Project Adapt Webquest

Ms. Hairston

Students will reflect on their own ideas of liberty, and learn how to define and identify civil liberties. Through a historic case study involving the Pledge of Allegiance, students will analyze the balance between First Amendment rights in light of laws passed to increase citizenship, knowledge of our country and patriotism.

Do you ever wonder why we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

All across the United States in all schools the Pledge of Allegiance is recited every morning. The Pledge of Allegiance was first recited in 1892, the year it was first written. The author was Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister from New York. Bellamy was also a chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education in the National Education Association.

Public schools all around the country were preparing a celebration in honor of the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. Bellamy wanted a special celebration, and he wanted to center it around a flag-raising ceremony and salute. With this in mind, he wrote his pledge:

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

  1. Research the history of the Pledge of Allegiance.
  2. Short reflection writing about the meaning of “liberty and justice for all”.
  3. Use the American History Public Policy Analyst to guide your research.
  4. Define the terms civil rights and civil liberties
  5. Identify basic civil liberties
  6. Describe how the Supreme Court decided two cases when individual rights conflicted with laws passed by elected representatives, Minersville School District Vs. Gobitis (1940) and West Virginia State Board of Education Vs. Barnette (1943).

Step 1: Identify the Problem

Step 2: Gather the Evidence

Step 3: Determine Causes

Step 4: Evaluate the Policy

CATEGORY / 4excellent / 3verygood / 2satisfactory / 1poor
Organization / Information is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs and subheadings. / Information is organized with well-constructed paragraphs. / Information is organized, but paragraphs are not well-constructed. / The information appears to be disorganized. 8)
Quality of Information / Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples. / Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples. / Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given. / Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.
Graphic Organizer / Graphic organizer or outline has been completed and shows clear, logical relationships between all topics and subtopics. / Graphic organizer or outline has been completed and shows clear, logical relationships between most topics and subtopics. / Graphic organizer or outline has been started and includes some topics and subtopics. / Graphic organizer or outline has not been attempted.
Internet Use / Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance. / Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance. / Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance. / Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.

Social Studies

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

English Language Arts

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.