Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest

Transcription

1 DMACC s Constitution Day/First Amendment Fest 2005 is supported by a Strategic Planning Innovation Grant awarded by Des Moines Area Community College. This event would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of many individuals on campus. Special thanks to Michael Blair, DMACC graphic designer, and all the members of the Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest committee. Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest September 21, S. Ankeny Blvd. Ankeny, IA Inside: Overview, schedule of events, background Suggested activities, helpful Web sites Quick quiz to test your knowledge..11 Phone: (Faculty office) (Chronicle office) jkroosa@dmacc.edu

2 Des Moines Area Community College Overview DMACC s first Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest will Test your knowledge Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest Test take place September 21, 2005, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This exciting, new event will be a student-centered festival designed to raise awareness about the U.S. Constitution and the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. Students will demonstrate See the DMACC home page for more information. Page 2 these rights by participating in activities throughout DMACC s six campuses. Special guest speakers will round out the programming. The festival will be topped off with a free barbecue lunch at the Ankeny campus. We encourage everyone to plan to attend, and ask that faculty consider incorporating course assignments around the Constitution and the First Amendment as appropriate for their discipline. TI units may be available. More information about the festival and suggested activities are included in this guide and at Sincerely, Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest Committee We want to evaluate the effectiveness of our Constitution Day/First Amendment Fest activities. Please take the quiz below TODAY, tear it out of your booklet and drop it in the designated boxes outside the President s Day assembly. You do not need to include your name. Copies of this quiz also will be distributed to all instructors during the first week of classes for use in the classroom. A follow-up survey will be distributed after the event. Thank you for your cooperation. Name the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment What are the three branches of government? List one of the lawful conditions that may restrict freedom of speech. True or false. Students at a public university can stage a protest on campus property? What was the date and year that Congress adopted the U.S. Declaration of Independence? How many amendments are there to the U.S. Constitution? Name any one of the delegates to Constitutional Convention. Page 11

3 Helpful Web Sites First Amendment Center Featuring comprehensive research coverage of key First Amendment issues and topics, daily First Amendment news, a unique First Amendment library, and guest analyses by respected legal specialists. The National Archives Preserves and makes available important legal or historical records created by the federal government. National Constitution Center An independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of, and appreciation for, the Constitution, its history, and its contemporary relevance. Justice learning Constitution Day A collaboration of NPR s Justice Talking and the New York Times Learning Network. ISU: Best Bests to Promote the First Amendment in Iowa Created to assist Iowa library and media professionals in promoting the First Amendment through community programs, displays, book discussions, film series and library collections. The guide highlights events, speakers books, videos/dvds and Web sites. Great speeches Students can select from a variety of areas to watch video of the speeches. Instructors may also want to use this for classroom activities or assignments. Schedule of Events *More events are being added at each of the campuses. Watch for more details in September. Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest Wednesday, September 21, :10 a.m. Keynote Speaker: John Tinker Bldg. 6 Auditorium, Ankeny Campus (Webcast/telecast to all campuses) John Tinker was a co-plaintiff in the landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court Case, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District. Sometimes referred to as the black armband case, Tinker recognized students right to free expression on public school property. 11:15 a.m.: Student Freedom Revisited Bldg. 6 Auditorium, Ankeny Campus (Webcast/telecast to all campuses) Louis C. Vaccaro, PhD.; Robert L. Ackerman, PhD., UNLV; and William B. Werner, J.D., UNLV. The editors of the book Student Freedom Revisited: Contemporary Issues & Perspectives will discuss emerging issues in student freedom and student activism. 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.: First Amendment Fest Central campus area, Ankeny Campus, and other campuses Various student-led demonstrations: Soap box speeches Banned music area Banned books/library display Express yourself in The Chronicle Iowa Civil Liberties Union table Student rights information Free pocket Constitutions And more 11:15 a.m. until gone: Free barbecue lunch Central campus area, Ankeny Campus Page 10 Page 3

4 Background Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest Use It or Lose It We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America. The 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. First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. According to the National Constitution Center, less than half of students surveyed could name the three branches of government compared to almost 60 percent who know the names of the Three Stooges. In another survey, this one by the First Amendment Center in 2005, a majority of Americans could not name all five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. DMACC s Constitution Day & First Amendment Fest grew out of a desire to change those numbers. The first step was a Strategic Planning Innovation grant awarded to fund a First Amendment Field Day at the Ankeny campus. The work group of this event and Constitution Day (mandated by the federal government) joined forces. Several activities are planned, but we invite everyone to participate. The easiest way is to ask your students to attend the day s events, either as an assignment or for extra credit. Better yet, identify an activity that actually puts your students to work putting the Constitution/First Amendment into action. The following pages are filled with ideas, but the possibilities are endless. Be creative. We hope every discipline can find a way to incorporate the Constitution/First Amendment into their course assignments. TI units are available depending on your level of participation. If you would like your students to participate during the festival on Sept. 21, Julie Roosa at jkroosa@dmacc.edu. Thank you. Suggested Activities for PETITIONING THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES Attend the speeches at the festival on Sept. 21. Visit constitution-day/index.html Research the history of civil rights in Iowa. Review the case of Ralph (1839), which made Iowa a free state, and Clark v. City of Muscatine (1868), which struck down segregated schools. Re-enact those cases or write an essay reflecting on their impact today. Visit the Policies & Procedures page: student_services/ policies_procedures.asp and answer the following questions: -How do you file a complaint about a faculty/staff action at DMACC? -What are student s rights and responsibilities at DMACC? -What kind of conduct is prohibited at DMACC and what are the potential sanctions for violations of the Student Code of Conduct? -What can I do if I believe I have an extenuating circumstance that may warrant a refund after the official last day to drop classes? -How can I appeal a grade? Convene a Drafting Committee to create a petition on a grievance identified by students. Research the proper format for a legislative voter initiative. Circulate the petition on campus(es). Combine the petition and voter initiative into a formal document for submission to the Iowa General Assembly. Research the proper procedure for a legislative referendum. Contact state legislators; lobby for inclusion of the referendum in an upcoming session of the General Assembly. Page 4 Page 9

