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The First Amendment

Five freedoms, one afternoon

Forty-five words that do an enormous amount of work. One session, the text itself, and three cases that show where the line actually is.

James Okada

Instructor

Mr. James Okada

American History & Civics

New this term. Reviews from students and parents appear here once families have taken it.

Overview

A single meeting, ideal as a first taste of the Lyceum. Students read the amendment, then work through three short case summaries that put the abstract principle under pressure.

Ages & grades
Ages 12–18 · Grades 7–12
Live meetings
1 × 60 min
Cadence
Once a week · 1 weeks
Structure
Join any week · ungraded

Come and go as it suits you

Every meeting of this class stands on its own. Nothing in week six assumes week five, so a student can join in the middle, take the four weeks that fit around a busy month, and stop when they want to. There is no catching up to do, because there is nothing to be behind on.

That is also why there is no grade here and no such thing as an incomplete. The record keeps what actually happened: the meetings attended live and the recordings watched. A student who came to three meetings has a record of three meetings, not a failure.

What students will be able to do

  • Recite and parse the text of the amendment
  • Distinguish the five protected freedoms
  • Apply the text to three real disputes
  • Explain why hard cases are hard

Syllabus

  1. Single session

    Text and cases

    The amendment read closely, then three cases argued in small groups.

Books & materials

  • Case summaries

    Odysseus Lyceum

    Supplied at no cost.

Prerequisites

None. Any student in the age range can enroll.

How this course handles its perspective

Doctrinal and text-first. Contemporary controversies are used as examples, never as advocacy.

Read our academic philosophy

Recording policy

Meetings are recorded and released to enrolled families for fourteen days. Recordings capture the instructor and shared materials; student video is not published.

Cancellation & refunds

Full refund up to seven days before the first meeting; inside seven days, everything paid is credited to your Lyceum balance. No refunds or credits once the class has begun. Cancel any section from your parent account.

Learner support

  • ADHD-aware instruction
  • Gifted & accelerated

These describe how this instructor has been trained, reviewed with educators and accessibility specialists. They are not a diagnosis and not a marketing claim.

Ratings & reviews

Students and parents review separately, on different questions, and the two aggregates are never blended. Every review is verified and moderated.

    No parent reviews for this class yet.

    Reviews from students are published as “Student, age 13”, never with a full name. Photo and short video reviews are supported and moderated before they appear.

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