Skip to main content

The Press, Political Power and Protest: Examining New York Times v Sullivan

This high school lesson plan uses the New York Times v Sullivan film as a foundation for examining the Civil Rights Movement, Freedom of the Press, and the First Amendment. Students will compare front page headlines during that time, read an Eleanor Roosevelt newspaper column as well as an excerpt from Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, and analyze the “Heed Their Rising Voices” ad to understand the issues of the era, assess the free press’s role and impact on society, and evaluate the rights and responsibilities of citizenship that come with freedom of the press.

Download the Lesson Plan