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Class 7, 2/9 — Gun Control [Second Amendment]

Total Time Allotment: 60 minutes

Learning Outcomes and Goals:

1) Teacher will attempt to get the students more involved in conversation through the use role play and classroom debate.

2) Students will discuss the second amendment, its historical significance, and potential interpretations.

3) Students will generally understand the concept of the right to bear arms.

4) Students will consider the pros and cons of the right to bear arms in America, culminating in a class -wide debate with Teacher acting as Moderator and Mr. Shaw acting as Judge.

Methodologies Used: highlighted in yellow.

Needed Materials: paper, writing utensil, PowerPoint, Houston Chronicle campus carry handout, and laptops (provided by Mr. Shaw).

[5 minutes] Brief Recap of Last Class:

• 1st amendment freedom of speech (exceptions- fighting words, hate speech, defamation, incitement of illegal activity, child porn).

• Can freedom of speech go too far?

o Ex- members of a neo-nazi organization dressed in WWII German military uniforms want to conduct a parade/demonstration through a predominately Jewish neighborhood (some residents of which were in concentration camps or had family die in concentration camps).

▪ Should the government allow the group to have their parade?

▪ The court ruled that it would be protected under the 1st amendments right to freedom of speech.

• Pro- we all have freedom of speech; Con- we ALL have freedom of speech [even this guy—picture of Donald Trump]

[10 minutes] Pass out handout regarding campus carry- Houston Chronicle.

• Give the students 3 minutes to read through the article. Will use class discussion to come up with pros and cons regarding the new campus carry law.

• What are the concerns you see with campus carry?

o Stymied discussion in the classroom: do you really want to voice a different (perhaps controversial) opinion if the person sitting next to you is packing?

o Students who didn’t get the grades they wanted (disgruntled individuals)

o Some professors have withdrawn out of fear of guns in their classrooms.

o Would only add to the confusion if there was an armed school shooter situation.

o Some people consider it a “direct assault on our freedom of speech.”

• What are the potential benefits to campus carry?

o Campus safety is cited by supporters.

o Students carrying guns may feel safer.

o May help to prevent an armed school shooter situation.

Discuss new Open Carry Law in Texas and what it means. Ask students for their gut reactions. (Class discussion).

[40 minutes] Go into the text of the 2nd amendment. Have a student read it aloud. Q&A for different interpretations of the 2nd amendment. Debate Preparation:

- Have the class divide in half. One side of the classroom will be pro-guns and the other side will be anti-guns. Try to divvy the students up according to their actual beliefs if possible.

- The students will be given 10-15 minutes to research and formulate ideas and arguments for their side.

- Once the research period is over, I will act as moderator and Mr. Shaw will act as judge. I will ask questions and expect each side to respond and rebut the other side’s arguments. (real debate)

Issue #1: the 2nd amendment

- What does the 2nd amendment really mean? Who holds the right to bear arms?

- Has society changed since the 2nd amendment was passed? (1791)

- Has our technology changed? Should this matter? Rifles v. nuclear bombs or machine guns.

- What are ‘arms?’ Can they include such things as clubs, knives, bombs.

Issue #2: Public Safety

- What about public safety?

- Should we be concerned about increased gun violence?

- Should individuals be allowed to open carry guns if they are 21 and have passed the shooting test/background check?

Issue #3: Protecting the Innocent

- Why (or why not) allow guns on college campuses?

- What about past shooter attacks? Ex- UT Bell Tower

- What about allowing teachers to be armed (only)?

- Does the right to bear arms extend to elementary schools?

Issue #4: Psychological Evaluations

- Background, True Story: Charles Whitman takes a stockpile of guns and ammunition to the observatory platform atop a 300-foot tower at the University of Texas and proceeds to shoot 46 people, killing 14 people and wounding 31. Whitman killed both his wife and mother the night before. He was eventually stopped when courageous Austin police officers charged up the stairs of the bell tower to subdue him. Whitman, a former Eagle Scout and Marine, began to suffer serious mental problems after his mother left his father in March 1966. On March 29, he told a psychiatrist that he was having uncontrollable fits of anger. He purportedly even told this doctor that he was thinking about going up to the tower with a rifle and shooting people. Unfortunately, the doctor didn’t follow up on this red flag. On July 31, Whitman wrote a note about his violent impulses, saying, “After my death, I wish an autopsy on me be performed to see if there’s any mental disorders.” 

- Should individuals be required to pass a psychological evaluation before getting a gun? (Right now all that is needed is a background check)

- How would gun control or lack of gun control prevent these kinds of situations?

[2 minutes] Conclusion:

- There are good arguments for both sides. But what really matters is that you inform yourself of current situations and come up with your own ideas.

- Mr. Shaw will then choose which side he believes won the debate.

- Have all students hand in their research/idea papers for a grade.

- Tell the students that next class, they will be writing a short paragraph on what their take-away was and what their ideas on gun control are.

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