To Kill a Mockingbird, Hunger Games, Brave New World. Welcome to Banned Books Week. As part of a study of censorship and book banning, class members investigate censorship, the purposes of censorship, and First Amendment rights, including the Supreme Court case, Board of Ed. V. Pico. Individuals then craft a persuasive essay presenting their views on the topic.

Concepts

Persuasive Writing, banned books, censorship

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Have teams investigate the banned books that appear on their district's reading list and the reasons for their banning

Classroom Considerations

• Investigate your district's policy on censorship and your community's attitudes before launching the lesson

Pros

• The lesson encourages kids to consider multiple perspectives and then to develop their own position on the question of censorship 

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.6.1.a W.7.1.a W.8.1.a