The community is divided and the incident begins to draw national attention, as well. In this provocative novel, controversy breaks out at a local high school where students are reading Huckleberry Finn. Well-drawn characters, realistic dialogue, and humor make this an engaging discussion of the freedom of speech and the responsibilities of the media. Larson into action, but her column has an impact that she didn't foresee. Hoping to rouse a once-inspiring, now defeated teacher, Cara writes an editorial about his lackluster teaching in her newspaper. The widely differing viewpoints illustrate the difficulty of establishing the parameters of free speech. When Philip, a high-school freshman, is suspended for humming along with the national anthem during homeroom period, the reactions of his parents, peers, school officials, and the media are reported in documentary fashion. Nothing but the Truth: A Documentary Novel. After he is captured by Hessians, his belief in the glories of war quickly fades. Thirteen-year-old Jonathan joins a group of neighbors who have assembled to head off approaching British soldiers in 1778. Such a task will not only enhance their understanding but will allow them to see the difficulty of balancing the needs and interests of many people.įiction First Amendment-Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, and Assembly Have students draw up a bill of rights for their school to emphasize the meaning of this important document. Invitations to discuss the Bill of Rights could be made to these local officials. Some points to cover are: the meaning of that particular amendment, why it was written, how the novel related to it, what reactions students had to both the novel and the amendment, and how the book might affect their opinion of the amendment.Įncourage student investigations of how rights have changed in the last decades through interviews with older family and community members, perusal of local archives, and talks with local police, attorneys, and judges. After discussing it among themselves, students might give a presentation to the entire class about their amendment. A number of possibilities for making the Bill of Rights meaningful to middle- and upper-elementary readers include:ĭivide the class into groups, assigning each a fiction title relating to one of the amendments. Originally written for the December 15, 1990, issue, this bibliography lists fiction titles amendment by amendment, with an additional list of related sources that will round out students' knowledge of the Constitution. What better way to tackle the problem than by introducing fiction with thematic applications?īook Links' tenth anniversary celebration, we are revisiting the Bill of Rights. But when the first 10 amendments come up in social studies classes, both the language and the concepts may be hard for students to comprehend without some help. More than 200 years after its creation, the Bill of Rights continues to affect and frame our society in vast and influential ways. The presidential election hinging on the rights of states. 2001 (v.10, no.4) by Barbara Elleman, Laura Tillotson, and Beth Warrell
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