Curated OER
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Students debate the pros and cons of affirmative action. In a small group role play, students act as university admissions officers, making recommendations on admissions policy.
Curated OER
Revisiting Roe v. Wade
Young scholars explore the American anti-abortion movement's "incremental" approach to legislation; they then evaluate key decisions, regulations, and legislation from the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, to the present.
Curated OER
Michigan United Conservationists Club (M.U.C.C). v. Michigan Secretary of State: An Issue of Referendum
Students observe the procedures of the Michigan Supreme Court. They identify the processes and procedures being used. They debate a case that was presented to the Court and analyze the oral arguments of the case.
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Faces of the Bench
Students use primary source documents to gather information on justices in the Michigan Supreme Court. They write about the thoughts and experiences of the author. They identify and describe each justice briefly.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Texas v. Johnson
Which right does the Constitution weigh more heavily: the sanctity of the American flag as a symbol of national unity, or the right to burn the flag in protest? The 1989 Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson explores a...
Curated OER
The Juvenile Death Penalty
Sensitive material is discussed in this activity. Please review to ensure that the content is suitable for your class. The topic is the Eighth Amendment and how the U.S. Supreme Court makes determinations about what constitutes cruel and...
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Case Studies on the Sixth Amendment
Learners trace the historical background of the sixth Amendment to the Constitution. They identify the legal issues and legal arguments in the cases studied, and evaluate the court's decisions.
Pacific University Oregon
Civil Rights: US History
To gain an understanding of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, class members investigate the Jim Crow Laws, the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the US Constitution, and the 1898 Supreme Court case,...
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Advice And Consent - the Senate Considers the President's Supreme Court Nominations
Pupils study the process and questioning for selecting a Supreme Court Justice. They examine how the decisions of the Supreme Court effect the lives of citizens. They complete worksheets as they study the material.
Curated OER
Supreme Court Confirmation Process
Students examine the Supreme Court and the confirmation process. They simulate a confirmation hearing with students role-playing as nominees and others as members of the Judiciary Committee. Students compose short essays outlining the...
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Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 5
Students identify the process of writing a case brief. They analyze the case McCulloch v Maryland. After a lecture/demo, students utilize a case study worksheet imbedded in this plan to help them explain the process of performing a case...
Carolina K-12
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission & the First Amendment
Should Congress limit how much a corporation spends to support a political candidate? Here is a fantastic lesson plan and activities to help young citizens approach this question.
Anti-Defamation League
The Road to Brown
As part of the study of segregation in U.S. schools, scholars research and create a timeline of events that led to the historic Supreme Court case, Brown V. Board of Education. Groups research a topic or event that led to the decision,...
Heritage Foundation
The Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights
Did you know that lawmakers have proposed more than 5,000 bills to amend the US Constitution in Congress? Your class learns intriguing facts about the process of choosing amendments. A variety of activities including before and after...
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The Judicial Branch
In this social studies instructional activity, students investigate the job of Sandra Day O'Connor in the judicial branch of the U.S. government. Students answer 25 questions, completing sentences with words from the word bank. This page...
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Rights of the Accused: To Be Confronted with the Witnesses Against Him
Students take on the role of Supreme Court Justices, after reading summary of a case and the arguments for and against a defendant's appeal. They make a decision, write majority and minority opinions, and report their decision.
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Due Process of Law and the Jim Crow Era
Students analyze eight case studies of Supreme Court decisions regarding due process of law and their impact on American society in the early 20th century. They digest that although the 14th amendment was intended to give federal rights...
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Government
Students evaluate how the United States government has maintained a balance between protecting rights and maintaining order. They analyze the impact of Supreme Court decisions on governmental powers and the rights and responsibilities of...
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Integration of Education
Students explore the history of Civil Rights and how the struggle for Civil Rights and the Second Reconstruction, transformed society and politics in the United States in the 1950s. Then they identify why American Schools are integrated...
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Making An Appeal
Learners are introduced to factors involved in making an appeal in a court case. Students examine the appeals in two court cases and present arguments for both sides. Learners discuss the class decision and compare it to the actual...
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First Things First: Using the Newspaper to Teach the Freedoms of the First Amendment
Learners use the newspaper as a tool to make connections about what the five freedoms guarantee in the First Amendment. In this first amendment lesson plan, students analyze events in the newspaper to form conclusions about the freedoms...
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Schools of Thought on Segregation
Students read a New York Times article in order to explain how American courts and communities are dealing with the unanimous Supreme Court decision to end "separate but equal" education. They analyze how this affects the nation's youth.
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U.S. History
In this U.S. history worksheet, 5th graders complete multiple choice questions about important events in U.S. history. Students complete 5 multiple choice questions.
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Understanding the Significance of the Nationalization of the Bill of Rights
Eleventh graders study the impact of the Nationalization of the Bill of Rights upon criminal law. They analyze opposition to expansionist viewpoints that could possibly create more checks and balances on the state courts and analyze...