Perspectives on Freedom of Speech

Bill Kahn, a social studies teacher at a Brooklyn high school, teaches a two day government lesson on the issue of freedom of speech

Overview

This website documents how one teacher uses a controversial topic to help students develop their analytical skills, adopt different points of view, and deepen their understanding of key social studies content including:

·      U.S. Constitution and Government

·      Bill of Rights and the First Amendment

·      Individual and Minority Rights

·      Freedom of Speech Including Understanding: The Nature of Speech, The Right to Speak, and The Right to be Heard

·      Clear and Present Danger 

By exploring the classroom videos, teacher and student interviews and other materials, viewers can consider how Kahn links abstract ideas to real life situations and connects content to students’ personal lives.  Kahn also intersperses lecturing, questioning, and student discussion and uses a moot court to gradually take on more responsibility for analyzing legal cases.  In interviews after each class and at the end of the year, Kahn shares his concerns about assessing student understanding and reveals how he constantly revises his plans for the unit as he learns what’s working and what is not.