Think for Yourself,
and Let Others Do the Same

8th Grade English Language Arts Research Project

Topic: Banned Books

Goal Setting

You will research the issue of censorship, learning about the issues of challenging and banning library materials from shelves. Once you develop an understanding of the issues, you will form an opinion as to whether or not books should be banned, and why.

Essential/Research Questions:

• What is your position regarding the removal of books from library and classroom shelves and why?
• What does it mean to "think for yourself, and let others do the same"?
• How can an element of fiction (plot, setting, characterization, or theme) result in a book being regarded as controversial?

Research

Below are the focus questions that will guide your research and enable you to answer the essential questions above.

Focus Questions - to answer on citation sheets

Question #1: Why would someone want to remove books from library shelves and who are these people?
Question #2: What is the difference between a challenge and a banning?
Question #3: In general, is it okay to remove materials from library shelves when someone objects to them?
Question #4: Is it okay for parents to restrict what their own children read?
Question #5: What protects our right to read in this country and what are the limits to those rights?
Question #6: Should libraries have materials on their shelves that are offensive to some people?
Question #7: What could happen eventually if we remove from library shelves any items that might be offensive to someone?

• Cite your sources on your notes sheets.
• Take notes to answer questions found in your readings as you visit the sites linked for you below.
• Remember to use your own words in your notetaking, as we did in the lesson in the classroom.
• Number your notes according to the questions.

Remember, some of the sites below may have challenging text. Don't hesitate to use a print dictionary in our library or in your classroom, or go to www.dictionary.com for an online dictionary if you have trouble with vocabulary in thereadings.

STEPS:
1. Read Useful Definitions and Synonyms to help you understand the First Amendment.

2. Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary for the unit by reading "Understanding the Issues ":
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/firstamendment/talking.html#issues

3. Read what these authors of banned and challenged books have to say about censorship in "In Their Own Words: Authors Talk About Censorship":
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/firstamendment/authors.html

4. Read the articles at these 4 sites.

http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2010/april2010/mostchallenged2009_oif.cfm

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/2009/index.cfm

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bannedbookslist.html

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks/index.cfm

5. Read the Constitution, or at least the Preamble and the first paragraph of each of the 7 Articles at:
http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=constitution&page=readTheConstitution.cfm

6. Read The Bill of Rights, which consists of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in order to protect citizens from the power of the federal government.
http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=constitution&page=billOfRights.cfm

7. Read "About the First Amendment" to find out what the First Amendment guarantees and why the founding fathers thought it was necessary:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?item=about_firstamd

8. Wrap up your notetaking by reading "Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Question & Answer":
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/basics/ifcensorshipqanda.cfm

Extra Credit Opportunity:
Test your knowledge by completing the crossword puzzle in print format that you will receive from Mrs. Woo. If you complete the puzzle, turn it in for Extra Credit.

Organizing

Organize your notes according to the focus questions:

• Your notes on the citation sheets should already be numbered according to the focus questions.
• Read all the notes on all your citation sheets that have the number '1' beside them.
• Repeat this exercise for all your notes that have the number '2' beside them, and so on through number 7, since there are 7 focus questions.
• Do you need to revisit your sources in order to fully answer all the focus questions?

Product/Presentation

After you have developed an informed opinion based on your notes, you will revisit the freewrite you did at the beginning of the project.

Your final products will include a blog and a fishbowl discussion.

Conclusion

You now have an understanding of the issue of censorship as it applies to materials in school libraries, and how the issue is related to the Bill of Rights, which is part of the U.S. Constitution. If you would like to learn more about the topic of the Freedom to Read and why we celebrate this freedom every year during Banned Books Week, feel free to visit some additional links off of the ALA (American Library Association) Web site:

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/banned_books_week_proclamation/proclamation.cfm

http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bbwlinks&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=25735

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/foryoungpeople/youngpeople.cfm

And for more on the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence:

http://www.constitutionday.com/Html/education.html

Credits & References

"Banned Books Week Bookmarks, Bracelets, and Circus Poster." 2006. American

Library Association. Accessed on 6 May 2007. Available at

http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog&_pn=sub_category&_op=123

"Censorship Causes Blindness Poster." 2004. Random House Children's Books.

Accessed on 1 May 2007. Available at

http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/firstamendment/resources.html#amend

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books. American Library Association: Chicago, 2004.