Second Amendment and Beyond: Pondering Gun Rights, Laws and Culture With the Trayvon Martin case, the recent school shooting in Ohio and the trial of Anders Behring Breivik in Norway, debate about guns and gun restrictions are in the news, and, perhaps, the subject of discussion in your classroom or home. Here are five ways to use The New York Times to teach about firearms. How do you address this topic with your students and children? Please share other ideas in the comment box below. Hold a Debate The topic of guns and gun laws gives rise to a number of debate-worthy questions. In fact, debating might be the easiest and most direct way to get into the topic. You might focus the debate on a specific element of a current event, or on broader questions like these: Students read relevant Times articles to prepare (PDF), then hold a structured debate. After the debate, students write argument essays drawing on the points they discussed during the debate. Examine Rights and Laws What is the basis for gun rights in the United States? Students examine the Second Amendment to the Constitution - and how it has been interpreted over the years - as well as federal and state laws. What laws do some activists want passed, amended or repealed, and why? Who does, and does not, have legal access to guns? How do legal loopholes enable some people to obtain guns illegally? Which types of handguns are most popular in law enforcement and among specific groups of gun owners? Students create a written guide or infographic to gun rights and laws, nationwide and in their state, designed to educate their peers. Look Back at History How have attitudes, policies and laws involving firearms evolved over the course of the nation's history? What major events and developments have helped to shape those views and regulations? Where have past presidents - and the 2012 presidential candidates - stood on gun rights? What role have individuals and organizations, like the National Rifle Association and JamesBrady, played in politics, policy and public opinion about firearms? Students research specific eras or events and how they resonated, then construct a timeline to show how attitudes and laws have changed over time. Compare With Other Countries What laws regulate guns in other countries? How and by whom are firearms used around the world? What types of groups, like militias, are armed? What correlations can you draw between various countries" gun laws and crime statistics there, compared with similar statistics in the United States? How are high-profile cases involving guns treated in the media and in popular culture around the world, in places like Norway? Students create infographics or annotated maps representing their findings. Create a Personal Project What are your personal associations with guns? Where do you stand on gun policy? What events involving guns have resonated with you, and in what ways? Students develop creative ways to express their feelings and views with respect to guns. Ideas include poems, short stories, monologues, fiction or documentary film treatments, one-act plays, comic strips, collages, illustrations, paintings, photographs and more. They then share their creations in a class event and discuss the range of perspectives and how students chose to express themselves. Related Learning Network Lesson Plans