High School is the perfect time for students to begin to explore their own thoughts about censorship and banned books, especially as they deal with their own issues of being censored. Below are some suggested activities and resources to use with students at the high school level.

Page created by Lisa Bunag

Suggested Activities for high school students

  1. Book of Choice - Have students read a book that they choose on their own with the stipulation that the book must be either banned or challenged in the past. Give them a list or access to ALA's Frequently Challenged Books website.
  2. Research - Students create a research project after doing extensive research on an author or book that has been challenged or banned. Culminating project could take the form of a formal research paper, a presentation, or a multimedia project.
  3. Letters to the Editor - Practice letter writing skills by having students write letters to the editor of the local newspaper concerning banned books week. Provide extra points for anyone who mails their letter to the paper or has their letter published.
  4. Debate - Divide the students into groups. Have one side argue for censorship or banning (either in general or for a particular book) and have the other side argue against censorship or banning. 
  5. Cultural Context - Have students research why a book was challenged during a particular time period. They should understand what was happening at the time that would lead to a challenge of that particular book.
  6. Geography - Have students map out challenged books across their state or nation.

Resources for High School

Please click the buttons below to access the activities and resources.
Listen to this great podcast about Banned Books Week which includes book recommendations for High School readers.
How many of these books have you read? A look at the top 100 banned and challenged books between the years 1990-2000.
Several popular authors sound out against censorship!