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1st Amendment

Total questions: 47

Worksheet time: 56mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following are true?

a)

The First Amendment prohibits government officials from establishing an official religion.

b)

The First Amendment restricts government officials from interfering with an individual's exercise of his or her religious beliefs.

c)

Both of the above

d)

None of the above

2.

Which of the following categories of speech is never protected by the First Amendment?

a)

Expression intended and likely to incite imminent lawless action

b)

"True threats"

c)

Clear and immediate threats to national security

d)

All of the above

3.

Which of the following categories of speech is never protected by the First Amendment?

a)

Use of racial epithets

b)

Ridiculing a person's ethnicity

c)

Speech that demeans a person's gender

d)

Speech that violates a person's legal right to privacy

4.

True or false: While the First Amendment restricts their authority to actually censor the press, government officials must be permitted to simply read or view highly controversial news stories before a commercial newspaper or TV station publishes or airs them for the general public.

a)

True

b)

False

5.

The free exercise clause is best defined as which of the following?

a)

A provision of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from interfering with someone’s ability to practice their religion

b)

A provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits governments from depriving a person’s life, liberty, or property without due process of law

c)

A provision of the First Amendment that prohibits the federal government from making an official American religion

d)

A provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits governments from denying any person within their jurisdiction equal protection under the law

6.
Schools can censor the contents of the school newspaper if they express an opinion that the administrators don’t like and that is likely to cause a disruption on campus.
a)
True
b)
False
7.

Timmy does not like a law that the state legislature has passed. He decides that he will petition the state because of this. A few days after he sends his petition, his arrested for his petition. What amendment protects Timmy?

a)

2nd Amendment

b)

1st Amendment

c)

5th Amendment

d)

3rd Amendment

8.

As it relates to the 1st Amendment what is the of RAPPS

a)

Rules, Assembly, Petition, Press, Speech

b)

Religion, Assembly, Petition, Press, Speech

c)

Religion, Assembly, Petition, Protest, Speech

d)

Religion, Authority, Petition, Press, Speech

9.

What was the issue in Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)?

a)

The students and parents sued the school district claiming a violation of their first Amendment right of freedom of speech.

b)

The school district wanted to search the bags of the students.

c)

The parents did not want their children wearing black arm bands in school.

d)

The students felt that their freedom of religion was violated.

10.

Why did John & Mary Beth Tinker and Chris Eckhardt wear black arm bands?

a)

To Protest the war in Vietnam.

b)

They disagreed about taxes.

c)

To protest the 4th amendment.

d)

To support WWII veterans.

11.

What was the school's response to the students wearing the black arm bands?

a)

The school supported the students.

b)

They suspended the students.

c)

School officials made extras so other students could participate.

d)

The students were arrested without trial.

12.

What was the Supreme Court's response to siding with the students and parents?

a)

The first amendment is irrelevant to this case.

b)

Parents and students have a stronger say in decisions than schools.

c)

Students have unlimited rights in expression.

d)

Students and teachers don't shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression.

13.

When can a school limit student speech?

a)

When the act fails the "disruption test".

b)

When the expression offends the teacher.

c)

When parents get annoyed.

14.

Which amendment provides protection to citizens against the following scenario?


The United States is involved in a war. Students who oppose the war wear black armbands to their public school. The school has a policy against wearing them. The school's principal says the policy against wearing them is to avoid arguments or fights between students who support the war and those against the war.


Do the students have a right to wear the black armbands?

a)

Amendment 1

b)

Amendment 2

c)

Amendment 3

d)

Amendment 4

e)

Amendment 5

15.

Allows citizens to have the right to

speak

a)

Freedom of Assembly

b)

Freedom of Press

c)

Freedom of Religion

d)

Freedom of Speech

e)

Right to Petition

16.

Allows citizens to worship freely

a)

Freedom of Assembly

b)

Freedom of Press

c)

Freedom of Religion

d)

Freedom of Speech

e)

Right to Petition

17.

gives citizens the right to access different sources of information or broadcasts

a)

Freedom of Assembly

b)

Freedom of Press

c)

Freedom of Religion

d)

Freedom of Speech

e)

Right to Petition

18.

gives citizens the right to formally ask for government changes

a)

Freedom of Assembly

b)

Freedom of Press

c)

Freedom of Religion

d)

Freedom of Speech

e)

Right to Petition

19.

gives citizens the right to gather in groups

a)

Freedom of Assembly

b)

Freedom of Press

c)

Freedom of Religion

d)

Freedom of Speech

e)

Right to Petition

20.

