From Bills to Books: How Laws Shape Learning and Free Speech

Schools have become flashpoints in today’s political landscape, with teachers and students often caught in the crossfire. Across the U.S., lawmakers have introduced over 200 bills that aim to restrict or change how educators discuss topics like race, American history, gender, and sexuality; limit student access to certain books; or expand parental control over curricula. According to The Washington Post, 64 of these bills have been signed into law across 25 states.

WHY IT MATTERS:
Books and free speech are deeply connected. Books serve as a powerful vehicle for expressing diverse ideas, sharing knowledge, and challenging societal norms. The freedom to write, publish, and read ensures a healthy democracy where individuals can explore different perspectives and form informed opinions. Censorship and book bans threaten this freedom by narrowing the range of ideas accessible to the public and limiting public discourse.

SRL wants to hear from students about their experiences and opinions on what they are allowed—or not allowed—to learn and read at school.

STUDENTS WILLS BE ABLE TO:

• Explain the role of books in promoting free speech and how they’ve historically challenged norms and authority.
  
  
• Analyze examples of book censorship, including the reasons and impacts on free expression and public dialogue.
  
  

Reflect on the importance of protecting the freedom to access and engage with diverse ideas through books.

Begin with a class discussion: What does “free speech” mean to you? Why is access to information important?
Introduce the idea that books are more than stories—they are tools for free expression and social change.

Note: According to PEN America, over 1,600 books have been banned from schools in recent years.

Historical Context:

Provide a brief overview of the history of book censorship in the U.S. and globally. Highlight key examples, such as the banning of 1984 by George Orwell and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Discuss the reasons why these books were challenged or removed, such as political ideology, racial themes, or portrayals of violence—and the broader societal impact of limiting access to such works.

Investigate and report on a change to education in your community. Focus on one of the following:

• A new school board policy
  
• A banned or challenged book
  
• A recently passed state law affecting curriculum or student expression

Research what’s happening in your state or community. PEN America maintains a list of proposed and approved legislation and policies aimed at censoring schools.

• Profile (2-4 min. long): A profile is the story of one person. It has voiceover (VO), b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), interviews of family members or peers of that one person. Here’s an example of a profile.
• Explainer (2-4 min. long): A video explaining a concept. Often it includes a host/narrator speaking directly to the camera. The tone could be serious, funny, or informative. Here’s an example of an explainer.
• News package (3-5 min. long): Video stories about newsworthy issues and topics. A news package has factual information, balanced reporting, research, voice overs, multiple interviews soundbites, b-roll footage. It may also include things like infographics, a reporter standup, nats (natural sound from filming b-roll). Here’s an example of a news package.
• NAT package (2-4 min. long): A video story guided by the natural sound from interviews and the environment where you’re filming. Natural sound, commonly known as “NAT sound,” puts the viewer in the place the story was told by enhancing the scene(s) with video containing rich audio such as a musician singing at a train station, a storm approaching, or the sound of a tractor plowing the field. This kind of story would often not have a voiceover narration. Here’s an example of a nat package.
• Audio/podcast story: (3-5 min. long): Create a short audio story. Check out SRL’s video about how to record audio, and these resources from NPR training about how to make an audio story.

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Resources For Covering Prompt Topics