Spanish Fort Middle School 7th Grade Social Studies Advanced Placement Summer Assignment Due date: July 15, 2015 Scenario #2 The Board of Education of the Island Trees School District in New York directed the removal of nine books from the libraries of the Island Trees senior and junior high schools because, in the Board’s opinion, the books were “anti-­‐American, anti-­‐
Christian, anti-­‐Semitic, and just plain filthy.” Some books included were: The Fixer, Soul on Ice, Slaughterhouse Five, Go Ask Alice, The Best Stories by Negro Writers, and others. Four students from the high school and one from the junior high school sued the school district, claiming that the removal of the books was a violation of the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech. The main issue in this case that must be resolved is: Did the Board of Educations’ decision to ban certain books from its junior high and high school libraries, based on their content, violate the First Amendment’s freedom of speech protections? Questions to answer: 1. Research the Supreme Court Case Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982) a. Briefly summarize the important facts of the case. b. Provide a detailed explanation of the Supreme Court’s decision in the case. c. Explain whether you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision. 2. In the scenario above, you are the Judge hearing the case. You must come to a decision on the case’s main issue: Was the board’s decision to remove certain books from the school library in violation of the 4th Amendment of the Constitution? In developing your decision be sure to use the information from the Island Trees School District v. Pico case and your interpretation of the 1st Amendment. Things to think about: • Make sure you answer question 2 about the scenario – not the actual Supreme Court case. Use the Supreme Court case as a basis for your answer. • Research your facts carefully and be sure to double check the accuracy of your responses and use multiple sources. • In researching your facts on the internet, make sure to use reliable sources (online encyclopedias, trusted college professor web sites, and/or official historical society webpages. Do not use Wikipedia!) • The Supreme Court cases are online and can be researched with a simple Google search. Many sites provide an overly simplified explanation of the case so you should use multiple sources. • Cite your sources using www.mlaformat.org, www.easybib.com, etc. Adapted from Mr. Benvenuto, West Babylon Junior High School, NY