5 Suggested Activities for FREEDOM TO PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE Start a new student group or club. Debate the issue of abortion protests and buffer zones. Attend the speeches at the festival on Sept. 21. Hold a you be the judge activity. Research a Supreme Court case related to the freedom to assemble. Ask students what they would have decided. Create a scrapbook with news articles dealing with assembly/association issues. Discuss the right of extremists to assemble. Role-play an ethical debate involving curfews or other free assembly issues. Study other countries and cultures where freedom to peaceably assemble does not exist. Track the civil rights movement and the role of the First Amendment. Conduct a mock trial, recreating famous cases involving the freedom to peaceably assemble. Examine the various groups and associations in America: students select one and write an analysis. Read a book or watch a movie involving protests, associations or assemblies. Invite a guest speaker to class. Attend or participate in a peaceful assembly, such as a candlelight vigil or other form of protest. Reflect on the experience either in class or in a journal. Suggested Activities for RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Meditate or pray in the festival area designated for religious liberty. Debate the issue of displaying religious symbols in government buildings. Examine the issue of student-led prayer. Attend the speeches at the festival. Hold a You be the judge activity. Research a Supreme Court case related to religious liberty. Students are asked what they would have decided. Create a scrapbook with news articles dealing with religious freedom issues. Examine public funding of religious education. Role-play an ethical debate involving religious issues. Study other countries and cultures where religious freedom does not exist. Visit resources/lessonplans_religious.aspx for ideas. Visit Examine the case study from educationforfreedom/l03main.htm Conduct a mock trial, recreating famous cases involving religious liberty. Discuss as a class whether tax exemptions for churches violates the First Amendment. Examine the various faiths in America: Select one and write an analysis. Read a book or watch a movie involving religious persecution. Invite a guest speaker from the religious or atheist community to class. Page 8 Page 5

6 Suggested Activities for FREEDOM OF SPEECH Page 6 Use soap boxes set up outside during the festival for speeches or debates. Discuss rights and responsibilities in class. Discuss the phrase no freedom is absolute. Attend the speeches at the festival, write a speech analysis. Create a scrapbook with news articles dealing with free speech issues. Hold value debates (3-5 minute speeches followed by 1-2 minute cross-exams.) Use the congressional format: write a bill on an issue and give a speech or write a paper defending it. Participate in a Rights to Choose activity: students reach a consensus on the most important right in the Bill of Rights. Read Thomas L. Tedford s article, Words that Wound: Abusive and Threatening Language. Follow with a paper or class discussion. Watch Barbara Jordan s Constitution speech (1974) or LBJ s Voting Rights Act Speech (1965) Watch Colin Powell s presentation to Howard University (1994.) Discuss in class or small groups free speech issues. Possible topics for speeches, bills, or debates... The Patriot Act. Racial profiling. Drug testing or AIDS testing and the right to privacy. School prayer or religious objects in public places. Political correctness; campus speech codes. Government funding of the arts. Censorship of entertainment or pornography. Hate speech Life is more important than liberty. The Internet is threatening privacy. Terrorism requires narrowing civil liberties. Flag burning. Suggested Activities for FREEDOM OF THE PRESS Assemble their own newspaper in print or on-line. Research blogs and write a paper discussing how they embody press freedom. Discuss the news media and public attitudes about it. Attend the speeches at the festival, write a news story. Create a scrapbook with news articles dealing with free speech issues. Discuss news judgment and evaluate what stories they think are important. Examine the case study from educationforfreedom/l03main.htm Conduct a media watch: Students analyze media coverage. Discuss Journalism s Do s, Don ts and Dilemma s, curricula/educationforfreedom/supportpages/ L03-JournalismDosDonts.htm Stop by the student newspaper table during the festival where they can express themselves in a special issue of the newspaper. Read an issue of the student newspaper and analyze the content. Role-play a newsroom: students assume the role of editors making ethical decisions. Read a book, watch a movie or listen to music that has been banned. Evaluate press rules recommended in response to terrorism in America. See terror/freepress.htm Read or watch All the President s Men, then discuss the latest Deepthroat developments. Visit the American Library Association s Web site for banned books week. bannedbooksweek/bannedbooksweek.htm Discuss free press issues in class or small groups. Hold a You be the judge activity. Students discuss what they would have decided in a free press case. Page 7