Oklahoma Social Studies USG.C.6.6
The Standard
- USG.C.6
- Explain how the Constitution of the United States of America preserves the equal protection of rights and liberties.
Explain how freedom of expression is an essential element of a constitutional republic by examining historic landmark Supreme Court decisions which have addressed and clarified individual rights under the First Amendment (e.g., Gitlow v. New York, Brandenburg v. Ohio, New York Times v. United States, and Texas v. Johnson).
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · USG.C.6
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain how court rulings protect political dissent and a free press, so people can challenge those in power. They use case facts to identify when the government can restrict expression.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can explain that Gitlow applied speech protections to states, even though his conviction stood. They can explain why flag burning is protected, why blocking publication in advance faces a heavy burden, and when advocacy of violence can be restricted.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think offensive protests lose protection or that Gitlow won his case. They may also assume any call for unlawful action can be punished, without considering whether it is intended and likely to cause imminent lawless action.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A state bans a flag-burning protest because residents find it offensive. Name the relevant ruling and explain why the ban would fail.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs fact cards and outcome cards for four cases; have them match each pair and underline the government action at issue.
Ask students: Why might a republic protect a protest that most voters find offensive? Use the flag-burning ruling in your answer.
Read scenarios about a state speech ban, flag burning, leaked papers, and calls for immediate violence; teams raise a case card for each.
Give students a sample city protest permit form; have them mark rules about location and any rule that singles out a message.
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Related Standards
- 2.C.1.6
Explain how individual liberties are protected by the Bill of Rights, using examples from the First Amendment.
- USG.C.6.8
Explain why due process rights are essential for the protection of individual rights and the maintenance of limited government by examining landmark Supreme Cou...
- USG.C.6.7
Analyze how the First Amendment protects religious freedom through both the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause by examining landmark Supreme Cour...
- USG.C.6.4.A
Explain how individual liberties are essential to the functioning of the United States of America constitutional republic society.
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