclusion. (SG)

Proposes that the freedom of experiencing many works from various art arenas allows students to become strong, independent, educated individuals. Discusses censorship in the classroom, the purpose of literature, censorship prevention, and procedures for challenging decisions to censor works of literature. Appends a form to request a reconsideration of a decision to censor. (PM)

Much of the current public discussion in the United States about the Internet and speech rights focuses on the array of materials (particularly sexually explicit materials) that are available on the Internet, the effect of exposure to them on youth development, and whether the material should be regulated. In exploring questions about youth access to materials on the Internet, students learn that the general objective of law is to balance the interests of the state with the interests of the individual in the interest of some greater public good. They also learn how the law seeks to protect minors, regulates indecent speech, and has historically treated indecent and obscene speech. This resource guide offers an overview of the way the law has reviewed two classes of speech most relevant to the contemporary discussion of Internet obscenity and decency. The guide is divided into: (1) "How To Use This Resource Guide" (Learning Objectives; Organization of Guide); (2) "Permissible and Impermissible Speech" (First Amendment; Law and Cultural Concerns); (3) "New Media and Youth" (Media Impact on Youth; Internet Filtering; Comics and Movies); (4) "Indecent and Obscene Speech" (Nineteenth-Century Law; Comstock Law; Hicklin Standard; Early Twentieth-Century Law); (5) "U.S. Supreme Court" (Roth: First Contemporary Obscenity Tests; Contradictory Decisions; Pornography); (6) "Internet Speech" (Communications Decency Act of 1996; District Court Decision; U.S. Supreme Court Decision); and (7) "Child Online Protection Act of 1998" (Circuit Court Decision; Future for COPA). Chapters include notes. Attached are a timeline of relevant Supreme Court cases; online lessons, strategies, and teaching activities; lists of additional resources; and terms and vocabulary. (BT)

Describes the development of a program to structure and implement a censorship simulation in a graduate-level teacher education course. Presents an outline of the censorship simulation with steps as follows: determining goals and objectives; establishing a rationale; creating a setting; providing the situation; identifying student roles; creating the initial complaint, developing a plan for action; structuring experiences; and determining assessment. (SC)

Describes the process by which Cherry Hill, New Jersey teachers, in cooperation with parents, administrators, and other professionals, developed a curriculum for teaching "Huckleberry Finn" that successfully explores the controversial issues by embedding traditional teaching in a rich, historical, and cultural framework. Provides the "Huck Finn in Context" curriculum. (NH)

Presents the perspectives of five experienced high school English teachers on how the threat of censorship influences their selection of literary works and their teaching methods. Claims teachers need strong support from administrators and professional organizations in order to present a culturally diverse literature curriculum. (NH)

Presents a lesson plan that enables students to investigate race relations during the Progressive Era by analyzing D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" and the controversy surrounding the release of the film. Explores the pros and cons of using motion pictures as teaching tool. Includes two student handouts. (CMK)

Aims to conceptualize issues of text selection and censorship in different terms from those in which it has been constructed by Australian media. Asks how texts get used in classrooms and about the nature of classrooms as sites for negotiating issues of meaning and value. Argues for a culturally inclusive curriculum that is responsive to students' attitudes and values. (NH)

Argues that writing instructors must balance the harm students' words might do to themselves and their audiences against respect for their right to hold and express aberrant opinions. Suggests the scales be weighted toward the students' best interests and away from the teachers' political or ideological agendas. (NH)

Discusses how looking at child readers as audience means looking at how books for children are defined, how child readers are described, and how childhood itself is regarded. Considers several other points such as understanding the evolving concept of childhood, acknowledging the publisher's perspective, identifying underlying ideologies, and listening to and empowering child readers. (SC)

Intended to facilitate dialogue between concerned parents and school administrators and teachers, this booklet explores issues of intellectual freedom in elementary and secondary school education. Following an introduction outlining the conditions necessary for a productive exchange between parents and the schools, the booklet discusses the following topics: (1) the necessity for intellectual freedom in the schools, (2) how selection processes differ from censorship, (3) how censorship attacks good books, (4) censorship and organizations, (5) why censorship is increasing, (6) the rights of teachers in schools, (7) the effects of good and bad books, and (8) procedures for dealing with complaints. A selected bibliography of materials on censorship and intellectual freedom concludes the booklet. (HTH)

