3Rs Lesson Two Teaching Tips

Please review the full email for important 3Rs information!

Dear 3Rs volunteer: 

This Friday, Dec. 13, is the regularly scheduled 3Rs Lesson Two classroom visit.  The student worksheets for Lesson Two are now available at the CMBA offices.  We ask that captains or team representatives please stop by for pickup before Friday's lesson, unless alternative arrangements have been made.  
 
Please review these teaching tips designed to assist you and your team as you prepare for Lesson Two.

Time management:  Prepare in advance!  Read the materials for Lesson Two, know what is included and be sure to cover the materials in small groups rather than in full lecture format.  This lesson related to the First Amendment should be an especially interesting and exciting lesson.  The Jeopardy Review is a huge hit with the students and great way to end the lesson.  In the past, some teams have found that Jeopardy may take at least 10 minutes because the rules will need to be explained.  If it is necessary to reduce the time allotted to the small group section of the lesson, this can be accomplished by reducing the time spent on three areas:  

1. Red Scare -- Read only the first paragraph and last sentence of that section. 
2. McCarthy Era -- Read only the first three sentences and the last sentence of that section and add that McCarthy's claims were "baseless." 
3. Other Ways to Limit Freedom of Expression -- Replace the four paragraphs in that section with the following:   

"Generally, government restrictions on freedom of expression must be limited to time, place and manner in which the speech is communicated (content-neutral restrictions), rather than the content of the expression (content-based restrictions).  Thus, a city could bar a protest against the mayor because it was scheduled to take place at 2:00 a.m. in a residential neighborhood, not because the protesters were protesting against the mayor.  Other permitted restrictions on expression include national security (such as publishing troop movements, how weapons systems can be disarmed, etc.) and saying (slander) or writing (libel) a falsehood about someone with knowledge that it is not true (such as spreading a false rumor that someone has a sexually transmitted disease)."  

Freedom of Expression in the news:  If time permits, consider discussing the following instances of freedom of expression:

1. Cleveland Heights passed ordinances in 2011 imposing a curfew on minors in reaction to unruly flash mobs organized via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media.  Although the measure was eventually vetoed by the mayor, the city considered a ban on such communications - students may debate whether such a ban would be an unconstitutional violation of their First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly.
2. In U.S. v. Alvarez, the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the Stolen Valor Act, a federal law making it a crime to falsely claim to be a recipient of a military decoration, with enhanced punishment if the offender falsely claims to have received the Medal of Honor.  The Court held that although the government has an interest in protecting the integrity of its military decorations, the law ran afoul of First Amendment protections that extend even to false statements so long as they don't result in a legally cognizable harm.

Use of Optional Student Worksheets:  The pages labeled Optional Student Worksheets are provided as optional activities for students to do when we are not in the classroom.  Encourage the students to complete them after we leave.  The classroom teachers are encouraged to use the worksheets and other optional activities as homework and/or extra credit.

School logistics:  If your school does not have a special 3Rs check-in table or greeters, just proceed to the office and sign in there.

Team feedback:  Your feedback is vital to the program. Team captains: please let us know about your experience during the visit, especially names of teammates whom you were unable to contact and any issues that need to be resolved before Friday's lesson. 

More volunteers needed!  We need additional classes covered in order to provide this program to every 10th grade American History classroom.  Please encourage your friends and colleagues to volunteer!  Classes remain open at East Tech, Lincoln West, and Max Hayes.

Questions, concerns and feedback  

Please contact us by email or telephone: Jessica Paine at jpaine@clemetrobar.org or (216) 696-3525 x4462.

Thank you again for your commitment to the students!