Activity
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: The Supreme Court: Biographies of the Robes: Harry Blackmun

For Students 9th - 10th
Biographical account of Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, appointed by Richard Nixon in 1970. He was best known for writing the opinion in the case of Roe v. Wade in 1973.
Activity
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: The Supreme Court: Biographies of the Robes: Felix Frankfurter

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS online resource for learning biographical details about the life and career of Supreme Court Justice, Felix Frankfurter, appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Supreme Court and the New Deal [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Read about the conflict between the laws and regulations that were passed during Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and the interpretation of the commerce clause by the Supreme Court. Roosevelt had a plan to change the Supreme Court. See...
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Supreme Court Orders Desegregation [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is from a unit called 'African-Americans in the Land of Equality.' It looks at the 1954 decision by the Supreme Court in the Brown v. Board of Education case that ended school segregation.
Handout
Illinois Institute of Technology

The Oyez Project: u.s Supreme Court Justices

For Students 9th - 10th
A listing of the past and present members of the Supreme Court, with links to extensive biographical information about each justice.
Article
Backstory Radio

Backstory Radio: Scales of Justice: A History of Supreme Court Nominations

For Students 9th - 10th
BackStory Radio episode discussion of the Supreme Court nomination process past and present exploring media influence and whether or not the process has become more politicized. No audio; transcript only.
Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

For Students 9th - 10th
This Supreme Court case dealt with the issue of contraception. View the the Supreme Court opinion as delivered by Justice Douglas.
Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Gitlow v. New York (1925)

For Students 9th - 10th
This Supreme Court case involved the subject of criminal anarchy. Read the complete text of the opinion delivered by Justice Sanford of the Supreme Court.
Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: Powell v. Alabama (1932)

For Students 9th - 10th
Features the full text of the opinion delivered by Justice Sutherland of the Supreme Court. This case involved the issue of due process of law.
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Supreme Court Nominations

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson teaches the fundamentals of Supreme Court Justice nominations and helps learners understand the politics behind the nominations.
eBook
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Classroom: The Pursuit of Justice

For Students 9th - 10th
This book analyzes 30 Supreme Court cases chosen by a group of Supreme Court justices and leading civics educators as the most important for American citizens to understand. An additional 100 significant cases included in state history...
Activity
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: The Supreme Court: Landmark Cases: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS provides a detailed overview of the landmark Supreme Court case of Griswold v. Connecticut which dealt with the right to marital privacy. The opinion was written by Justice William Douglas.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Meet the Judge!

For Teachers 3rd
[Free Registration/Login Required] An biographical text about Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic American Supreme Court Justice. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Activity
Other

Supreme Court Historical Society: Anthony M. Kennedy

For Students 9th - 10th
This Supreme Court Historical Society page provides a brief biography and photo of current Supreme Court Justice, Anthony M. Kennedy. The site includes links to more Supreme Court information.
Activity
Other

Supreme Court Historical Society: Clarence Thomas

For Students 9th - 10th
This Supreme Court Historical Society webpage contains a brief biography and photo of current Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Article
A&E Television

History.com: 7 Things You Might Not Know About the Us Supreme Court

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out seven surprising facts about how the nation's highest court works and how it's changed over the years.
Handout
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Supreme Court History: Expanding Civil Rights: Roe v. Wade (1973)

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS' series on the Supreme Court covers several landmark cases, perhaps the most controversial of which is Roe v. Wade. Read about the case here, the reasons for the ruling that was made, and the exceptions to the ruling.
Handout
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Supreme Court Landmark Cases: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

For Students 9th - 10th
From a PBS series about the Supreme Court, Plessy v. Ferguson is considered one of the landmark cases in the court's first 100 years. Read about the background of this important case, read about the thinking of the majority of the court...
Website
Social Studies for Kids

Social Studies for Kids: The Supreme Court

For Students 9th - 10th
The Supreme Court is the highest in the land. It has nine members and decides whether laws are unconstitutional. It handles appeals from federal courts or state supreme courts. Learn more about how it works and some famous Justices.
Article
NPR: National Public Radio

Npr: Sotomayor Sworn in as Supreme Court Justice

For Students 9th - 10th
A news report dated August 8, 2009 describes the swearing-in ceremony for Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. It also provides background and insight on the significance of her nomination.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Supreme Court Decides [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
An explanation of the Supreme Court decision in 1911 that broke up the monopoly of Standard Oil, charged with unreasonable restraint of trade. Read commentary that claimed that the decision did not really increase competition in the oil...
Website
Georgetown University

Georgetown Law Library: u.s. Supreme Court Nominations

For Students 9th - 10th
Exhaustive web site from Georgetown University that contains a large number of resources for researching U.S. Supreme Court nominations. The nomination and confirmation process, biographies and bibliographical information are...
Handout
PBS

Pbs News Hour: Highlights of Supreme Court Nominees

For Students 9th - 10th
From NewsHour's report of the nomination of John Roberts, a historic look at past and noteworthy U.S. Supreme Court nominees.
Handout
Scholastic

Scholastic: Bios of the Supreme Court Justices

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Short biographical sketch of each current member of the US Supreme Court.