Prompted in part by recent survey results showing that Americans neither know nor care very much about the First Amendment to the Constitution nor the press's role in defending and exercising the rights it guarantees, a teaching unit was designed to increase students' understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment and its implied responsibilities. The three-week unit was fashioned in content and format by responses given by high school and university journalism educators to a survey concerning the teaching of press law in the secondary schools. Topics covered in the unit include (1) the premise and promise of a free press; (2) prior restraint, censorship, and government authority; (3) libel; (4) invasion of privacy and copyright; (5) confidentiality and free press/free trial; (6) obscenity, responsibility, and codes of ethics; (7) student rights and responsibilities; and (8) advertising and broadcast regulations. A content outline and lists of discussion questions and activities are offered with each topic. The unit concludes with compilations of pertinent court cases; a list of resources, such as the names of appropriate professional organizations and periodicals; and an annotated bibliography of press law materials. (The unit and an annotated list of resources are included.) (FL)

This statement, prepared by the National Council of Teachers of English, addresses the increasing problem of censorship in the public schools in the form of pressure to restrict or deny students access to certain books or periodicals deemed objectionable by individuals or groups on moral, political, religious, ethnic, racial, or philosophical grounds. The first section of the statement discusses the right to read and the English teacher, pointing out that virtually any work used in the classroom could be the subject of often arbitrary and irrational censorship. The next section contains an open letter to citizens from NCTE, providing a rationale against censorship, discussing why censorship is a threat to education, and what the community's responsibilities are in supporting free inquiry. The third section, addressed to teachers of English, librarians, and school administrators, provides a program of action for schools dealing with censorship, including procedures for book selection, suggestions for enlisting the support of the community, procedures for defending books under criticism, and a sample form for citizen's request for reconsideration of a work used in the curriculum. A selected bibliography concludes the statement. (HTH)

To help leaders or "facilitators" of a series of simulation exercises on controversial issues for school board members, this guide describes how the simulations work and provides some of the materials required for the simulation exercise on censorship and book banning. After defining simulation or gaming exercises, the author notes the materials needed and lists the principal features and the learning objectives of simulations. Next, the role of the facilitator is described. Then the segments of the simulation exercise are outlined, including preparations before participants arrive, separation of participants into small groups, presentation of introductory remarks and general instructions by the facilitator, supervision of the participants' role playing, "brainstorming" after the role playing to identify key ideas, cross-group sharing or discussion, and a concluding session with distribution of a fact sheet. Five "role sheets" are provided for the book-banning issue, each with a description of the fictional situation and of one of five roles. The roles include the chairperson, the back-to-basics advocate, the civil libertarian, the newly appointed member, and the advocate of local control. Suggestions on the format for the fact sheet are attached. (RW)

Noting that teacher education students are unfamiliar with the censorship issue, this paper discusses three kinds of censorship the pre-service English teacher can be expected to face, and suggests ways to prepare them to recognize and remedy anticipated problems. The essay identifies the first kind of censorship as that imposed by English teachers, librarians, and parents who reject adolescent fiction and popular teen magazines as less worthy reading material than the traditional canon. The essay advocates using individualized reading programs to counter such canonical censorship, and recommends seeking assistance from the school librarian for information about good new books and writers. Second, the essay identifies teachers' self-censorship resulting from more experienced colleagues' advice to avoid certain lesson plans judged too "difficult" or too controversial with parents. The essay again recommends seeking the advice of school librarians, who will have the best sense of what students like to read, and what their parents will object to. Finally, the essay identifies the censorship efforts of groups from outside the school, and notes that most students training to be teachers are unaware of the motives and scope of book censorship groups. The essay recommends initiating in-class debates on the subject, and inviting a school librarian to share experiences in negotiating such objections to book selection. (JG)

