Lesson Plan: Banning Books and Government Powers
Grades 9-12
In recent years, there has been a debate about the contents of books in school libraries and the materials used in classrooms. Some parent groups and political leaders have raised concerns about how the United States is represented or about the presence of material they consider inappropriate for students. Other parent groups and political leaders argue that students should have access to a broad range of perspectives and that restrictions should be limited. In the 1970s, high school student Steven Pico challenged his Long Island, N.Y., school board after it removed books, including “Slaughterhouse-Five” and “Down These Mean Streets,” from his school library. Pico argued that the removals violated students’ First Amendment rights, and his lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court.
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