by Toby Marxuach-Gusciora and Stephanie Gold

How much time do you spend:

watching TV __________

reading the newspaper __________

listening to CDs, records ____________

reading magazines __________

on line ________________

FAST FACTS

The average American spends 8 hours a day with the print and the electronic media.

This total includes:

- 4 hours watching television

- 3 hours listening to the radio

- 1/2 hour listening to CDs, records, LPs etc.

- 1/2 hour reading the newspaper

Information plays an important role in American society.

INTRODUCTION

Daily, we are bombarded with information from various sources. Information plays an important role in American society, when is too much information a good thing, when is too much information a bad thing?????

How do these cartoons present different views of the issue of free press?

Now complete the survey below. Read each statement and check your answer

1) Would possible negative effects justify limiting freedom of the press? YES [ ] NO [ ]

2) Should journalists have unrestricted rights when investigating a story? YES [ ] NO [ ]

3) Should the government have the right to restrict free press under YES [ ] NO [ ]

certain circumstances?

TASK

As part of an end term review, your class has been assigned the job of investigating issues surrounding freedom of the press. Your research will include an analysis of Supreme Court cases dealing with free press. You will prepare either a written report or a visual/poster presentation examining this issue.

Your project must include:

1) a summary of the facts of the case

2) a statement and explanation of the Constitutional question/issue

3) the Supreme Court’s decision

4) your evaluation of the decision – do you agree/disagree with the decision and why

5) analysis/discussion of the questions above

PROCESS

1) You may work individually or in groups.

2) Using the Compulegal website, research the following cases: New York Times v. United States, Schenck v. United States and one other case listed in the Compulegal case library.

3) Use the New York Times. v. United States visual and the Schenck visual to assist you in your understanding of the cases.

4) Complete the fact/issue worksheet for each of the cases you research

RESOURCES

Below are additional websites that you may use in your research:

www.Findlaw.com

www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal

http://supt.law.cornell.edu./supct/

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/fos/

www.oyez.org/oyez/portlet/directory/

www.regentsprep.org

www.dogpile.com

www.landmarkcases.org/

www.historyteacher.net

www.historychannel.com

www.yahoo.com

LEARNING STANDARDS

SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

Standard 1:   History of the United States and New York

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 United States and New York.

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 United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS

Standard 1:   Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Standard 3:   Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4:   Language for Social Interaction

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

EVALUATION

Student projects will be evaluated and graded according to the following guidelines:

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Content	Little or no accurate information is provided and did not include required information.	Information is somewhat accurate and comprehensive.  Contains extraneous detail and developed questions using two categories.	Information is mostly accurate and comprehensive and contains few extraneous details and developed questions using at least three categories	Information is completely accurate, comprehensive, and carefully selected to meet the needs of the project, and incorporated questions from all five categories.
Organization	Materials poorly organized with little or no attention to organization, clarity, and logic of the cases.	Some materials and information demonstrate organization, clarity and logic of the cases.	Most materials and information demonstrate organization, clarity, and logic of the cases	All materials and information are well organized, clear and logically represent the logic of the cases.
Visual Display	No use of color, pictures and other visuals that are motivating to students.	Little use of color, pictures and other visuals that are motivating to students.	Some use of color, pictures and other visuals that are motivating to students.	Attractive display, using color, pictures and other visuals that are motivating to students.
Punctuality	Presentation is turned in more than three days late.	Presentation is turned in two days late.	Presentation is turned in one day late.	Presentation is turned in by the deadline.

CONCLUSION

Working individually or in groups, students will become familiarized with the Compulegal website and will gain proficiency at analyzing Supreme Court cases. Students will become comfortable forming opinions on an issue and presenting arguments to support their position. Each individual/group will produce a written report or prepare a visual presentation of the material.