Activity

Morse v. Frederick

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

If you stop a student from expressing views that advocate drug use, are you violating their right to free speech? Use the 2007 Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick to discuss a nuanced interpretation of the First Amendment. Learners discuss the case's procedures and ruling before weighing in with their own opinions.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use as the basis for a mock trial in a unit on the Bill of Rights
  • Assign the discussion questions as writing prompts for high schoolers to write an argument essay about their stance on the Supreme Court ruling
Classroom Considerations
  • Links do not work; refer to attached materials or find all linked information in the resource itself
  • Activity is modeled after a traditional Oxford style debate, but the materials are helpful even if you'd rather use them as primary sources for a more open discussion
  • Be sure that class members can discuss the issue in a mature way
Pros
  • Delineates both sides of the argument very clearly
  • Topic is interesting and relevant to high schoolers
Cons
  • None