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First Amendment
Format: Streaming | Download
Length: 17:15
Grade Level: 7-12+
Closed Captioned: English | Italian | Portuguese | Spanish
Who chooses how you can freely express yourself?


The First Amendment protects the natural rights of Americans. It covers the right to freedom of religion, free speech, freedom of the press, and the rights to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.

We almost didn't get a Bill of Rights. Some Framers thought spelling out certain rights would make people (including the government) believe these were the only rights individuals had. Others wanted to provide the government with a clear list of things they could not infringe.

We can see our First Amendment rights at work all around us today. These rights matter. In fact, they're critical to a functioning, self-governing society. Learn more about our natural rights protected by the First Amendment!


First Amendment covers numerous educational standards across several subject areas including U.S. History and Civics for grades 7-12+. To find which standards it covers specific to your grade, subject area, and which standards your district follows, use our Standards Alignment tool.

What's Included in a Lesson:

Discover the comprehensive resources included in our First Amendment lesson:

  1. Student video viewing guide (with a note-taking section and 4 thematic questions)
  2. Video Lesson
  3. Lesson activity one
  4. Online formative assessment
  5. Lesson activity two

Our carefully designed lesson components work together to create an engaging and immersive learning experience, promoting critical thinking, and academic growth. From thought-provoking preview questions and informative video lessons to interactive activities and assessments, each element supports your students' understanding of key concepts and encourages meaningful discussions. Explore the richness of our Virtual International Field Trip lessons and inspire your students to embark on an exciting educational adventure that will broaden their perspectives and ignite their curiosity.

Lesson Presentation:

Select the preferred format for your lesson plan and access the interactive content designed to enrich your teaching experience.

Lesson Resources:

Our comprehensive Lesson Resources section includes an Educator How-To-Use Guide, providing step-by-step instructions and strategies for seamless lesson implementation. Engage your students with the Student Viewing Guide, which focuses their attention on key concepts and promotes active learning during the video lesson. Extend the learning experience with Lesson Activity One and Lesson Activity Two, offering interactive exercises that reinforce understanding and encourage critical thinking. With these carefully crafted resources at your fingertips, you'll have everything you need to create a dynamic and immersive educational journey for your students.

Online Formative Assessment:

Each lesson has an 11-question formative assessment, ten multiple choice questions, and one written response that will test your students' general understanding of the video. This can be done in class with technology or issued for homework.

First Amendment Video Quiz

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