+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing an Analytical Essay From a Supreme Court Case

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Critical thinkers read a summary of a United States Supreme Court case, including important background information and the court's final decision. They form an opinion in agreement or disagreement regarding the case and then write an...
+
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

The U.S. Supreme Court

For Students 6th - 12th
How do Supreme Court justices determine which cases to consider? What happens when the Supreme Court decides not to take a case?  The lesson explores important questions and others in the field of criminology. It focuses on the appeals...
+
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

State Courts vs. Federal Courts

For Students 6th - 12th
Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
School Improvement in Maryland

Analysis of Marbury v. Madison

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Should the United States Supreme Court have the power of judicial review? Instructors guide class members through a review of Marbury v. Madison and assist class members in writing a brief of the case. As independent practice,...
+
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Your Day in Court

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Whether out of choice or necessity, people want to know what will happen on a typical day in court. A helpful lesson walks scholars in the field of criminology through the trial process from opening statements to the final verdict. 
+
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Engel v. Vitale

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Can you bow your head and pray in school? Scholars investigate the issue of school prayer with the Supreme Court case Engel v. Vitale. A short video clip along with paired group work helps viewers form opinions on the matter. They answer...
+
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Mapp v. Ohio

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Do you have a search warrant? Scholars investigate the concept of illegal search and seizure through the eyes of the Supreme Court case Mapp v. Ohio. A short video clip along with paired group work opens discussion on the concept of how...
+
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Gideon v. Wainwright

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does a trial begin without a lawyer for the defendant? The 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright serves as the backdrop for the study of the rights of the accused. Scholars use a short video along with paired discussion and...
+
Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Snyder v. Phelps

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the protection of the Constitution when protesting military funerals? High schoolers examine the 2011 Supreme Court case of Snyder v. Phelps before comparing the situation to a fictional scenario of...
+
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Voting Discrimination and the Effects of Shelby County v. Holder

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Show young scholars that every vote counts as they debate the federal government 's role in protecting voting rights in historically racially discriminated areas. In the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder, the high court found...
+
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Wisconsin v. Yoder

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How far does freedom of religion truly go? The 1972 Supreme Court case Wisconsin v. Yoder introduces the concept of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. Individuals examine the case with a short video and open discussion. To...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Arizona v. United States — States and Immigration Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As part of a study of immigration law, class members read a summary of the Supreme Court case, Arizona v. United States. They then examine a series of examples and acting as federal court judges, must determine if the scenarios meet the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Court Cases Get Appealed

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and analyze two functional documents. They predict outcomes using prior knowledge and documents. Students draw conclusions about how court cases are appealed. They list the parts of a court case.
+
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Levels of the Federal Courts

For Students 6th - 12th
The Supreme Court gets all the glory, but very few federal cases make it to the highest court. An interesting lesson explores the structure of the lower levels of the federal court system. In addition to outlining the organization of...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Judicial Learning Center

Judicial Independence: What’s Wrong with This Court?

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Why is it important for judges to operate independently of politics or other branches of government? Scholars ponder the question as they examine video clips, case studies, excerpts of the US Constitution, and an interactive computer...
+
Worksheet
City University of New York

Analysis Worksheet: The Supreme Court Declares that the Constitution Does Not Protect Women's Right to Vote

For Students 9th - 12th
New ReviewIn this voting rights instructional activity, students read instructor-assigned pages about the Supreme Court decision that women did not have the right to vote and then respond to 3 short answer questions.
+
Worksheet
Reading Through History

The Slaughterhouse Cases

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Do modern citizens interpret the Fourteenth Amendment the way it was intended? Scholars study the Slaughterhouse Cases to see how judges interpreted the amendment in the 1800s. Following the reading on the subject, they answer...
+
Lesson Plan
iCivics

The “Supreme” in Supreme Court

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Does a public school have the right to restrict what t-shirts students wear? Discover what happened when this question was brought to the Supreme Court, and review other major cases in United States history involving judicial review....
+
Graphic
USA.gov

How The Supreme Court Works

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Just how does a case come before the highest court in the land? A graphic flow chart unpacks how plaintiffs come before the Supreme Court. Graphics include background on the nine justices and just how many cases they actually hear each...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Analyzing McCulloch v. Maryland

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What happened in the Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland? The resource teaches the specifics of the case with a video and provided discussion questions covering issues such as precedent and the Supreme Court as an equal branch of...
+
Activity
TTAC Online

Mock Trial

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
It's not as easy as it seems to put together a mock trial. Make that job easier by using this comprehensive resource. Teachers choose from a list of court cases that adapt to any class setting.
+
Worksheet
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Elections, Money, and the First Amendment

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Those who spend the most, win.  Academics read informational text, participate in group discussion, and defend campaign reforms to understand the correlation between money, the First Amendment, and election results. The resource explains...
+
Interactive
DocsTeach

Compare and Contrast: School Photographs

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Separate and very unequal! An interactive presents learners with two images: a photograph of a boys' bathroom at a school in Gloucester County, Virginia, and a second of a girls' bathroom at a different school in the same county. The...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 4: The Judiciary: A Brief Introduction to the Courts System

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Focusing on the judicial branch of government, the fourth lesson in this series explores the structure of the US courts system. Beginning with an engaging activity based on the short story The Lady or the Tiger, students go on to examine...

Other popular searches