CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s A Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
LESSON 1
What is a class hearing and youth summit and
what do they have to do with the news?
Objectives
Introduce class hearing and youth summit; begin exploring issues
surrounding the news, democracy, and informed citizens.
Handouts (1-1) Pre- Post-Survey; (1-2) Interview Form; (1-3) First Amendment,
Article I Section 8, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
Quotations; (1-4) Core Values of American Constitutional Democracy;
(1-5) Signposts of Democracy; (1-6) Class Hearing & Youth Summit –
What They Look Like; (1-7) Parent Letter.
Background List of Current Event Websites
A. Daily warm-up
Without discussion, ask students to complete the pre-survey, Handout 1-1.
Explain that this unit will have students examining the news, how it is connected to
democracy, and the important role citizens play.
What’s news? To kick off daily discussion, teachers are encouraged to explore the list of
news websites provided on the backgrounder. Two good ones for today include: Yahoo
News, www.yahoo.com/ http://news.yahoo.com/, and Google News (the more
sophisticated).
B. What do people think or know about free press?
Activity: Interview. Using Handout 1-2, Interview Form, students will conduct
interviews after first practicing with each other in the classroom.
• Ask students to think about the adults in their lives and brainstorm a list of them
(parents, grandparents, older siblings, teachers, babysitters, neighbors, etc.).
• Discuss what it takes to have a successful interview, e.g. friendly smile, clear voice,
eye contact.
• In pairs students will role play the interview (and, when the interviewee, imagining
themselves to be an adult).
• For their assignment, students will interview several individuals. Teachers should
advise school staff that students may be asking these questions. Alternative: invite
adults to classroom and be interviewed by the entire class.
Teachers may consider selecting from the questions and tailoring the form to meet your
students’ needs.
C. Where does the right to free press come from?
Strategy. Display the First Amendment on board (overhead, etc.). Invite students to
rewrite the section on the press in words an elementary student can understand.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s A Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-3 includes the First Amendment plus similar provisions in the Oregon
Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as quotes that can
be used to launch discussion.
Discussion. Alongside such freedoms as speech and assembly, the Founders saw
freedom of the press as one of the bulwarks of liberty (see Madison’s quote, Handout 13). Freedom of the press permits citizens to participate in robust debate about public
affairs and, when necessary, enables them to expose corruption in government (source:
www.freedommuseum.us). Use quotations in Handout 1-3 to extend the discussion.
Advanced classes: also display Article I Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution. Discuss
how it provides more (yes!) or fewer protections to the press than the First Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution. Another comparison may be made with the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (also Handout 1-3).
More strategies: Connecting core values. Classes may examine connections between
core values of democracy and free press and the role of citizens using either of two
handouts. Both handouts ask students to discuss questions in small groups. Handout 14, Core Values of American Constitutional Democracy, focuses on ten “core values”
(activity from PBS’ Newshour adapted from Lesson Plan: Citizen Journalism). Handout
1-5, Signposts of Democracy, focuses on thirteen principles (adapted from the Center for
Education on Law and Democracy). Take your pick!
C. Describe the curriculum
Explain the purposes of the unit including both class hearing and Youth Summit. The
Youth Summit at PSU is merely a perk. Generate excitement. See Handout 1-5 for
descriptions. Teachers, see Handout 1-6 for a letter to parents; please edit as needed for
your use.
D.
Extended Activities
Homework / Journal Entry
Journal Entry: Something I learned today about the connections between democracy,
the press, and being a citizen is
.
Comment on one of the quotations in Handout 1-3.
Consider (or reflect) on one of the discussion questions from Handouts 1-4 or 1-5.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-1
Name
Period
Date
Pre-Unit Survey
Should citizens care about a free press?
Rate your answer 1 through 10 (where 1 equals don’t care at all to 10 equals care
enormously) and explain why you chose that number.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-1
Name
Period
Date
Post-Unit Survey
Should citizens care about a free press?
Rate your answer 1 through 10 (where 1 equals don’t care at all to 10 equals care
enormously) and explain why you chose that number. Has your answer changed since your
pre-unit survey? If so, please explain.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-2
Interview Form
Student name
Date
First, tell the person what you are studying.
1. Name of person interviewed
The person's role in the community
(e.g., parent, business person, teacher, student, etc.) Note: If a person does not
wish to be named, respect his or her privacy and indicate only the person's role in
the community.
2. Ask, “What do you know about the ‘free press’ section of the First Amendment?”
3. “How important is it (a free press) to you?”
4. “How do you find out what is going on in the world?”
