PowerPoint Presentation - First Amendment Rights

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-What are the five basic freedoms that are listed
in the 1st Amendment?-Then write a small
paragraph about a memorable moment where you
expressed one of these rights, or one of these
rights was denied to you.
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First Amendment Rights
The Five Freedoms
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1. What are civil liberties?

• The freedoms we have to think and act without
  government interference or fear of unfair
  treatment

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Know Your Rights!

• Can you name any of the specific rights
  guaranteed by the First Amendment?
• In the U.S. is it legal to burn the flag as a
  means of political protest?
• Can a public university censor a student
  newspaper?

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Facts

• If you didnt know the answers to the previous
  questions you are not alone!
• Only 17 of Americans could name all five
  freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment.
• Only 25 of students knew it was legal to burn
  the flag in protest.
• As far as censoring a student newspaper at a
  public university, it is against the law.

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Forty-Five Important Words
The First Amendment Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances.
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What five basic freedoms does the 1st Amendment
protect?
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3. What does the 1st amendment prohibit Congress
from doing concerning religion?

• Congress cannot establish an official religion in
  the United States
• The Establishment Clause

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4. What else does it protect concerning religion?

• Guarantees Americans the right to practice their
  faith as they wish
• Free-Exercise Clause
• They may not favor one religion over another or
  treat people differently because of their
  personal beliefs

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Students Religion

• As students, its important to know your
  religious rights in school.
• You are free to pray alone or in groups, as long
  as the activity is not disruptive and does not
  infringe upon the rights of others.
• As long as it is not disruptive, disrespectful of
  the rights of other students, and does not
  pressure or coerce others, you can exercise your
  faith.
• Schools cannot organize religious activities.
  This includes making students pray.

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REMEMBER

• The government cannot force you to believe in any
  religion. Everybody has the right to practice the
  faith they believe in, when and where they want
  to. Thanks for the First Amendment, we are all
  guaranteed the freedom of religion.
• KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!!!!!

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Freedom of Speech

• Free speech is the liberty to speak and express
  ones opinions. It is the right to express ideas,
  information, opinions, etc. with very limited
  government restrictions.

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5. What types of communication are protected
under freedom of speech?

• Face to face
• Internet communication
• Art
• Music
• Clothing

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• Free speech includes the right to criticize
  public officials, politicians, religious leaders,
  and public and corporate policies. Without this
  right a democratic nation could not survive.

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• "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend
  to the death your right to say it". Commonly
  attributed to Voltaire

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Freedom of the Press

• 6. What does press and media include?
• Books
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Radio
• Television
• Internet

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7. How does freedom of press limit the government?

• The government cannot practice censorship.
• It cannot ban printed materials or films merely
  because they contain alarming or offensive ideas

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• The press is often called the fourth branch of
  government. It helps to keep the other three
  branches in check.
• Without a free press, this would not be possible,
  and the democratic conditions which we are used
  to, and enjoy in the United States, would not
  exist.

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8. What rights are covered by the freedom of
assembly?

• Protects our right to gather in groups for any
  reason, so long as the assemblies are peaceful.
• They can make rules about when and where, but
  cannot ban them.
• We also have the right to form and join social
  clubs, political parties, and labor unions.

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Life without Freedom of Assembly

• People would not be allowed to peacefully gather
  in large groups without permission

• It would be harder to protest opinions and use
  the other freedoms guaranteed in the first
  amendment

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9. What does freedom of petition allow the
citizens to do?

• The right to express ones idea to the
  government.
• Petition formal document

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Life Without Freedom of Petition

• People could be penalized for political views and
  beliefs.

• People would be unable to communicate with their
  senators and congressmen

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Harry S. Truman, 1950

• In a free country we punish men for crimes they
  commit but never for the opinions they have.

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10. Name some of the limits to freedom of speech.

• Do not have the freedom to provoke a riot
• Cannot speak or write in a way that leads
  immediately to criminal activities or efforts to
  overthrow the government by force
• May not spread lies that harm a persons
  reputation
• May not interfere with the rights of others

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11. What are the two ways someone can spread lies
about someone else?

• Slander spreading spoken lies
• Libel printed lies

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12. Although we have many individual freedoms,
whose rights come first?

• The rights of the community
• Otherwise, the society would break apart

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