Duration:
45 / 90 minutes
Suggestion:
Upper secondary school students
You are the facilitator of this lesson. You know your group best and understand how to conduct the class most effectively. This lesson is only a suggestion – we encourage you to expand, modify, or deliver it in a different format!
Objectives:
- The student knows the legal foundations of freedom of assembly in Poland and the European Union and understands their significance for the functioning of a democratic society.
- The student can explain the rules for organizing and participating in assemblies, as well as identify the rights and responsibilities of both organizers and participants.
- The student recognizes historical and contemporary examples of assemblies that have influenced social or political change.
- The student can develop and present guidelines for safe and responsible participation in an assembly.
- The student understands the role of freedom of assembly in a democratic state.
WARM-UP
Activity:
At the beginning, you can ask the question: What comes to mind when you think of freedom of speech? You may write the students’ associations on the board.
Explain that freedom of speech is the right to express opinions, beliefs, and information freely, but it is not an absolute right – it is subject to limitations, for example, to protect other people, public order, or national security. Emphasize that freedom of speech is one of the fundamental human rights, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Poland (Art. 54) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Art. 19).
You can also introduce an analogy: Imagine you are at an open mic event – anyone can step on stage, take the microphone, and say what they think: praise something, criticize, tell a joke, or address an important topic. Freedom of speech is precisely this right – you can step on stage and express your thoughts and feelings. No one should punish you for it, but there are rules of the venue:
You cannot:
- Insult other people based on who they are (e.g., their race, religion, or sexual orientation);
- Incite violence (e.g., “let’s go and do something to them!”);
- Spread false information that could harm someone (e.g., that bleach cures cancer);
- Shout “fire!” without reason, as it could cause panic and chaos.
Questions for students:
- Should everyone be allowed to speak?
- Can someone be removed from the stage if they start insulting the audience or inciting violence?
- What is the difference between a strong opinion and a verbal attack?
- Where does a “sharp joke” or “criticism” end and hate speech or verbal abuse begin?
- Does having the opportunity to take the microphone give you greater responsibility?
- If we know that someone who wants to take the microphone has previously engaged in hate speech, can we prevent them from speaking?
SCENARIO EXERCISE
Decision-making game: "Voice of Reason"
During the game “Voice of Reason”, students take on the role of moderators of a fictional social media platform, where they evaluate which content still falls within the limits of freedom of speech and which crosses that boundary.
Open the presentation AVAILABLE HERE – it contains slides with posts published on the social media platform. After each slide, you will find an explanation of whether the post falls within the scope of freedom of speech or if it constitutes hate speech, manipulation, or abusive language.
After displaying each slide, ask the students what they think about the presented post.
INSPIRATION
Real-life and pop culture examples – how to exercise freedom of speech?
Social campaigns promoting responsible use of freedom of speech (e.g., “Ogarnij hejt”, “Stop Hate Campaign”).
Ask students to provide other examples from pop culture or the media.
REFLECTIONS AND SUMMARY
Questions for the class
- Does freedom of speech mean that you can say everything you think
- How can criticism be distinguished from hate speech?
- How should we react when we witness an abuse of freedom of speech
- How can we defend our own freedom of speech and that of others?
- Why is responsibility for one’s words important in a democratic society
- What are the consequences of a lack of responsibility for words on the internet and in public life?