In this censorship discussion activity, students examine some of the 30 included censorship situations from current events and research the news stories behind them. Sure to spark discussion and debate, this censorship activity is perfect for Banned Books Week, English, high school library, debate, and media studies classes.
Discussing censorship can be controversial in certain settings. It’s why Banned Books Week exists — so we can talk about censorship in the news. It is, however, critical that you know your audience and your community.
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This lesson has 32 total slides & pages and it includes:
- Detailed, editable lesson plan aligned to AASL Standards (8 pages, PDF only)
- Censorship and the First Amendment presentation (8 slides, editable)
- Eight (8) editable group discussion cards + four (4) templates to write your own (3 pages, PowerPoint and Google Slides)
- “Is Censorship Ever Okay?” editable worksheets (6 pages, 30 total situations, PowerPoint, and Google Slides)
- Links to all 30 news stories from the “Is Censorship Ever Okay” worksheets (6 pages)
- Editable assignment graphic organizer to research one of the situations. (1 page, PowerPoint, and Google Slides)
DAY 1 – Intro to Censorship and the First Amendment Presentation
- 8 slides, editable in PowerPoint and Google Slides
- Defines censorship
- Text of the First Amendment
- How First Amendment cases are debated in court
- Whose speech is protected by the First Amendment
- Discussion Norms slide – 6 tips for students to keep their discussions civil and their disagreements respectful.
Day 2 – Group Discussion of Censorship Scenarios
- Group discussion cards
- Includes 8 hypothetical questions about different kinds of censorship
- Also includes 4 template cards if you want to write your own discussion questions
Day 3 – Is It Censorship? Opinion Worksheets
- “Is Censorship Ever Okay?” worksheet and group discussion
- Includes 30 scenarios taken straight from real news stories. Students have to determine if these are censorship and if so, whether or not they are reasonable.
- There are six different worksheets, each with five different situations. Students can complete one worksheet, then group according to which worksheet they did.
- All worksheets are labeled with a letter in the corner so students can group quickly by the letter of their worksheet.
Day 4-5 -Research Real Censorship News Articles
- Researching the real-life situations behind the scenarios on the worksheet.
- I provided links to news articles about all 30 news stories.
- This activity could be extended further into a class debate or a written research or position essay about the event.
30 Sample Situations:
- 10 situations occurred outside school.
- These are stories in global and USA news.
- Example: A celebrity sues a newspaper for publishing unauthorized photos of her minor child.
- 20 situations occurred at school.
- All of these are in USA schools, but the states vary.
- Example: At graduation, the Valedictorian’s microphone is cut off when she starts to say things that were not in her pre-approved speech.
Standards Addressed:
AASL National School Library Standards – See the AASL Standards Framework for Learners to view full text.
- Inquire – C.1. – D.1. – D.3.
- Include – B.2. – C.1. – C.2. – D.1. – D.2. – D.3.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards – © Copyright 2010 National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1. – CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.6.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1. – CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.6.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1. – CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.6.
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