Which of the following is an exception to First Amendment

protections and could land journalists in legal trouble?

a)

Publishing obscenity

b)

Publishing the names of minors

c)

Publishing private facts about someone that are a matter of public concern

d)

Publishing classified government documents that may lead to a souring of relations between the United States and another country

21.

Which statement best describes journalists’ ability to take video or

photographs in public places?

a)

Journalists can be sued for invasion of privacy for taking video or

photographs of anyone in a public places, because such activities

are considered trespassing.

b)

Professional journalists can take video or photographs of anyone in

public places, but non-professional journalists cannot.

c)

Journalists face certain criminal charges if they take video or

photographs of children in public

d)

No one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in public places, so

anyone has a First Amendment right to take video or photographs

of anyone else in public.

22.

To successfully recover damages for defamation, what must a public

official or public figure do?

a)

Prove that the press had a grudge against him or her.

b)

Prove that the press gathered information negligently.

c)

Prove that the press published false information with reckless

disregard for the truth or falsity of that information.

d)

Simply prove that the publication damaged his or her

reputation.

23.
Bart is ticked off. To make time for more standardized testing, the public school he attends has decided to reduce recess to three minutes a day. To protest the school's decision, he publishes a one- page flyer that says "Recess Rules! Standardized Testing Drools." As he has seen many other community activists do before, he takes his flyers to the town square, where he peacefully offers copies to passerby. Which of the following acts probably violates his First Amendment rights? 
a)
A police officer politely orders Bart to stop distribution and go home 
b)
A local merchant, an ardent support of standardized testing, angrily rips the flyers out of Bart's hands and shreds them 
c)
Bart's mother, embarrassed by the all the hullabaloo, confiscates the flyers and grounds him for two weeks 
d)
All of the above 
24.
Which of the following are true statements?
a)
The First Amendment prohibits government officials from establishing an official religion 
b)
The First Amendment restricts government officials from interfering with an individual's exercise of his or her religious beliefs 
c)
Both statements are true
d)
Neither statement is true
25.
A local 14-year-old girl was recently found guilty of masterminding a dog-knapping ring, which had shaken the community for months. Though the legal proceedings were closed to the public because she was charged as a minor, a trusted source has confirmed that the judge today sentenced the girl to four years in a juvenile detention center. You are the editor of the community newspaper who must decide how to cover the story. Which of the following options would the First Amendment protect?
a)
Because the girl is a minor and the proceedings were closed to the public, you choose not to publish the story.
b)
You publish the story with accurate details of the crime and the girl's sentence but, because she is a minor, you withhold her name. 
c)
You run the story with accurate details of the crime, her sentence, her name and a photo of her entering court with her parents. 
d)
All of the above options are legal. 
26.
Betty is upset with her public school's proposed new dress code policy. She writes a column in which she explains why she opposes the policy. In the column, she criticizes the principal for using inaccurate statistics to support his position and urges her classmates to contact the school board to urge them to vote against the policy. Which of the following would be protected by the First Amendment?
a)
Using her home computer, Betty posts the column on her personal Web site. 
b)
Betty publishes the column on a flyer that she created at her mom's office. She offers the flyer to classmates as they enter school in the morning. 
c)
Betty includes the column as part of a press release that she sends to local media. Following an interview with a local TV station, her comments criticizing the school policy and the principal are seen throughout the community. 
d)
The First Amendment protects all of the above. 
27.

Freedom of Expression means

a)

You can say whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want!

b)

You can yell fire in a crowded theater.

c)

U.S. citizens are able to express themselves freely without fear of government interference or persecution. Print and Electronic Media are also protected from censorship by the government.

d)

The government can ban you from doing the Macarena.

28.

Libel is defined as

a)

defaming someone's character or hurting someone's reputation with false information in print.

b)

defaming someone's character or hurting someone's reputation by speech.

29.

Slander is defined as

a)

defaming one's character or hurting one's reputation with false information in speech.

b)

defaming one's character or hurting one's reputation with false information in print.

30.
Guarding against the government from interfering in the practice or exercise of any religion is what?
a)
Establishment Clause
b)
Religious Clause Part 1
c)
Free Exercise Clause
d)
Religious Clause Part 2
31.

