1. Either individually or in groups, have the students carefully read the background overview, the glossary of relevant terms and the selected articles. Allow them time to take notes on the readings (which may be assigned prior to the lesson).

2. Divide the class into teams of 3-4 students each. Then have each group review and briefly discuss the following hypothetical situations:

• A student-run newspaper features an investigative article on a past misdemeanor marijuana conviction of a teacher in the school. For the sake of privacy, the conviction had been kept from the knowledge of the greater school community, including parents, teachers and most administrators.
  
  
• A student literary magazine includes a thinly veiled story about the sexual activities of school athletes. The names are fabricated, but the setting and situations are remarkably similar to the school's own and are therefore easily identifiable.
  
  
• A student-led petition is disseminated on school grounds seeking support for the reprimand of a history teacher who had punished a student for her outspoken views against the war in Iraq. The teacher justified sending the student out of the class by arguing that her "unruly, one-sided opinions were becoming a serious disruption."
  

3. Next, using the chart provided on the scenarios worksheet, have the groups ask the following questions to determine whether, in accordance with the Hazelwood decision, each case above warrants censorship by the school.

• Is the instance of expression one that would "substantially interfere with the work of the school or impinge upon the rights of other students?"
• Would there be a legitimate educational reason for the administration to limit or disallow the expression?
• According to the Supreme Court's 1988 ruling, would the administration be legally permitted to exercise censorship?
  

4. Come back together as a class, and have a representative summarize his/her group's judgments. Compare the judgments and their justifications among the different groups.

5. Lastly, to encourage deeper consideration of the issues, pose the following questions to the class (these may also be used as writing prompts or extension-activity questions):

• If you were an administrator in a similar position to those in the Hazelwood case, how would you rule on the issues? Would you side with the students and allow for open expression? Or would you be more restrictive in order to satisfy the demands of certain parents, students and teachers?
• What could be the consequences, both positive and negative, of allowing unfettered (uncensored) student expression on school grounds? Who could get hurt and/or who could benefit?

Assign the class to research and analyze other recent instances of censorship of student expression by consulting the SPLC archives or other sources.

The research may be done in teams or individually, and the following questions may be used to guide the process.

Answers may be written in essay form or presented orally:

• In your research, how often is the First Amendment quoted or referenced? When referenced, how is it used? To defend individual liberties? To clarify arguments? To show the limits of expression?
  Comparatively, how credible are the arguments for each side? In other words, how convincingly do the administrators make their case to censor student publications, and how convincingly do the students and/or teachers defend themselves?
  
  
• Based on your research, how much of an impact do you think Hazelwood has had on student expression nationwide? Is it truly relevant? Do you think it has impacted your own school? Should it be overturned in the courts? Should it be upheld?
  
  
• Again, what could be the consequences, both positive and negative, of allowing unfettered (uncensored) student expression on school grounds? In what ways have you experienced the consequences yourself?