3. Last ask, "what is your preferred information source?” (Examples include things like
newspaper, friends, television, internet, etc.)
4. How was this interview conducted?
in person
with a partner? If yes, who?
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by phone
by email
CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-3
First Amendment – U.S. Constitution
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.
–Ratified December 15, 1791
Article I Section 8 – Oregon Constitution
No law shall be passed restraining the free expression of opinion, or restricting the
right to speak, write, or print freely on any subject whatever; but every person shall
be responsible for the abuse of this right.
–Effective February 14, 1859
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and
impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Quotations
The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to
publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks
of liberty, shall be inviolable.
–James Madison proposed this language for the U.S. Constitution
…were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without
newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment
to prefer the latter.
–Thomas Jefferson, 1787
Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.
–Hugo Black, 1971
The organization of our press has truly been a success. Our law concerning the
press is such that divergences of opinion between members of the government are
no longer an occasion for public exhibitions, which are not the newspapers’
business. We’ve eliminated that conception of political freedom which holds that
everybody has the right to say whatever comes into his head.
– Adolf Hitler
~ for more quotations on free press and democracy, see Lesson 2, Handout 10-2 ~
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-4
Core Values of American Constitutional Democracy
Core democratic values are the fundamental beliefs and constitutional principles of
American society, which unite all Americans. These values are expressed in the
Declaration of Independence, the United States constitution and other significant
documents, speeches, and writing of the nation. Below are definitions of some core
democratic values. Source: CIVITAS: A Framework for Civic Education, by Center for Civic
Education, c 1991.
Life. The individual’s right to life should be considered inviolable except in certain highly
restricted and extreme circumstances, such as the use of deadly force to protect one’s own
or others’ lives.
Liberty. The right to liberty is considered an unalterable aspect of the human condition.
Central to this idea of liberty is the understanding that the political or personal obligations of
parents or ancestors cannot be legitimately forced on people. The right to liberty includes
personal freedom: the private realm in which the individual is free to act, to think and to
believe, and which the government cannot legitimately invade; political freedom: the right to
participate freely in the political process, choose and remove public officials, to be
governed under a rule of law; the right to a free flow of information and ideas, open debate
and right of assembly; and economic freedom: the right to acquire, use, transfer and
dispose of private property without unreasonable governmental interference; the right to
seek employment wherever one pleases; to change employment at will; and to engage in
any lawful economic activity.
Pursuit of Happiness. It is the right of citizens in the American constitutional democracy to
attempt to attain – “pursue” – happiness in their own way, so long as they do not infringe
upon the rights of others.
Common Good. The public or common good requires that individual citizens have the
commitment and motivation – that they accept their obligation – to promote the welfare of
the community and to work together with other members for the greater benefit of all.
Justice. People should be treated fairly in the distribution of the benefits and burdens of
society, the correction of wrongs and injuries, and in the gathering of information and
making of decisions.
Equality. All citizens have: political equality and are not denied these rights unless by due
to process of law; legal equality and should be treated as equals before the law; social
equality which tends to strengthen political and social equality for extreme economic
inequality tends to undermine all other forms of equality and should therefore be avoided.
Diversity. Variety in culture and ethnic background, race, lifestyle, and belief is not only
permissible but desirable and beneficial in a pluralist society.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Truth. Citizens can legitimately demand that truth-telling as refraining from lying and full
disclosure by government be the rule, since trust in the veracity of government constitutes
an essential element of the bond between governors and governed.
Popular sovereignty. The citizenry is collectively the sovereign of the state and hold
ultimate authority over public officials and their policies.
Patriotism. Virtuous citizens display and devotion to their country, including devotion to the
fundamental values upon which it depends.
Discussion Questions
1. How might some or all of these values be important to the preservation of a free and
independent press?
2. Identify the core values of American constitutional democracy that allow private citizens
to collect, edit, and further distribute information to others and how the values help drive
these actions.
3. What responsibilities do producers of information have to these core values and their
fellow citizens when distributing information?
EXTRA CREDIT: Look at the Declaration of Independence and review the document for its
main ideas. How are the core values of American democracy incorporated into the
Declaration?
Adapted from Lesson Plan: Citizen Journalism,
www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/media/citizen_journalism.html.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-5
Signposts of Democracy
People from around the world have identified the basic principles which must exist in order
to have a democratic government. Though no two democratic countries are exactly alike,
people in democracies support many of the same basic principles and desire the same
benefits from their government. The following are examples of the principles referred to as
signposts of democracy.
