TIPS PROGRAM
Tinker Case
By Mildred Kasabalis
CIS 303
Introduction
Many of you in this class have expressed dissatisfaction with the
freedom that you have to express yourself.
Let’s take for example Janet.
Janet wore her pajamas to school last Friday. Friday is the only day in which you can come to school without
the dress code. She was sent back home
to change and come back to school. Is
there anyway that you the students of this class can protest this issue?
The TIPS program has helped
us in the past to learn and debate issues that have to do with the freedom that
we as citizens of the United States have.
Is Freedom of expression something that is due only to adults, or do the
youth of America also have that right?
Let’s look at a case that can help us to understand some of the rights
that young people have.
The Tinker
v. Des Moines Community Independent School District 393 U.S.503 (1969) was
the first test case. This case can help
us to understand whether a principal has the right to suspend, or “send home” a
student because the student has worn something to school that the principal
does not consider appropriate. We will
also look at other cases, which in some way are relevant to the issue in this
school.
In this project we will look at this
case by going into websites in the Internet.
We will also, discuss, debate, interview and present the information and
the conclusions that we have come up with.
Language Arts Standard:
E1c: Read
and comprehend informational materials.
E2a: Produce
a report of information.
E3b: Participate in-group meetings.
Social Studies Standard:
Understand
how the United States and New York State Constitutions support majority rule
but also protect the rights of the minority.
Understand how civic values reflected in United States and New York State Constitutions have bee implemented through laws and practices.
Objective:
Students
will be able to take a position supporting or opposing a student’s right to
freedom of expression based upon conflicting issues and values.
Materials:
Handouts
1.
“Tinker
v. Des Moines
2.
‘Mary
Beth Tinker’s Dilemma”
3.
“Hazelwood
v. Kuhlmeier”
4.
“Principal’s
Dilemma”
5.
“Bethel
v. Fraser”
6.
“School
Official’s Dilemma”
1.
Review,
study the case, look into websites that will help you to understand and come to
a conclusion.
2.
Interview
the principal, staff, students, and parents.
3.
A
report, which includes the pros and cons of the case, is to be presented.
Process:
1.
Read
the Tinker Case; in your group choose a recorder, a reporter, and a
facilitator. Discuss the case; prepare
a presentation, which the recorder will present to the rest to the class. The recorder will present your groups
opinion for or against the Tinkers. You have ten minutes to do this.
2.
Go
in the websites that are suggested in the resource page and get all the facts
on the case. Write a summary of the
information that you have found. You
can also go to the library and do research on the case. This will give you additional information
that you can use in your report.
3.
As
a group, prepare interview questions; decide whether you will interview the
principal as a group or if you will choose an interviewer from to interview the
principal.
4.
Final
paper will be a letter addressed to the principal written by your group. This letter will include:
v
An
introduction to the topic.
v
An
overview of the Tinker case.
v
The
pros and cons of freedom of expression.
v
Your
group’s opinion on the “Janet” case.
v
Your
group’s request for the keeping or the changing of the policy.
v A summary and conclusion.
Resources:
v
A
site that lists the Bill
of Rights
v
Look
at all the Facts
of the Tinker Case
v
Anything
else you need to know? Do you Have a question?
v
Information
you need, ask Google?
Evaluation:
The process of assessment in this project is by way
of many different forms. The first one
is peer editing, the students will edit each other’s work, and they will supply
suggestions for the second and third drafts.
In groups they will present their findings and conclusions to the
principal, parents, and visitors. The
final step of the evaluation process will be the portfolio they will summit to
me on the due date.