Civics with Dean – Class 3 – First Amendment & Freedom of the Press

For this week's class on the First Amendment, I was truly fortunate to have a special guest visit with us. Kim Haas is a reporter for the Union Leader, the largest newspaper in New Hampshire. I've worked with Kim for five years. (She once gave one of my ELO students an awesome opportunity – doing photography with the newspaper.)

I began with simple questions about the First Amendment. Did students know what rights are protected by it? We then zeroed in on freedom of the press due to our guest. I asked students why it was important to have freedom of the press. Kim chimed in with, "Great question. Why is it?"

Today's lesson featured the izzit.org video, Read All About It!, which explores freedom of the press. (Along with the interesting slant that Sweden was actually the first country to codify a free press in their constitution!) 

Here are some discussion questions from the Teacher's Guide that accompanies Read All About It!:

1.What are some responsibilities that come with freedom of the press?

2. Why do people or organizations suppress expression of speech or thought? 

3. How is the access to information and human advancement connected?

Another special guest, Rob Chatfield, President and CEO of izzit.org, was astounded at what the class came up with. One student mentioned that a free press provides a check on the government. Another said it provides citizens in America with the knowledge of what's really going on, without fear of reprisal.

Kim mentioned that our First Amendment freedoms come down to freedom of thought as well. Rob mentioned how these liberties matter on an every-day basis, impacting many aspects of our lives.

We talked about our individual, natural rights, our property rights, and how all these allow a person to direct their own life. How can we even discuss these rights - or issues or infringements against our other rights – if we don't have freedom of speech? Answer: we can't.

Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our society. Of any free society.

For homework, I assigned students to take the quiz that goes with Read All About It! (Another part of the very comprehensive Teacher's Guide that accompanies the video!) The class average was 90%! (That's a successful lesson!)

Big thanks to Kim Haas for being part of our exploration of freedom of the press, and Rob Chatfield for coming to class as well!

Dean Graziano is the Vice-President of izzit.org. He is a multi-state, award-winning educator and former Curriculum Specialist Teacher grades 6-12 Social Studies, with over 25 years in education. He served on the Massachusetts MCAS Standard Setting Panel, and also selected by the College Board to be an Advanced Placement Reader for U.S. History. He worked on the historical inquiry model and a national presenter for ABC-Clio, a Social Studies data base company. 

In 2007, in a surprise visit to his school, he was awarded the United States Department of Educations' American Star of Teaching Award. Dean was selected as the 2017 State of New Hampshire's Extended Learning Opportunity Coordinator- of -the Year. Dean’s pilot program in Rochester, NH was singled out by NH Governor, Chris Sununu as the model for the State of N.H. Career Academies. In 2019, he developed and implemented a proposal to purchase a Mobile Classroom ( a new & remodeled 36’ RV, aka M.A.P.s) utilizing Perkins V funding, to bring CTE/WBL programming - leveling the playing field/equity for ALL NH students and spoke nationally at several ACTE Conferences on this model.

Book Review – The Persecutor by Sergei Kourdakov by Colleen Hroncich

Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, which launched the beginning of one of the most brutal regimes in human history. Beginning with Vladimir Lenin and continuing with Joseph Stalin and beyond, tens of millions of people were killed as a result of political purges, man-made “famines,” slave labor camps, and more. Despite these appalling facts, most of the students in your classroom are probably largely ignorant of the horrors of communism. 

One very effective way to illustrate the brutality of the Soviet Union for your students is to have them read The Persecutor by Sergei Kourdakov. This powerful autobiography was written by a KGB agent whose job was to hunt down and kill “Believers” – the government’s name for Christians. It details his life growing up in Russia: being orphaned at a young age; practically raising himself as he bounced from the streets to group homes and back to the streets; and eventually finding a “family” in the Communist party. I don’t want to give away too much here, so I’ll leave it at that.

Not surprisingly, The Persecutor is incredibly brutal and sometimes contains graphic violence. You would definitely want to preview it to ensure it is age appropriate for your class. However, I can almost guarantee that you and your students will be forever impacted by Sergei’s story. I was introduced to it by my then 14 year old daughter, who read it as part of her English curriculum. She has a much deeper understanding of totalitarianism and the importance of freedom than do most kids her age, and much of that stems from this book. 

