A PROJECT CRITICAL WEB QUEST
“Students and Freedom of the
Press”
Presented
by: Ms. Gionti
For Law Advocacy
“Students do not leave their
constitutional rights at the schoolhouse door.”
Tinker v.
Introduction
You
and the rest of The Advocate staff
have worked diligently the past few weeks to produce the first issue of the
newspaper. Right before the newspaper is sent to the printer, the principal
hears that a story in the paper is critical of a new program she has
implemented. She demands that the newspaper not be printed. What is the staff to do? What rights do you have? In this
web quest you will investigate this critical issue. What are the rights of
students according to the first amendment of the Bill of Rights? Good Luck!
The Task 
Through
your work in journalism class, you have learned that the pen is mightier than
the sword. In order to deal with this problem, you will:
·
Research
in groups different court cases that have affected the scholastic press. You
may use the Internet or text material.
·
Create
an informative Poster outlining key findings
of your group’s court case that will be displayed in the school’s hallway. You
will use the six steps of the Public Policy Analyst as an outline for your
poster.
·
Participate
in a gallery
walk to learn about the different court cases.
·
Use
information from the court cases to write a
Letter to the Principal on the rights you think student newspaper should be entitled. The letters will be given
to the principal.
The Process 
1.
Each
group will be randomly assigned one of the following court cases dealing with
scholastic press freedom to research.
·
Dean
v.
·
·
Draudt
v.
·
Morse
v.
·
Tinker
v.
·
·
2.
In
groups, work together to research the case and answer the following questions
piece of notebook paper (each student must hand in their own note sheet):
§
Who
was involved?
§
When
did the case happen? When was the verdict?
§
What
happened?
§
Why
did it happen?
§
Where
did the incident happen?
§
How does this case affect the student press?
§
Identify
one key quote from the verdict that feel best summarizes the case.
§
Summarize
the PRECEDENT
set by the case
3.
Once
your group has completed the research component, you may begin your poster. Your
teacher will provide poster board and art supplies. Please refer to the poster
rubric for grading specifics. Here’s some general rules:
§
Make
sure the poster answers all of the above questions. The text on your poster
should not be in essay format.
§
You
have at least two-three pictures or other illustrations.
§
You
have at least three sources, which are cited in MLA format on the bottom of
your poster.
§
Follow
general design rules: each photo must have a caption, each photo must be
mounted, and headline should be readable from at least three feet away.
4.
Participate
in the gallery walk and learn about the cases. Take notes on key information
using the worksheet distributed in class.
5.
We
will be using the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) model to complete the
next step. Using your research, complete the SIX-steps outlined here: PPA Steps and
Worksheets
6.
Once
you have your information on the cases and have completed the PPA steps, begin
to formulate an answer to the following questions: How much freedom should the
student press have? What should be done to make this possible?
7.
Begin
to construct your letter. Make sure you use your research to help argue your
point. You letter should answer the aforementioned questions.
§
Letters
must be typed, following business letter format.
§
Each
letter must CONTAIN answers to the questions on each of the six steps of the
PPA.
§
Letters
should be at least 250 words and must mention information from at least two
court cases along with the six PPA steps. Be sure to show how they affected the
student press.
§
Remember-All six steps of the Public Policy
Analyst MUST be included in your letter of persuasion along with the key
questions outlined above. Complete the PPA worksheets using the Internet
resources linked in the section below.
Resources
Scholastic
Journalism Law Cases
Hazelwood and
Tinker information
Morse v.
Frederick information
Business
letter format and model
GENERAL WEB SITES
Evaluation 
You
can earn a maximum of 400 points for this web quest and its components. The
research, worksheets and poster is worth a combined 300 points. The letter is
worth 100 points.
Scholastic
Journalism Law Case Poster Rubric
|
Category |
10
points |
8
points |
6
points |
4
points |
|
Research &
Understanding |
Relevant and accurate information is thoroughly researched and Demonstrates a thorough understanding
of the topic. |
Accurate information is well
researched and demonstrates a good understanding of the topic. |
Accurate information
reflects some research and a
general understanding of the topic. |
Information shows little research and understanding of the topic. |
|
Citation &
sources |
Student cites all three sources properly using MLA. Student
uses the full variety of sources. |
Sources are cited
properly using MLA, although may be some errors. |
Sources are cited,
not in MLA format. May have less than three sources. |
Student does not
cite sources or uses less than the required number. |
|
Visual (use of
pictures, illustrations) |
Pictures and graphs
used to cover each aspect of poster topic. Brief description of pictures is
given. Visuals add understanding and represent all aspects of the poster.
Borders or different color backing.
Glue and tape not obvious. |
Pictures and graphs used to
cover each aspect of poster topic. Descriptions are not given. Visuals
add understanding of topic. Neatly Portrayed
information. White on White. Glue and tape not obvious. |
Pictures and graphs used to
cover a few aspects of the poster. Descriptions are not given. Visuals do not
always add understanding. Neatly portrayed information. White on White. Glue and tape are visible. |
Pictures and graphs used to
cover a few aspects of the poster. Descriptions not given. Visuals do not
always represent ideas in poster or add understanding. Information is displayed with little care. |
|
Poster organization |
Information is neatly written
or typed may be read from
4ft away. Headings are used effectively. Poster tells a story. Observer could
quickly find information if asked a factual question. Color/texture is used
to visually organize the material. |
Information is neatly written or typed may be read from 2ft away.
Headings are used effectively. Poster tells a story. Observer could quickly
find information if asked a factual question. |
Information is neatly written or typed may be read from 2ft away.
Headings are used, but not always correctly or appropriately. Observer could find information easier is more headings
were given. |
Information is sloppily written. Difficult to read. Material is not organized. Printed and pasted
with little thought. Not enough information to really organize. Observer must
read entire poster to find information. |
|
Writing, spelling
& grammar |
Information is
obviously not copied and pasted. Spelling and grammar are correct. |
Information is
obviously not copied and pasted. A few minor mistakes. |
Unclear if
information is copied and pasted. Mistakes occur regularly |
Information
obviously copied and pasted. Mistakes detract from the understanding. |
Conclusion 
Congratulations!
By now, you should have a solid understanding of scholastic journalism’s rights
and responsibilities. The Bill of Rights, especially the First Amendment was
created to protect the rights of individuals from civil rights abuse. In a
democracy, it is essential that citizens know these rights or the democracy is
doomed. You should also have an understanding of the role of the public policy
analyst. This political scientists searches for social problems that deny
democratic principles and attempts to find solutions. Let’s hope you have found
the solution to student freedoms. Thanks you for your participation!
Standards
E1c,
E2a, E3b, E3c, E4a, E4b, E6b, E7b
Social Studies
Standard 1: History of the
Students will use a variety of intellectual
skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes,
developments, and turning points in the history of the
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to
demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments;
the governmental system of the