Home > Landmark Library > West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the rights protected by the First Amendment.
  • Identify the main arguments put forth in the case.
  • Describe the Supreme Court's decision and rationale.
  • Identify the impact of the decision on the issue of student expression at school and individuals' rights.

Overview

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court’s decision that it was unconstitutional for a state to force students to salute the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Students learn how the interests of national unity and the protection of individual rights can sometimes clash. They also explore “Freedom of Religion” as outlined in the First Amendment as well as the Supreme Court’s interpretation of that right over time. This case overturned the Court's decision in Minersville v. Gobitas (1940).

Access engaging resources with an iCivics account!

Create your free iCivics account and discover standards aligned lessons and games that meet all of your instructional needs. Our nonpartisan classroom resources engage students with complex concepts in ways they can understand and relate to.

Tags

Pedagogy Tags
Mini-Lesson
History Connection
Tech Options
No Tech Required
Web browser
Integrations
Kami
PDF
State standards icon

View state standards alignment

Search State Standards

Use the Scope & Sequence to help you plan your iCivics classroom experience!

Whether you enjoy finding opportunities within a well-structured sequence of resources or prefer looking around for pieces and bits that can be jigsawed together, our Scope & Sequence documents are a perfect reference point for planning. Scope & Sequence documents are available for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and list all of our resources in one place.

View the Scope & Sequence