Project Requirements: For this project, you must select a position on a controversial topic resolution. As a class and as an individual, we will be entering The City Club of Cleveland Free Speech Essay Contest as a means of practicing the research and writing process. You will need to choose a position on their topic, for which you will research, write a 500-1000 word paper, and argue your respective position on the issue. At least four credible sources Grades 9-12 Resources must be collected and reviewed for your position and clearly cited in your paper. The essay itself will be formatted in MLA style and must include a works cited for your sources of information and/or opinion. In recent months there has been a lot of debate about Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in classrooms across America. The anti-CRT movement has inspired parents to voice concerns at school board meetings and state legislators to ban the use and teaching of CRT in K-12 classrooms. The legislation proposed in Ohio doesn’t name CRT directly, but it prohibits a set of concepts from being taught or used as content in professional development. A very similar law in Texas specifically prohibits the use of the New York Times’s 1619 Project in public school classrooms. What is at risk if this kind of legislation passes? Reflect on the important lessons you’ve learned at school about our national history. Are there specific aspects of our history that deserve more attention or something you think should not be taught at school? America prides itself on being a champion of free speech and a beacon of democracy. How would limiting what teachers can teach complicate our idea of freedom of expression? How would you recommend your state government address the ongoing debate over CRT and systemic racism?