As a follow up to an introductory unit on the American Dream, upper division students were asked to assess the role of censorship in American society through a study of banned books in America. Students engaged in reading a banned book, writing a persuasive essay, and participated in a mock trial around issues of censorship.

Students were given access to a collection of banned books compiled at City Arts & Tech High School and chose banned books to read. In choosing a banned book, students gained insight and background knowledge about the issues of censorship.

In order to complete the persuasive essay, students were required to write a clear, well-developed essay to present their position on whether or not a book deserved to be banned at City Arts & Tech High School. In completing this essay, students were required to ascertain what role censorship could play within their high school community.

As the culminating project for this unit, students completed a mock trial to convince a panel of experts whether or not a teacher, author, student, or school should be responsible for actions surrounding banned books. The mock trial allowed students to formally argue the various points of view which centered around the role censorship can play in American society.

The activites for this project are organized into:
Background
Reading Process
Writing Process
Mock Trial

 

Subject Area(s): Language Arts, Social Studies

 

Teaching Days to Complete: 4 weeks

 

Keywords  What's this?

banned books, mock trial, reading process project

 

Outcomes  What's this?

1. Write a persuasive essay about banned books and describe why a banned book should or should not be banned within their own school community.
2. Exhibit their understanding and knowledge surrounding the issue of banned books through a mock trial scenario.

 

21st Century Leadership Skills  What's this?

Communicate Effectively and Persuasively, Manage Projects Effectively, Think Critically, Collaborate Productively

 

Graduation Portfolio Tasks  What's this?

Literary Analysis, Public Speaking

Banned Books Websites
List of banned books websites...
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