“Freedom of expression is the matrix, the indispensable condition,
of nearly every other form of freedom.”
—U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo
Educating for Democracy: Speech
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The guarantee of freedom of speech, protected by the First Amendment and clearly embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is the foundation of a thriving democracy. The classroom-friendly lessons below, largely focused on the international arena, will help students understand how people around the world continue to champion freedom of speech—whether through protest, media, the internet or the arts—even in the face of ever-growing challenges.
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Step 1: Hook
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Students should ponder the following, after analyzing the photo to the left.
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Step 2: Videos and other teacher resources
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The first video features the Hong Kong singer and activist Denise Ho standing up to China at the United Nations, declaring that human rights are under attack in Hong Kong. The next video features young people protesting to protect their freedom of speech. While viewing the videos, students should think about what circumstances would compel them to raise their voice for a cause.
Around the world, people are taking to the streets, under the aegis of freedom of speech, to express their beliefs and opinions. Consider recent demonstrations in France and Spain, Lebanon and Iraq, Argentina and Bolivia. Video: "Campaigning over the high levels of violence against women in South Africa" |
Step 3: Standards-Based Exercise
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Read either “Comparing Governments: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism” or “The High School Course Beijing Accuses of Radicalizing Hong Kong,” and briefly summarize using one of the following Graphic Organizers.
Print or provide a link to a Google Doc with the following images for your students. Divide students into groups and assign one image per group. Have each group analyze its image in terms of what it shows about the correlation between free speech and democracy. Then, use either jigsaw groups or a whole-group share to debrief.
Standards-Aligned Exercise using the above graphics:
Music Thinking about music lyrics (specifically rap lyrics, in these articles) being used in a criminal case, should music lyrics be considered protected speech? Can controversial writings be turned into music to avoid censorship? |
Step 4: What can students do?
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Students can explore their rights to freedom of speech and expression by reading about Tinker v. Des Moines, a landmark Supreme Court ruling on behalf of student expression, and explore how to take informed action by browsing the “Know Your Rights” and “Defending Our Rights” sections of the American Civil Liberties Union’s website.
Students can contemplate the changes they wish to see in their schools, communities and beyond regarding freedom of speech. They can then create change through informed action by promoting free speech as an essential component of democracy. For example, they can create a:
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Additional Resources
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Channel 4 News Video: "Global Climate Strike: Millions Take to the Streets to Save the World"
"Les Miserables" film: "Do you hear the People Sing?" Greta Thunberg's emotional speech to world's leaders warning of the dangers of climate change BBC video: Egyptian women speak out against harassment and gender violence Amnesty International’s global perspectives on the importance of freedom of expression U.K. non-profit human rights organization focusing on academic, artistic, and media freedoms |
AFT Resources
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