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Using the Iowa Digital Library >> Resources for Instructors >> Lesson Plans >> Iowa Civil Liberties Union

Iowa Civil Liberties Union*

Worksheet: [PDF]

Grade Level: High school (9-12)

Time Required: One fifty minute class period

Standards (National):

NSS 5-12 Thinking Standards
STANDARD 3: The student engages in historical analysis and interpretation

  • A- Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors, and institutions by identifying likenesses and differences. 
  • B- Consider multiple perspectives of various peoples in the past by demonstrating their differing motives, beliefs, interests, hopes, and fears.
  • C- Analyze cause-and-effect relationships bearing in mind multiple causation including (a) the importance of the individual in history; (b) the influence of ideas, human interests, and beliefs; and (c) the role of chance, the accidental and the irrational.
  • D- Draw comparisons across eras and regions in order to define enduring issues as well as large-scale or long-term developments that transcend regional and temporal boundaries.

STANDARD 5: The student engages in historical issues-analysis and decision-making

  • A- Identify issues and problems in the past and analyze the interests, values, perspectives, and points of view of those involved in the situation.
  • B- Marshal evidence of antecedent circumstances and current factors contributing to contemporary problems and alternative courses of action.
  • C- Identify relevant historical antecedents and differentiate from those that are inappropriate and irrelevant to contemporary issues.
  • E- Formulate a position or course of action on an issue by identifying the nature of the problem, analyzing the underlying factors contributing to the problem, and choosing a plausible solution from a choice of carefully evaluated options.
  • F- Evaluate the implementation of a decision by analyzing the interests it served; estimating the position, power, and priority of each player involved; assessing the ethical dimensions of the decision; and evaluating its costs and benefits from a variety of perspectives.

Standards (State):
Iowa Core Curriculum
Behavioral Sciences

  • Understand how social status, social groups, social change and social institutions influence individual and group behaviors

History

  • Understand the role of individuals and groups within a society as promoters of change or the status quo

Political Science/ Civic Literacy

  • Understand how the government established by the Constitution embodies the enduring values and principles of democracy and republicanism
  • Understand strategies for effective political action that impacts local, state and national

Governance

  • Understand how law and public policy are established at the local, state and national levels
  • Understand how various political systems throughout the world define the rights and responsibilities of the individual

Inquiry Questions:

1. What is a civil liberty?
2. What has Iowa's role been in protecting civil liberties?
3. What were some of the major civil liberties disputes of the late 1960s and early 1970s? How are these issues viewed today?
4. What was the issue at stake for the Tinker vs. Des Moines case? What was the result?
5. What major civil liberties issues exist today?

Objectives:

Students will

1.Define civil liberty.
2. Understand the objectives of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.
3. Explain the major civil liberties issues of the 1960s and 1970s and compare them to civil liberties issues of today.
4.Analyze and explain the arguments and outcome of the Tinker vs. Des Moines case.

Materials Required:

1. Online or print access to the following articles from the Louise Noun Scrapbook in the Iowa Digital Library:

Tinker vs. Des Moines; the rights of students to wear black arm bands to protest the Vietnam War (pages 38-41, 53-54, 73-75, and 136)
Liberties Union Supports Students on Arm Bands
D.M. Schools Ban Wearing of Viet Truce Armbands
Wear Black Arm Bands, Two Students Sent Home
D.M. School Board Split on Issue, 4-3
A Plea for Pupils' Right to Express Opnions
Arm Bands Seen as Matter of Student Conduct
The Thirty Years Since the Tinker Decision
Students’ Struggle for free speech continues in D.M. Schools
The Tinker case revisited
Tinker revisited at Drake forum
ICLU Acts in Des Moines School Arm Band Controversy
Schools and Free Speech
The Threats in Arm-Band Case Argued
Arm Band Decision is Upheld
Appeal Boy’s 25-Year Term
Des Moines Arm-Band Protest Upheld

Tinker vs. Des Moines booklet: part one, part two
Impact of ‘Armband Case’ on Student Freedom
Reflecting on the Tinker case

