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Civil Liberties and the Bill of Rights

Aligned to C3.D2.Civ.6 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.

What this lesson teaches

The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution, and it protects individual freedoms from government interference. The First Amendment guards freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition, while other amendments protect due process and fair legal procedures. These are limits on what government may do to a person, not privileges granted by government.

Worked example

In Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), the Supreme Court held that students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War were exercising protected First Amendment speech that a public school could not punish.

Practice questions

  1. Name three freedoms protected by the First Amendment.
  2. Explain the difference between a civil liberty and a privilege granted by government.
  3. Analyze how a court decides whether student speech is protected in a public school.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Libertades civiles y la Carta de Derechos

La Carta de Derechos son las primeras diez enmiendas de la Constitución y protege las libertades individuales frente a la interferencia del gobierno. La Primera Enmienda protege las libertades de religión, expresión, prensa, reunión y petición, mientras que otras enmiendas protegen el debido proceso y los procedimientos legales justos. Estos son límites a lo que el gobierno puede hacerle a una persona, no privilegios que el gobierno otorga.

Ejemplo: En Tinker contra Des Moines (1969), la Corte Suprema sostuvo que los estudiantes que usaban brazaletes negros para protestar contra la guerra de Vietnam ejercían una expresión protegida por la Primera Enmienda que una escuela pública no podía castigar.

More Civics lessons

The Constitution and Three BranchesC3.D2.CivCitizenship and Participation in a DemocracyC3.D2.CivEnlightenment Roots of American GovernmentC3.D2.Civ.1Federalism: Dividing PowerC3.D2.Civ.2Congress and How Laws Are MadeC3.D2.Civ.3The Presidency and the Executive BranchC3.D2.Civ.4

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