Colleen Hroncich loves that homeschooling allows her to learn right alongside her children. A published author and former policy analyst, Colleen’s favorite subjects are economics/public policy and history. She has been active in several homeschool co-ops and is a speech and debate coach.

izzit, 2081 and the Meaning of Equality from Rachel Colsman

One teacher’s Story of How an izzit.org DVD Changed the Life of a Struggling Student

Irving Kristol once said, “Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions – it only guarantees equality of opportunity.”

This concept has always been a challenge to teach in my government classes. This past year was no exception. I teach in northwestern New Mexico, in a district that serves the Navajo Reservation. My particular school is over 80 percent Navajo. Their history makes it hard for many students to understand individual rights when, for many years, their rights had been ignored.

My classes had just finished studying the Bill of Rights. We read the document, broke it down into terminology, and looked at Supreme Court cases. They were still struggling with the idea of equality. I had to find a way to teach them that equality does not mean everyone should earn the same amount, or live in the same size house. Enter izzit.org.

I have used izzit.org for a couple of years for a variety of topics. I just happened to order the video “2081.” It was sitting on my desk waiting to be watched. I took the video home to preview. My first reaction was awe… followed very closely by apprehension. There were guns. The production was dark. It was filled with powerful symbolism. I knew that it would be a major risk to show it, but I felt that the benefits of using it would outweigh the risks.

I went to my principal for guidance. He told me to go for it. So I did. I could not have anticipated the results.

I had one particular student that was struggling to finish his senior year. He rarely came to class. He seemed disconnected. I thought we were going to lose him. But after I got hold of the 2081 DVD, I asked him please to come to class the next day, as I had a great lesson on equality, and would really like him be there. He looked skeptical. But to my surprise, he actually showed up.

I began class by writing “equality” up on the board. I asked each student to write down their definition of the word. We had a brief class discussion and developed a class definition of “equality,” and wrote it on the board. I handed out the video questions and began the movie. The students were giggling and whispering through the introduction, but when the movie started, things got dead silent. 

The students were mesmerized. At the conclusion, you could hear a pin drop. I asked the students to revisit their definition of equality for homework, and to bring it in for class discussion the following day. I could have never predicted the response. Students had been discussing the idea of “equality of outcome,” versus “equality of opportunity” with other teachers, in the lunchroom, and at home. The next day, every student was in their seat ready for discussion before the tardy bell had even rung – including our struggling young man. The classroom was abuzz with ideas and meaningful exchange.

After class, the young man who’d been missing class came up and asked if he could borrow “2081” to show his parents. I allowed him to take it, and the revolving door of checking out the video began. Over 50 students took “2081” home to share. Parent-teacher conferences four weeks later revolved a lot around my lesson on equality.

Helping students understand the difference of equality of outcome, versus equality of opportunity has always been a challenge. Many of my students believed that government has a responsibility to ensure that everyone has exactly the same things. But this lesson helped them understand the fundamental principle of a democratic republic: equality before the law.

My young man continued to come to class, rarely missing a day. I asked him what made him want to come. He informed me that the video and the lesson really touched him. He realized that hating the system would do nothing to fix his problems: “Democracy doesn’t mean that everyone ends up the same. It means that everyone can make choices, and whether they succeed or fail is up to them. It might not be fair, but at least we each have ownership of our individual journey in life.”

(Note from izzit.org - Please be advised that 2081 is not streaming on our site but you are able to select it as your free DVD for the year! It's a powerful video, and we highly recommend it for high school students.)

From the Homeschool Front …Why Homeschool? by Colleen Hroncich

I never expected to homeschool my kids. Growing up, I only knew of one homeschooling family … and let’s just say they were considered a bit odd. My oldest was in 6th grade and my youngest was in kindergarten when we decided to make the switch. We had a bit of a bumpy start, but 5 years later we’re still at it. 

