ABAConstitution.org

Free Speech Lesson Plans

The ABA Division for Public Education has a number of helpful resources to discuss free speech topics in a clasroom setting. These include:

The ABA Division for Public Education also publishes a Pocket Guide to the United States Constitution, which makes an excellent giveaway to make your Free Speech Week celebration memorable.  

Other Free Speech Resources

The following is a selection of websites with materials and resources to assist you in planning your celebration of Free Speech Week:

However you plan to celebrate, have a happy Free Speech Week!

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225 Years of Constitutional Democracy

On Sept. 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the U.S. Constitution, a written charter for a new federal government. The delegates convened in Philadelphia to develop a framework that would provide balance and freedom, taking into account federal and state interests, as well as individual human rights. Once signed, the Constitution required ratification from at least nine of the 13 states to take effect. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, and the Constitution became the law of the land.

In 2005 Congress designated September 17 as a day "to hold educational programs for students" on the Constitution. Authorizing legislation states that all educational institutions and federal agencies receiving federal funds will hold educational programs about the Constitution on September 17-Constitution Day. Constitution Day is a day for ALL Americans to commemorate the Constitution.

This year, 2013, the nation marks the 225th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. The two and a quarter centuries that have elapsed since that great milestone have proven the enduring nature of the Framers’ vision. The U.S. Constitution, which remains the cornerstone of our constitutional democracy, has become an internationally recognized and celebrated model for creating a system of government of the people, by the people, for the people.

 

For Judges: A Model Constitution Day Statement

The ABA Division for Public Education encourages judges to open court on September 17, Constitution Day, with a public statement from the bench on the significance of this crucial document. The model statement we are linking to here was developed by Maryland Judiciary Public Awareness Committee for use by the Maryland judiciary. It is readably adaptable to the needs of any state or federal judiciary. 

 

Looking for a way to hold history in your hands? Or do you want a way to help students or other community members connect with the Constitution? The ABA offers a Pocket Guide to the U.S. Constitution. 

 

Students Share Thoughts on the Constitution

Last year we took our cameras to Kenwood Academy in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and asked students to discuss their views on the U.S. Constitution. See what they had to say! 

Free Speech Week Op-Ed

As the nation marks Free Speech Week, Margot Kaminski, executive director of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School, discusses the free speech challenges posed by widespread government surveillance.

According to Kaminski, the practice puts at risk three of fundamental basic tenets of the Firts Amendment -- freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of the press. If our nation ignores these threats, i so so at its own peril, she warns.

Click here to read her Free Speech Week op-ed, "Free Speech and Privacy are Inextricably linked."

 


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Voting Rights and the Constitution

The original text of the United States Constitution did not have much to say about voting. While it set forth some of the general procedures for the election of certain federal offices, voter eligibility requirements were for the most part left to the individual states. In our Nation's early days, most states limited the ability to vote to white males with property.

 

The Civil War and Women's Suffrage Movement led to constitutional amendments that prohibited states from denying the right to vote to African Americans (15th Amendment) and women (19th Amendment). Native Americans gained the right to vote with the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.

 

Despite the constitutional prohibition on denying the vote on the basis of race, a number of states enacted laws that had the effect of excluding African Americans from the vote. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s fought against state laws that infringed on voting rights. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act, a comprehensive statutory scheme designed to end discriminatory practices at the ballot box.

 

The American Bar Association recently announced the theme of the next Law Day (May 1, 2014) will be: American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Ever Vote Matters. For more information on Law Day and the voting-related theme, plaease visit www.lawday.org. The following are few additional voting-related links.

 

 

 

Constitution Day Resources