Student Resources:

• Hoover Institution Videos & Video Viewing Guides
  • Prosperity
  • Economy
  • Freedom of Speech
• Optional Student Handout
• Explore Case Studies: Marketplace of Ideas Case Studies
• Glossary

Teacher Resources:

• Student Handout Answer Key

Glossary

• Prosperity
• Economy
• Supply
• Demand
• Market

Facilitation Notes

• Depending on the level of scaffolding needed for your students, consider distributing the video viewing guides for added support.
• When discussing the “marketplace of ideas” later in the lesson be sure to help students understand the following concepts: 
  • When competition exists, products compete and the demand for the superior product rises
  • Exercising First Amendment rights – or the free flow of ideas allows the marketplace of ideas to flourish.
    • This applies to corporations too when they develop innovation ideas
  • Bad ideas die of their own dead weight, while good ideas rise to the top.
    • This is exhibited by the free market of supply and demand.
• Depending on how much time you have to dedicate to this lesson, you could choose to do both case studies listed under the “Explore” section, or choose to just do one.

Anticipate

• Scaffolding Note: Prior to engaging with the videos and other aspects of the lesson, have students review and complete the interactive glossary.  Alternatively, focus on a term at a time just before it is introduced.  Notes of where in the lesson terms are introduced are provided throughout the lesson plan. 
• Optional:  Use the following activity if you have not yet defined and discussed Prosperity.
  • Have students watch the Prosperity video either independently or as a whole class.  Direct student attention to the focus questions: As you watch, think about what prosperity means or looks like to you and how it might be achieved. Students can record notes in their journal, notebook, or online.
    • Have students turn to a neighbor and share reflections. As a pair, students decide which focus question and response to share aloud with the class.
    • Allow students to share their reflections with the class.  Engage in class discussion as time allows.
    • Scaffolding notes:  
      • Glossary term(s): Prosperity
      • Use the viewing guides to create checks for understanding.  The questions from these guides could be added to a video editing tool such as Playposit or Edpuzzle.

Engage

Optional:  

• Use the following activity if you have not yet defined and discussed Economy.
• Scaffolding note: 
  •  Glossary term(s): Economy, Supply, Demand, Market
• Transition: Now that we have looked at what you think a prosperous life looks like, let’s consider what creates material prosperity in our society by learning about the economy. As you watch the Economy video, consider ways that you tell the economy what you want in a typical week.  
  • As students watch the Economy video they should record their ideas and reflections about the focus questions.  Students can record notes in their journal, notebook, online, or on the provided optional handout.
  • Allow students to share their reflections with the class.  Engage in class discussion as time allows.

Required:

• Transition: How can we work towards making a prosperous society? There are multiple factors that help create prosperity. One of them is allowing people to freely express their thoughts and ideas. As you watch the video, consider how this is important in creating prosperity for all.
• Display the following quote on the board or your LMS: 

  • “… the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas — that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market….”–Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.’s dissent in Abrams v. United States (1919). 

• Next to it, display the excerpt of the First Amendment on freedom of speech: 

• “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…”

• Transition: Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. served on the Supreme Court during the early 20th century. The case of Abrams v. United States considered the question of if the First Amendment protected an individual to pass out leaflets during wartime that encouraged workers in munition plants to strike. What do you think Holmes meant that the test of truth is the power of the thought to be accepted in the competition of the market? How does this quote relate to the video on Freedom of Speech and the excerpt of the First Amendment on freedom of speech? 
  • Have students turn to a neighbor and share reflections. As a pair, have students decide which response to share aloud with the class.
  • Allow students to share their reflections with the class.  Engage in class discussion as time allows.
• Students should understand that in a society that allows freedom of speech, people are able to freely “exchange” ideas and beliefs with each other in order to allow for the best one to “win” and be accepted by the general public rather than having a government censor select winners and losers.

Explore

• Scaffolding notes:
  • Suggested Reading Strategies:
    • Have students scan the text backward to look for words or terms they may not know. Have students create a list of the 4-5 top words the class needs to know to understand this article. Review the terms with student friendly definitions, invite students to create or find an image, then share related words to help students make connections between the new words and previously known words.
    • Chunk the text into smaller sections (ex. every paragraph). Put the text into a 2 column graphic organizer with the text in the left column and space for notes in the right column. After reading each section of text, have students interact with the text by asking questions, writing summaries, or making connections to previous knowledge or their own experiences.
    • Use a Pay Attention To list to help students focus any highlighting or other text coding.
• Transition: In order for prosperity to be widespread, businesses must be allowed to freely express new ideas. If these new ideas seem better to people, they will buy products or services from that business. This is how the marketplace of ideas plays out, and it leads to innovations that help develop new goods and services that will create greater prosperity, or make existing products more affordable. You’ve probably seen some examples online or in the news recently. Let’s do a short brainstorming exercise: Jot down some of the examples you’ve recently seen or heard about.
  • Allow students time to note some of these examples. Use sticky notes or a digital whiteboard to collect student ideas. Display student answers and discuss.
• Break students into two groups. Assign each group one of the case studies. They will become experts on that particular case study. After the determined time, students will pair up with a participant in the opposite case study. They will explain their case and discuss the guiding questions.
• Round 1 Case Study: Tesla
  • Distribute the articles regarding Tesla. Have students either individually or in groups answer the following questions:
    • How has Tesla innovated to bring about greater prosperity?
    • How is this an example of an idea entering the “marketplace of ideas”?
    • Are there any negative consequences of Tesla’s innovations? Explain your answer.
• Round 2 Case Study: The internet
  • Distribute the articles regarding the internet for students to read and analyze. Have students either individually or in groups answer the following questions:
    • How has the internet and its innovations brought about greater prosperity?
    • How is this an example of an idea entering the “marketplace of ideas”?
    • Are there any negative consequences of the internet and its innovations? Explain your answer.

Assess & Reflect

• Answer the following question: 
  • Think of something that is a commonplace in your life (internet, cars, planes, etc.). Imagine living before innovations created this good or service. What would be different about your life? Would you be more or less prosperous without it?

Extend

• Have students assume the perspective of a business (Apple, Nike, Google, Chick-fil-a etc.) and write a press release addressing how their product has been a positive innovation. Be sure to include how your business has brought about greater prosperity.