Citizen Participation. One of the most basic signposts of a democracy is citizen
participation in government. Participation is the key role of citizens in democracy. It is not
only their right, but it is their duty. Citizen participation may take many forms including
standing for election, voting in elections, becoming informed, debating issues, attending
community or civic meetings, being members of private voluntary organizations, paying
taxes, and even protesting. Participation builds a better democracy.
Equality. Democratic societies emphasize the principle that all people are equal. Equality
means that all individuals are valued equally, have equal opportunities, and may not be
discriminated against because of their race, religion, ethnic group, gender or sexual
orientation. In a democracy, individuals and groups still maintain their right to have different
cultures, personalities, languages and beliefs.
Political Tolerance. Democratic societies are politically tolerant. This means that while the
majority of the people rule in a democracy, the rights of the minority must be protected.
People who are not in power must be allowed to organize and speak out. Minorities are
sometimes referred to as the opposition because they may have ideas which are different
from the majority. Individual citizens must also learn to be tolerant of each other. A
democratic society is often composed of people from different cultures, racial, religious and
ethnic groups who have viewpoints different from the majority of the population. A
democratic society is enriched by diversity. If the majority deny rights to and destroy their
opposition, then they also destroy democracy. One goal of democracy is to make the best
possible decision for the society. To achieve this, respect for all people and their points of
view is needed. Decisions are more likely to be accepted, even by those who oppose them,
if all citizens have been allowed to discuss, debate and question them.
Accountability. In a democracy, elected and appointed officials have to be accountable to
the people. They are responsible for their actions. Officials must make decisions and
perform their duties according to the will and wishes of the people, not for themselves.
Transparency. For government to be accountable the people must be aware of what is
happening in the country. This is referred to as transparency in government. A transparent
government holds public meetings and allows citizens to attend. In a democracy, the press
and the people are able to get information about what decisions are being made, by whom
and why.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Regular, Free and Fair Elections. One way citizens of the country express their will is by
electing officials to represent them in government. Democracy insists that these elected
officials are chosen and peacefully removed from office in a free and fair manner.
Intimidation, corruption and threats to citizens during or before an election are against the
principles of democracy. In a democracy, elections are held regularly every so many years.
Participation in elections should not be based on a citizen's wealth. For free and fair
elections to occur, most adult citizens should have the right to stand for government office.
Additionally, obstacles should not exist which make it difficult for people to vote.
Economic Freedom. People in a democracy must have some form of economic freedom.
This means that the government allows some private ownership of property and
businesses, and that the people are allowed to choose their own work and labor unions.
The role the government should play in the economy is open to debate, but it is generally
accepted that free markets should exist in a democracy and the state should not totally
control the economy. Some argue that the state should play a stronger role in countries
where great inequality of wealth exists due to past discrimination or other unfair practices.
Control of the Abuse of Power. Democratic societies try to prevent any elected official or
group of people from misusing or abusing their power. One of the most common abuses of
power is corruption. Corruption occurs when government officials use public funds for their
own benefit or exercise power in an illegal manner. Various methods have been used in
different countries to protect against these abuses. Frequently the government is structured
to limit the powers of the branches of government: to have independent courts and
agencies with power to act against any illegal action by an elected official or branch of
government; to allow for citizen participation and elections; and to check for police abuse of
power.
Accepting the Results of Elections. In democratic elections, there are winners and
losers. Often the losers in an election believe so strongly that their party or candidate is the
best one, that they refuse to accept the results of the election. This is against democratic
principles. The consequences of not accepting the result of an election may be a
government that is ineffective and cannot make decisions. It may even result in violence
which is also against democracy.
Human Rights. All democracies strive to respect and protect the human rights of citizens.
Human rights mean those values that reflect respect for human life and human dignity.
Democracy emphasizes thevalue of every human being. Examples of human rights include
freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, the right to equality
and theright to education.
Multi-Party Systems. In order to have a multi-party system, more than one political party
must participate in elections and play a role in government. A multi-party system allows for
opposition to the party, which wins the election. This helps provide the government with
different viewpoints on issues. Additionally, a multi-party system provides voters with a
choice of candidates, parties and policies to vote for. Historically, when a country only has
one party, the result has been a dictatorship.
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
The Rule of Law. In a democracy no one is above the law, not even a king or an elected
President. This is called the rule of law. It means that everyone must obey the law and be
held accountable if they violate it. Democracy also insists that the law be equally, fairly and
consistently enforced. This is sometimes referred to as "due process of law."