I love the freedom and flexibility that go along with homeschooling. We control our own schedules. We set our own school calendar. Learning is woven into every part of our lives, not relegated to “school” hours. When people hear I homeschool 4 kids, they frequently say that sounds stressful. Strangely, in many ways our lives are less stressful than when the kids were “in school.” No more packing lunches, hectic mornings trying to get to the bus stop, or chaotic nights trying to finish homework. 

One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is that each child can work at his or her own pace – slowing down or speeding up depending on the material. This individualized pacing is difficult to replicate in the classroom, although technology is bringing more flexible options to “brick and mortar” schools, too. 

Educating our children at home also lets us expose them to many points of view. We want to raise critical thinkers – adults who see through talking points and challenge conventional wisdom. We don’t want parrots … even if they’re parroting our own ideas. This variety of viewpoints, and the freedom to question them, is essential to developing critical thinkers.

Homeschooling certainly has its challenges. I’m the teacher, disciplinarian, bus driver, scheduler, cafeteria worker, and more. The house is messier than it would be if they were at school all day. There is a lot of togetherness (which can be a pro or a con, depending on the day). But the benefits – to our family as a whole, to each child individually, and to us as parents – strongly outweigh the costs. 

Our kids know they can stop homeschooling if they want. The fact that they stick with it tells me I’m doing the right thing for them.

Colleen Hroncich loves that homeschooling allows her to learn right alongside her children. A published author and former policy analyst, Colleen’s favorite subjects are economics/public policy and history. She has been active in several homeschool co-ops and is a speech and debate coach.

Where Were You...on 9/11?

Dr. Mike Siekkinen- (A Military Perspective)

I was active duty Navy, attached to a submarine on September 11th. Our submarine was returning from deployment that day, where we would meet the other crew and begin the process of turning over and "taking back" our sub. The "other crew" had been on deployment for the last 3 months. My wife and I were getting ready for work and we had the television on, listening to the news as we got ready.

We heard the report of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center and both thought perhaps it was a sightseeing plane that had gotten too close. When the second plane hit, we knew something was wrong. As I drove onto the Navy base, the radio told me of the Pentagon being hit and then in the parking lot, as the entire crew sat listening to the radio, the plane went down in Pennsylvania. 

We watched as our submarine came up the river and was then met by tugboats that turned it around and sent it back out to sea. We watched the family members who had been waiting for their husbands and fathers, leave in tears as they were told to go home. The sub was being put out to sea where it would be safer instead of tied up next to a pier where it could be a target. Our crew was all sent home and told to wait by our phones until further notice. The base was being secured. We waited like that for the next week as details of the attack came out. Everything changed after that...

Rob Schimenz- (A New York Teacher's Perspective)

I was walking down the third floor hallway with Usman Hanif, my student and varsity baseball player, a fellow teacher said that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers.  I scoffed, yet Usman and I walked to the west side of the building.  Sure enough, smoke was coming from one of the buildings.  Within seconds, the second building burst into flames.  I knew intuitively what was happening.  We stared out the window for several minutes.  Throughout the rest of the day, teachers and students watched the news from wherever they could.  As a dean, I had less classroom time, but the halls were still.  The few people who passed each other said little.  I recall speaking to students in numerous social studies classes, mostly with the message that this was done by individuals, not a religion, ethnic group, or nationality.  As a Red Sox fan, I never really liked the Yankees.  But when I was asked "why?" I tied the two together.  "Many people hate the Yankees because they are successful," I said.  "It's pretty much the same reason," I said.  "Many people hate the United States because we are successful." 

By the time the school day ended, we smelled the smoke from the burning buildings, which we had watched not only burst into flames but collapse too.  The trains were mostly shut, and parents had been coming to pick up their children.  As I was walking out of the school, the principal announced that there were many students who had to wait for their parents, and she asked teachers to stay with the students.  I went back and stayed until the last student left.

About 8pm, I finally headed home.  It was eery.  There was no traffic heading west, toward the city.  There was little traffic heading east.  I went to see my parents.  Mom and Dad were 20 when Pearl Harbor was attacked and I wanted to know how this compared, how it felt.  Mom said that this was much worse.  Pearl Harbor was a military base in a U.S. territory.  This, she said, was an attack on us, on citizens, and it was only 35 miles away from where we lived.  