Eight issues concerning academic freedom are discussed. The issues are: (1) the question of who should have the right to decide what should be taught; (2) the extent to which school districts should impose specific restrictions on subjects discussed in the classroom; (3) the controversy over the rights of teachers to refuse to teach content that violates their personal beliefs; (4) the rights of teachers to invite a controversial speaker into the classroom; (5) the option of states or school districts to prohibit a teacher from using materials and methods other than those officially approved; (6) the freedom of teachers to express their personal opinions about controversial political and social issues in the classroom; (7) the responsibility of teachers to refrain from using vulgar or profane language; and (8) types of teacher behaviors generally considered to exceed the limits of academic freedom. In addition, three defenses are offered for teachers whose controversial actions are challenged in the courtroom. Nine related print resources concerning the academic freedom of teachers are followed by a listing of organizational resources. (LH)

This synthesis of current attitudes on academic freedom as defined by lower court and Supreme Court cases describes the (1) framework in which academic freedom operates, (2) powers and limitations of state legislatures and school officials in defining the curriculum and setting policy, (3) rights and limitations of teachers in making curricular and course decisions, (4) summaries of recent court decisions related to academic freedom, and (5) issues that educational policy makers should address. The framework described in the first section contends that a teacher may use methods, symbols, or materials that are relevant to the subject matter being taught, not in violation of valid laws, compatible with current standards of decency, reasonable for student's level of maturity, intended for legitimate educational purpose, and not likely to result in a substantial disruption of school activities. Sections outlining specific powers and limitations of state legislators, school officials, and teachers are followed by summaries describing both Supreme Court (e.g., "Tinker versus Des Moines School District" and "Board of Education, Island Trees Free District Number 26 versus Pico") and lower court cases in which academic freedom was an issue. Four recommendations designed to help policy makers at all educational levels deal with issues concerning academic freedom are followed by a list of related resources published between 1980 and 1984. (LH)

This curriculum guide is intended to encourage students to learn how everyone benefits when young people, other citizens, and the media exercise the constitutional rights of free speech and free press. Background information on free speech issues is provided, along with classroom activities, discussion questions, and student worksheets. There are 11 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 summarize why the First Amendment should be studied and how that study might be approached. A brief discussion of how constitutional law and courts operate is provided in chapter 3. Other chapters outline and discuss specific free speech topics affecting the media. These include free expression versus government authority; libel; privacy and copyright; confidentiality, contempt, and the courtroom; obscenity, responsibility, and codes of ethics; and broadcast and advertising regulation. A chapter on students' rights and responsibilities reviews the earlier chapters within the context of the high school and student publications. The guide concludes with a brief summary of significant court cases and annotations of useful resources. (RM)

The purpose of this lesson packet is to raise issues about student rights of free expression in public schools. Included are preparatory reading material and two classroom simulation activities. The lessons are based on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, in which a Missouri high school principal and school district were sued by students for censoring controversial feature articles in a school newspaper. Part 1 presents the legal background of the Hazelwood case, discussing the U.S. Constitution and various court decisions regarding free expression, due process, and the rights of schools and the local, state and federal governments. Part 2 gives the background of the Hazelwood case, and discusses the development of relevant legal issues such as "public forum" and "compelling interest." Part 3 presents a simulation exercise, a moot court activity in which teams of students represent attorneys for petitioners and respondents, and Supreme Court justices. Part 4 summarizes the arguments presented by both the majority and the dissenting justices in the Hazelwood case. Part 5 presents a simulation activity in which students engage in a policy debate on the rights of student journalists. Included in the packet are profiles of former Hazelwood East High School student Leslie Smart and principal Robert E. Reynolds, and a teacher's guide to the lessons. (AS)

Argues that a commitment to supporting student First Amendment rights can and should be a primary educational goal, helping to instill in students an appreciation for responsible citizenship in a pluralistic society. Discusses definitions of "obscene,""vulgar," and "indecent," and how a school should respond to situations involving charges that certain speech or publications are obscene. (SR)

Describes the book "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book," which tells the story of a controversy involving a teacher, students, parents, administrators, and school board regarding the attempt to ban in one school district Mark Twain's book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Lists 10 activities intended to stimulate student response. (SR)