America Responds to Terrorism

Acts of terrorism continue to threaten national security. They present significant questions for all Americans and can raise deep concerns for your students.

Constitutional Rights Foundation has updated “America Responds to Terrorism,” a series of online lessons and resources designed for classroom use. We will continue to add lessons on issues related to these troubling times. Please click below for new resources:

  December 2015

Islamist Terrorism From 1945 to the Rise of ISIS   |  The Syrian Refugee Crisis and U.S. Policy: A Civil Conversation

Terrorism
What Is Terrorism? 
Terrorism: How Have Other Countries Handled It? How Should We?  
Islamist Terrorism From 1945 to the Rise of ISIS
The Aftermath of Terror (Oklahoma City Bombing) 
Talk Radio: Playground for Free Speech or a Forum for Hate? 

Reactions to Tragedy
Suggestions for Teachers
Traumatic Events—How Did You Feel? What Do You Think?   
Handling Controversy   
Reflecting on September 11
How Youth Can Help—Civic Action Project Suggestions
Civic Action Project—Project-Based Learning on Public Policy 

Information and Disinformation
Fact Finders—The Media During Times of Crisis  
Analyzing Rumors and Myths  
Conspiracy Theories: Attacks on Jefferson Set the Pattern
Press Freedom vs. Military Censorship (This lesson and others on the freedom and responsibilities of the press can be found in CRF's The Challenge of Information .)

Civil Liberties in Wartime
The Patriot Act: What Is the Proper Balance Between National Security and Individual Rights?  
Wartime and the Bill of Rights: The Korematsu Case  
Military Tribunals  
Lincoln and the "Writ of Liberty"  
The Palmer "Red Raids"  
A "Clear and Present Danger"  
The Alien and Sedition Acts: Defining American Freedom 
The Information Revolution: A Hypothetical Case  
Do We Need a New Constitutional Convention?  
War in Iraq

Islamic Issues
Origins of Islamic Law  
Blasphemy! Salman Rushdie and Freedom of Expression

International Law and Organizations
The United Nations: Fifty Years of Keeping the Peace 
Do We Need a Permanent International Criminal Court?  
Firestorms: The Bombing of Civilians in World War II

Terrorism Links
A comprehensive set of links to lessons, media sources, government sources, and information on the Middle East, Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, maps and geography, Islam, tolerance, think tanks, commentary, and other collections of links on terrorism.