Students’ hair length (pages 87-92 and 114-115)
Tell Court to Guard Public on Morality
School Stand on Haircuts
Letters, we get letters
School’s Long-Hair Hassle Draws 250 to Hearing
No Action After Hair Hearing
Anonymous letter
Attorney for Girl Assails Colfax Long Hair Rule
Judge Rules Colfax Schools Can’t Put Limit on Hair Length
Urge Schools: End Hair Rules
Bars Suspension of Decorah Girl
Sims vs. Colfax School District court report
Anatomy of a Town vs. Long Hair
Lawsuits Over Hair
Cite Community Dislike as Reason for Long-Hair Ban
Judge’s Ruling Tells Why Ban on Long Hair is Unconstitutional
In 1970, long hair was the hot topic

Playboy magazine (pages 84-86)
Demonstration summary
Strippers at Grinnell Get $1,000 in Playboy Aid
Protest in the Nude at a Playboy Lecture
TIME article
How their naked protest changed the ‘Grinnell 8’
8 Found Guilty in Disrobing
Snub appeal on nude-in at Grinnell

Burning draft cards (pages 36-37, 43, and 75)
Liberties Focus: Draft Cards
Few Students Protest: Huit
Attacks Law on Draft Card
Prof is Named to Defend Smith
Smith Put on 3 Yrs. Probation
A.C.L.U. in Shift, to Aid Draft Foes

Rights of pregnant students (pages 77, 124, and 125)
Assail Policy on School Pregnancies
Pregnancy Rules for School
Testifies Pregnant Girl Stayed in School to Play Basketball

“Dirty” art at Des Moines Art Center (pages 64-66)
'Dirty’ Show Draws 2,046 to Art Center
Art Center’s $24,000 Suit is Dismissed
I.C.L.U. Assails Council Action
It Might Not Be Art, But Des Moines Folks Know What They Like
Art Center Patrons Sue City Council
Judge Rules Out Art Center Suit on ‘Obscene’ Pictures
Criticizes Art Fund Diversion

2. Iowa Civil Liberties Union: Cases of the 1960s and 1970s worksheet

3. Internet access to complete homework

Prerequisite Knowledge:

1. National and state judicial system
2. Culture and historic events of the 1960s and 1970s
3. Current events across the state, nation, and world

Procedure:

1. Introduction

a. In groups of two, have students define the term “civil liberties” and create a list of civil liberties granted to Americans.
b. Share definitions and create a class definition of “civil liberties.”  Compare it to the Merriam-Webster definition.
c. Share examples of civil liberties.  Have volunteers write their examples on the board or overhead.
d. Civil liberty: "freedom from arbitrary governmental interference (as with the right of free speech) specifically by denial of governmental power and in the United States especially as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights —usually used in plural” (Merriam-Webster).

2. Iowa Civil Liberties Union in the 1960s and 70s

a. Introduce ICLU and Louise Noun

  1. More information on the ICLU/ACLU-IA found here.
  2. More information on Louise Noun found here.
  3. Louise Noun scrapbook

b. Briefly introduce the major cases of this period

  1. Tinker vs. Des Moines; the rights of students to wear black arm bands to protest the Vietnam War
  2. Students’ hair length
  3. Grinnell students’ demonstration against Playboy magazine
  4. “Dirty” art at Des Moines Art Center
  5. Burning draft cards
  6. Rights of pregnant students

c. Divide students into groups and assign them a case (or have all groups explore one case, Tinker vs. Des Moines being the most renowned).  Tinker vs. Des Moines and the case on length of students’ hair may need to divide the articles between two groups.

  1. As students read the articles, have them fill out the Iowa Civil Liberties Union: Cases of the 1960s and 1970s worksheet.
  2. Have each group briefly present their findings to the class.
  3. Discuss students’ reactions to these cases and brainstorm similar issues that exist today.

3. Iowa Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union today

a. For homework, have students research the ICLU and see what the cases they are doing today- as well as on a national level.
b. In the next class, explore what the students found.
c. American Civil Liberties Union
d. American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa website

 

Assessment:

Assessment will be based on the following:

1. Contribution to class discussions
2. Iowa Civil Liberties Union: Cases of the 1960's and 1970's worksheet
3. ACLU and ACLU-IA: Today worksheet

Enrichment/Remediation:

1. Provide students an outline to assist with reading the articles.
2. Have students participate in a mock civil liberties court case to further explore the arguments and the judicial system.
3. Further information on the Iowa Civil Liberties Union can be found in Freedom in Iowa: the role of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union by Edward Switzer Allen.

*Written by Sarah Dorpinghaus, University of Iowa Libraries, 2009