Check ALL that are correct. What rights or freedoms are protected by the First Amendment?

a)

freedom of speech

b)

freedom of religion

c)

freedom of assembly

d)

freedom of the press

e)

freedom to petition the government

32.

Legally, publishing deliberate untruths is called...

a)

slander

b)

libel

c)

lying

d)

label

33.

The opposite of press freedom is...

a)

censorship

b)

charging for news feeds

c)

media competition

34.

Which of the following is covered under symbolic speech?

a)

Writing a false claim about someone.

b)

Burning a U.S. flag.

c)

Yelling fire into a crowded room when their is no fire.

d)

Making a false claim about someone

35.

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how the federal government can restrict protected speech under the First Amendment?

a)

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) makes a rule banning newspapers from publishing political cartoons that negatively depict political officials

b)

Congress passes a law banning the sale of violent games to children under the age of 12

c)

Congress passes a law that criminalizes depictions of a person using drugs like marijuana

d)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) makes a rule requiring television networks to use an automated beep when a vulgar word is said on broadcast television

36.

Based on previous rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment?

a)

A woman is arrested for yelling racial slurs at a group of children as they are walking to school

b)

A teenager is arrested for shouting “Bomb!” in an airport and pointing to his friend’s bag, causing people to panic

c)

A public school district requires students to recite a non-denominational prayer at the start of the school day

d)

A man is charged with a crime for displaying an American flag with a taped peace symbol on it

37.

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how a state can reasonably restrict speech protected under the First Amendment?

a)

A group of workers is arrested for picketing on the sidewalk outside a restaurant during the day, claiming that they are paid less than the minimum wage

b)

A man is arrested after organizing a protest against a new sanctuary city law proposed by his state legislature

c)

A woman is arrested for wearing a shirt that says “End military involvement in the Middle East

d)

A group of protesters is arrested after staging a sit-in on the governor’s front lawn to protest a Voter ID law

38.
What does KKK stand for? 
a)
Klo Kluck Klan 
b)
Ko Klu Klan 
c)
Ku Klux Klan
d)
Kou Kluk Klen 
39.
Students don't shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech at the "schoolhouse gate."
a)
Tinker v. Des Moines
b)
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
c)
D.C. v. Heller
d)
U.S. v. Nixon
40.
Jane is a student in a public elementary school. Every day before lunch, her teacher instructs the class to remember to say grace before the meal.
a)
Amendment 3
b)
Amendment 7
c)
Amendment 1
d)
Amendment 10
41.
A person decides to write a petition to stop a waste water treatment center from building near his/her town. What amendment are they exercising?
a)
1st Amendment
b)
3rd Amendment
c)
7th Amendment
d)
2nd Amendment
42.
Which Amendment allows for citizens to peacefully gather and protest the government?
a)
13th Amendment
b)
4th Amendment
c)
3rd Amendment
d)
1st Amendment
43.

Brett’s science teacher asks the class to exchange papers to correct last night’s homework. Brett refuses to let anyone except the teacher see his homework paper, and is sent to the principal.

a)

No Violation

b)

1st Amendment

44.

John, a fourteen year old public school student, wears a shirt to school that says “Be happy, not gay” to express his belief that homosexuality is wrong. His dean tells him he must change his shirt or be suspended from school. John refuses, and is suspended for a week.

a)

No Violation

b)

1st Amendment

45.

Thirteen year old Marianne is a freshman in high school. She is an honor student and wants to sing in the choir. When she arrives at choir practice, the teacher tells her she must take a drug test if she wants to participate in any extra-curricular activities. Marianne refuses and is kicked out of choir

a)

1st Amendment

b)

No Violation

46.

Elizabeth is twelve years old. Her parents are very religious, but she is not. Once a week, Elizabeth’s parents make her come with them to their place of worship. Elizabeth always says she does not want to go, but her parents make her come with them anyway

a)

1st Amendment

b)

No Violation

47.

Which of the following is the best example of a thesis which supports the 1st amendment in a total aspect.

a)

The 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the freedoms that many consider to be the essence of America. The five freedoms guaranteed by the 1st Amendment are speech, press, religion, assembly and petition.

Collectively, these are sometimes referred to as freedom of expression.

b)

While some people argue that people don't have basic rights, the first amendment does an amazing job at protecting the people's rights from the government from tyranny by giving people freedom of speech, religion, and freedom of petition.