Teachers have a professional/ethical obligation to teach their subject in as balanced a way as possible so that students will not come away with a biased slant that, in their eyes, has been validated by the school system. The teaching of social studies, especially history, would be impoverished if matters of religious beliefs and influences were…

An assignment focuses on introducing students to the complexities involved in rendering a decision concerning the First Amendment to the Constitution. During the first week of classes, students are asked to read the introductory sections to the topic-specific chapters in "Freedom of Speech in the Marketplace of Ideas" by Fraleigh and…

Both the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams and the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights show the power of language as vehicles for message. Using them in class as exercises to look at language and meaning will help students understand the importance of connotation and grammar; the use and validity of sources; and the…