How to teach 45 words of freedom?

I had to write a persuasive essay for my writing class, so I wrote about something important to me: the First Amendment. Here's the essay. Post thoughts about what schools should do to encourage appreciation of the five freedoms -- religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.

----------

Over the public address system, a voice tells students to stand for the flag salute. In the halls, a couple girls, innocently holding hands hear their behavior is not allowed. In December the choral concert contains only Christian-themed music and ornaments and angels deck the halls. At finals week, students wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Finals Suck” learn a teacher believes the shirts are disruptive and must be replaced. In these real situations, children accustomed to acknowledging authority comply with the requests and don’t challenge an administrative decree. Some may raise an eyebrow, sigh in frustration or even curse under a breath. Each of those gestures is the sign of a defeated spirit, a child hoping to put into practice what he or she learned in class.

The lack of appreciation of the First Amendment doesn’t come all at once. It comes from slow erosion by people with little respect for the rights of others slowly chipping away at dissent and perpetuating docile youngsters unaware of their Constitutional rights.

A survey, conducted by the University of Connecticut on behalf of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and released in January, showed that American teenagers have little regard for and understanding of the First Amendment. Among the key findings: Basics about the First Amendment are not being taught, 75 percent of the students surveyed think flag burning is illegal, nearly 50 percent believe the government can censor the Internet, and many students do not think newspapers should publish freely. At the same time, administrators say they support more education on the First Amendment.

Simply put, Wenatchee High School is not doing enough to instill in students a value for our most basic of civil rights, and, in fact, the school system is doing much to discourage practice of those same rights. Schools may teach a bit about freedom in civics class, but they don't allow students to fully practice those same freedoms while at school.

Increasing knowledge and appreciation of First Amendment freedoms could come in several ways. A simple and initial step would be to audit the current curriculum and assure that basic education about the First Amendment is taught consistently and universally to each student during high school. Whether instruction comes in a civics course or through debates in language arts classes, instructing students on First Amendment basics starts in the classroom.

In addition to the basic classroom instruction, specialized courses should offer enhanced instruction and practice in First Amendment ideals. The Knight-funded survey shows that education about the First Amendment makes a difference: Students who participate in media-related activities at school are more likely to believe that people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions. Thankfully, WHS is not among the one in five schools surveyed offering no media activities. Administrators support expansion of student media but lack the financial means to do so, and finding space in a curriculum crowded with preparations for standardized tests may be difficult. However, the policies that promote free expression and understanding cost nothing, and enacting or affirming such policies would do much to support our media program. Encouraging students to enroll in journalism or debate courses already on the books also would cost little more as these classes often have smaller enrollments. Additionally, Web sites are less expensive to establish and maintain than publications, and investing in a course to teach Internet publishing while also instructing on the responsibilities of free expression would serve students well.

Of even greater ambition would be to plan and implement a week of First Amendment-related activities with each day focused on one of the five freedoms in the amendment. Johnsburg High School in Illinois has had success with such a week. Activities included a no-dress-code fashion show; Get On Your Soapbox Day, a chance to write a message and wear it on a sticker over the heart; a concert of rich American music — all of it banned at one time. Johnsburg journalism teacher Randy Swikle writes that the emphasis is on the “Three R’s” of the First Amendment — rights, responsibilities and respect — and that learning occurs through engagement. The components already exist at WHS, where there is acceptance of a Bible club that meets before school, where a school newspaper editorial can criticize an administrative policy, where students can bring a petition to student government. A week of educating about and celebrating the First Amendment is not a far-off thought.

Administrators, teachers, students, parents and members of the community all have a stake in the educating of children to be critical thinkers, respectful listeners and articulate advocates. How can we expect students to survive in the dynamic world that awaits them outside the school system if we have failed to prepare them by forbidding them to practice what they learn in class? Gene Policinski, director of the First Amendment Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said the Knight report “should wake up educators to the idea that the entire education process is impacted positively when students can say and print and express themselves freely.” The Knight report is not just a wake-up call; it is a call to action.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.