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CIVIL RIGHTS & INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES

Background and Context

The following resources and reading material will help students develop a thorough understanding of Civil Rights & Individual Liberties and make connections between historical events, current conversations, and current policy proposals surrounding the issue. This section includes all of the context and content previously included in Close Up’s public policy chapters.  

 

Civil Rights and Individual Liberties in Context

How have civil rights and individual liberties changed throughout U.S. history? Where do we stand today?
High School
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Current Issue Debates

Current Issue Debates are framed by a central question and followed by historical context, an overview of both sides of the topic, and discussion questions to facilitate deliberation in the classroom.

 

Red Flag Gun Laws

Available for Middle & High School

Should governments enact "red flag" gun laws?
Middle School High School
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A Bakery, Same-Sex Marriage, and the Supreme Court

Available for Middle & High School

Does the First Amendment allow a business to deny services to people on the basis of the business owner’s religious beliefs?
Middle School High School
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Confederate Flag License Plates and the Supreme Court

Did the Supreme Court make the right decision in Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc.?
High School
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Drug-Sniffing Dogs and the Supreme Court

Is the use of a K-9 unit, after the conclusion of a traffic stop and without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, a violation of the Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures?
High School
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The Equality Act

Available for Middle & High School

Should Congress amend the Civil Rights Act to include discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity?
Middle School High School
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Abortion and Genetic Testing

Available for Middle & High School

Should the federal government pass a law that outlaws abortions based on disability discovered through prenatal genetic testing?
Middle School High School
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A Cross on Public Property

Available for Middle & High School

Does the display and maintenance of a cross-shaped war memorial on public property violate the First Amendment?
Middle School High School
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Abortion and the Supreme Court

Available for Middle & High School

Should the Supreme Court uphold a Louisiana law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital?
Middle School High School
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Student Aid and Religious Schools

Available for Middle & High School

Can a state forbid students in religious schools from being eligible for a general student aid program?
Middle School High School
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The Right to Transport a Handgun

Available for Middle & High School

Can a city ban a gun owner from transporting a licensed, locked, and unloaded handgun in their car?
Middle School High School
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Transgender Employment Discrimination

Available for Middle & High School

Does the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlaw employment discrimination based on a person’s transgender status?
Middle School High School
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AFTER ROE V. WADE

Now that abortion policy is returned to the states, how should state and federal policymakers react?
High School
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Kids Online Safety

Available for Middle & High School

Should Congress pass the Kids Online Safety Act to protect minors from online harms?
Middle School High School
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Videos from Policy Makers

Brought to you by ASP HOMEROOM, through a collaboration between Close Up Foundation and A Starting Point, these supplemental videos are an introduction to policy areas that provide an opportunity for students to hear different perspectives directly from lawmakers.

 

The Equality Act

Congressmen David Cicilline (D-RI) & Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
July 14, 2021

Watch Video
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Felon Voting Rights

Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) & Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) 
February 11, 2021

Watch Video
Learn More >

Mental Health & Gun Ownership

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) & Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND)
April 5, 2021

Watch Video
Learn More >

Lesson Plans

These ready-to-use lesson plans can be utilized in conjunction with any of our resources to enhance the quality of student discourse in the classroom. Our supplemental Civic Readiness Guide provides a recommended lesson plan sequence for using our Current Issues resources.

 

Foundational Lesson Plans

Building a Classroom Community

Understanding Values & Tensions

Government Tensions

Characteristics of a Good Law
Learn More >

Discourse Formats & Rubrics

Faceoff Debate

60 Minutes of Deliberation

Discourse Rubrics

Discourse Guide
Learn More >

Policymaker Video Guides

ASP Chats

Counterpoints

Developing an Informed Opinion

Teacher Manual
Learn More >

Extension & Application Activities

Analyzing Opinion Pieces

Five Questions to ID Sources

Letter to a Public Official

Researching Local & State Government
Learn More >

Community Deliberations

Civil Unrest & Police Reform

Free Speech & Community Standards

Racism & Tension in Local Schools

Inequality & Greenspaces
Learn More >

Additional & Archived Resources on Civil Rights & Individual Liberties

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vote id required election day sign

Election Integrity or Voter Suppression?

Post | October 25, 2018

One of the most fundamental rights of citizens in a representative democracy is the right to vote—the right to decide who should govern and give input on key policy decisions. In recent years, conservative policymakers have raised concerns over voter fraud and its potential to influence the outcome of elections. President Donald Trump continues to claim that […]

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