SHOULD FREE SPEECH BE ABSOLUTE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES? A Lesson for High School Students by Robert Cohen Objectives: After this lesson, students will be able to: • Discuss the concept and importance of freedom of speech. • Explain how freedom of speech has been challenged in the past and present. • Assess whether it is possible to protect free speech and the people who might be harmed by it. • Analyze whether freedom of speech should be absolute. Materials: • Graphic Organizer • Tape/Rope • Handout • OK/ Not OK signs Lesson Outline: 1) Ask students what free speech means to them and record their reactions on their grid. Solicit responses and record on a board or white board. Question prompts include: • How would you define “free speech”? • What might freedom of speech allow Americans to do or say? • Why do you think free speech is necessary in a democracy? • What statements or actions might be limited despite the right to free speech? After students discuss their ideas and perception of free speech and their answers have been recorded, teacher may ask the following: • What do all of your responses have in common? • Based on this discussion, why do you think free speech is important? Why is this a right for which people are willing to fight? 2019 Selected Research
2) Prepare the classroom with a rope or tape crossing the classroom with one part marked, ‘OK’ and the other part marked, ‘not OK.’ Introduce the activity, “Crossing the Line,” and establish guidelines for respect and civility as students physically demonstrate when free speech issues “cross the line.” Encourage students to be bold and honest in this activity. Call out a scenario, allow a few moments for students to think. Direct students to move to the part of the room that reflects their view: is the scenario ‘OK, or does it ‘cross the line’ and is not OK. Suggested prompts (as time allows): • All people are entitled to freedom of speech. • People have the right to express unpopular ideas. • I am more willing to say something hurtful on social media or over text than in person. • Freedom of speech includes the right to make hateful or cruel statements. • Political speech should be protected to a greater extent than other forms of speech. • “The only solution for hate speech is more speech.” • People should be allowed to make statements that might lead to others’ physical or mental harm. Invite students to return to their seats and debrief: • How often did you cross the line? Was it more or less often than you thought at the beginning of the exercise? Why do you think you made those choices? • To what extent did watching your classmates’ responses influence your own? How might others’ speech and expression influence an individual’s response to a situation? • Why did you find some of the statements more palatable than others? • To what extent did this exercise change or help you think more deeply about your ideas of free speech and what types of speech are acceptable?
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