Bill of Rights. Many democratic countries also choose to have a bill of rights to protect
people against abuse of power. A bill of rights is a list of rights and freedoms guaranteed to
all people in the country. When a bill of rights becomes part of a country's constitution, the
courts have the power to enforce these rights. A bill of rights limits the power of government
and may also impose duties on individuals and organizations.
Discussion questions:
1. How might some or all of these signposts be important to the preservation of a free
and independent press?
2. What are the signposts that allow private citizens to collect, edit, and further
distribute information to others? And how do these signposts help drive these
actions?
3. What responsibilities do producers of information have to these signposts (values)
and their fellow citizens when distributing information?
Adapted from these sources: Center for Education in Law and Democracy,
www.lawanddemocracy.org/pdffiles/signposts.dem.pdf; and Street Law,
www.streetlaw.org/democlesson.html
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CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Democracy & What’s News – What’s a Citizen To Do?
Youth Summit 2009
Handout 1-6
Class Hearing & Youth Summit - What Do They Look Like?
Class Hearing
The classroom will be set-up to model a legislative hearing. It might look something like this: at
the table in front will sit the adult-legislators "taking testimony" (the students' prepared
statements) at the hearing. Invited adults might include journalists, administrators, community
leaders, lawyers, and others. Every student will testify at the hearing.
Each student will make a presentation (1-2 min.). All students will present their remarks on one,
two, or three questions:
1. A free press is (or is not)
2. Informed citizens in a democracy should
3. I have this concern/question about free press, democracy, and citizens’ roles
,
as time allows. The adults should also make comments and adhere to time limits. It is helpful to
record the hearing -- it heightens its importance and students may want to refer later to
something they heard.
Youth Summit
All students are encouraged to apply to represent their class at the Youth Summit held at
Portland State University on Tuesday, November 3. Each teacher will bring approximately five
students – the exact number will be determined closer to the Summit. Approximately 150
students from 30 classes will be present.
At the event, students will run mock legislative hearings and participate in a townhall-type
discussion about connections between democracy, the news, and the role of citizens. Upon
arrival at PSU, the teacher will get his or her registration packet and then students go to their
assigned hearing rooms.
There will be twelve different hearing rooms going on at the same time. In the hearing rooms
students will be with students from different schools, not with their classmates (middle school
students will be together, and high school students will be together). Students will take on the
role of legislators running a committee meeting including a student being assigned as the
committee chair and running the meeting. Teachers will make recommendations among their
students would make a good chairperson.
Student-legislators will have the opportunity to question a number of journalists, civic leaders,
and other experts. Each hearing room will be visited by 3-5 experts (one at a time) who will give
testimony; they will discuss their experience and views on this topic. After students have heard
the testimony and the expert has left the room, they will discuss new ideas they heard with their
fellow student-legislators.
Then students will break for lunch and meet again with their teacher and other students from
their school. Over a "working lunch," students will discuss two things: (1) what they learned in
the morning hearings and (2) what they will say in the afternoon townhall in response to this
question: Democracy, free press and what's news - what IS a citizen to do?
After lunch, all students come together for a townhall-type meeting. They will have an
opportunity to discuss their thoughts or questions with a panel of distinguished experts.
Participants will make observations to share with classmates back at their schools and with
their families.
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Dear Parent:
During the next few weeks we will be exploring the connections between democracy,
the news, and the role of citizens. The curriculum we are using is compiled by
Classroom Law Project and asks a lot of questions. Called, Democracy & What’s News
– What’s a Citizen To Do?, it guides students through issues so that they engage in
thoughtful, meaningful, and academically rich discussions and activities.
After studying several lessons, we will conduct hearings in our classroom. These will be
modeled after congressional hearings. All students will "testify" before a "legislative
committee" made up of community leaders. Students’ prepared remarks will reflect what
they learn about press, democracy and the role of citizens.
The unit culminates in a Youth Summit on Tuesday, November 3, at Portland State
University. Approximately five students will have the opportunity to represent their
classmates at the summit. Selection criteria for students attending the Summit will
include assessing homework assignments, class participation, and peer review that will
occur over the course of this unit.
Approximately 150 middle and high school students from around the state will gather at
the Youth Summit. It will include more hearings as well as a townhall with civic leaders.
Please encourage your child to talk about what he or she is learning about being a
consumer of the news. Share your own thoughts. We know that the strength of our
democracy depends on participation of its citizens. The goal of this unit is to enhance
students’ ability to become active and informed citizens. Your support and
encouragement is appreciated.
Sincerely,
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