Several days later, I drove through a neighborhood in which there were usually many flags of Latin American countries.  But that day, all I saw were American flags.  That was very emotional for me.  

Despite being a New Yorker, I had never gone to the World Trade Center.  I wish I had.

I think of 9/11 often.  I used to drive to work and look at the Twin Towers from the Long Island Expressway.  I still look....

Susan Gable- (A Mom's Perspective)

I was sitting in a classroom at the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit in Edinboro, PA, learning how to be a substitute teacher, despite having taught for 10 years in NJ. I remember an administrator came into the room, her face so ashen, I thought she was going to collapse. She said,“We’re under attack. The Pentagon has been attacked.”  And we were all like, “What? What do you mean, attacked?” The idea of war on our soil is so foreign to us, it didn’t really register.  No way that was happening. We tromped into a room across the hall that had a television set, just in time (if you can say that about anything of that day) to see the first tower collapse.

I don’t remember there being any noise at all in the room. We all were dumbfounded. Just in shock. Then a person from the Intermediate Unit came in and announced, “If you guys want to go home, leave now, because we’re going on lock down, and no one will be able to leave once we do that.” So, I left. I had a 10-year-old at home. I wasn’t getting locked in. I remember driving home, still in shock, wondering what else was going on, what else would happen. I rode with the news on. By the time I got home, my then-husband, who worked at a television station at the time, was also home. We were transfixed to the television (where we, like most of the country, would remained glued for the next few days.) I remember sending my husband to school to pick up our son because we just didn’t know what was happening. Didn’t know what would be next. And so I, like many other parents, wanted my kid at home, with us.

I went to give blood the next day because though I’m in Erie, PA, that was close enough that blood could have easily been shipped to NYC from here.  I waited for hours with a huge crowd of people, all of us again glued to the television in the waiting room. And I remember that blood wasn’t  needed on the scale that they’d first imagined. We all donated because...we just didn’t know what else we could do, and we all felt so helpless, like we had to do something.

The world my ten-year-old inhabited had changed massively. Life would never be the same...

Dana Roberts- (A Student's Perspective)

I was actually in middle school at the time of the attacks, in social studies class. Everyone was taking notes and listening to Mr. Walker, when suddenly another teacher came rushing into the room, his face pale-white. He whispered into my teacher's ear and Mr. Walker immediately turned on the t.v.

Everyone was confused, some of my classmates began to panic, others became emotional, the rest of us just sat and starred at the t.v. until the principal came across the PA system to inform us school was being dismissed early. The buses would be at the school shortly, and students who needed other transportation were allowed to use the classroom telephones or their personal cellphones to contact parents. 

That is when chaos began. My school district had two separate schools, one middle school and one high school, but they were located on the same grounds, meaning the older kids rode with the younger kids to and from school. The younger kids were confused, scared, excited and unsure of why they were being sent home early. The older kids were on their phones making arrangements with parents and families. My parents came and picked me up.

Flash forward to 2013, when I took a trip to NYC. I made my way to the 9/11 Memorial/ Ground Zero and also the NYC Fire Department. Both stops filled me with immediate emotion, not because I lost someone personally but because our nation lost thousands of people.

Going to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum caused two emotions: sadness and hope. Walking around, looking at the North and South pool monuments, seeing all those names engraved into the granite, seeing people mourning the loss of their loved ones made me tear up. Continuing around I found myself directly in front of the "Survivor Tree." Looking at this tree I was filled with hope, thinking if this  remains after this tragedy, then perhaps there is hope for our nation. After all the massive resources combined together to construct both trade centers were demolished almost effortlessly, here stood this natural resource that survived it all. This tree was recovered from the rubble at the World Trade Center site in 2001, standing 8 feet tall and badly burned with only one living branch left- no one expected it to survive.

The tree was moved to the Bronx for care and later replanted at the memorial site, standing 30 feet tall. This tree has become a symbol of hope and rebirth which accurately represents NYC and the United States of America. This tree also serves as a reminder of the thousands of survivors who persevered after the attacks.


So...where were you that fateful day? We'd love for you to share your perspective of that day in the comments.