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...
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

Brown v. Board of Education

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
You walk each day over 20 blocks to school as a 9-year old because the color of your skin does not allow you to attend a school in your own neighborhood. Scholars use the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education to investigate...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Mendez v. Westminster and Delgado v. Bastrop ISD

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
You arrive at school only to be told you have no place there. Scholars research the Supreme Court cases Mendez v. Westminster and Delgado v. Bastrop ISD, both dealing with school segregation. Two short video clips as well as small group...
Lesson Plan
Tidewater Community College

Assignment: The “Big Mac” Index

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Young economists learn about the method of predicting changes in the exchange rate with Big Macs in an instructional video. After an understanding the index, learners write a post on a discussion board and respond to class members' posts...
Worksheet
Reading Through History

Tulsa Race Riots

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
How did the 1921 riots in Tulsa start? Pupils read information about the riots that occurred in Tulsa. Following the reading, they answer multiple-choice questions and guided reading questions to help them along the way.
Worksheet
Reading Through History

Anti-Federalist Paper No. 47

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
The path to a more perfect union was rockier than most history books would lead you to believe. Young historians read “Antifederalist No. 47,” written by James Madison (under the pen name “Centinel”), which sharply criticizes the...
Worksheet
Reading Through History

Anti-Federalist Paper No. 3

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Who were the Anti-Federalists and what do primary sources tell young historians about their beliefs? Learners read Paper No. 3 to understand their values in relation to government, such as their discussion on foreign policy and the pros...
Worksheet
Reading Through History

The Federalist Papers: Federalist Paper No. 51

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
How did Federalists feel about the federal government? Learners search for the answers in the Federalist Paper No. 51, which discusses the powers of the presidency. Then, they answer various questions to test for their comprehension of...
Lesson Plan
Judicial Learning Center

How to Create a Law

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Laws affect everything from a scholar's favorite public park to rules in the classroom. Express the importance of lawmaking and teach how they relate to every facet of life with a resource on how a bill becomes a law.
Learning
Law Focused Education

Federalist — Anti-Federalist

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Deciding how to rule a nation is no easy task. Scholars use an online quiz to test their knowledge of Federalist and Anti-Federalist positions, ideas on the Articles of Confederation, and finish with questions on the United States...
Learning
Law Focused Education

Objection! Your Honor Game

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Objection! Scholars research the rules and regulations of trial law. Using a trial game simulation, class attorneys choose whether to object to questioning during various trial scenarios. Once objecting, they must also choose the...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Texas v. Johnson

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
If you saw a person burning an American flag, how would you feel? Scholars analyze the concept of freedom of expression and speech with the Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson. A short video clip creates open discussion in pairs on the...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

White v. Regester

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
One vote doesn't really matter, right? Class members investigate the concept of voter rights and restrictions using the 1973 Supreme Court case White v. Regester. They view a short video and work in pairs to analyze how people create...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Roe v. Wade

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
At what point does the right of privacy end and the government begin? Scholars research rights under the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. Using the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case as a starting point, along with small group work...
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
State Bar of Texas

Miranda v. Arizona

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
You have the right to remain silent—but why? Scholars analyze the nature of what has become known as the Miranda Rights. A short video along with paired group work and discussion opens the issue of the rights of the accused upon arrest....
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

Baker v. Carr

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Can the federal government override the state government to protect the citizens of the United States? The 1962 Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr outlines the issue of equal protection under the law. Scholars investigate with a short...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Hernandez v. Texas

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What if the jury is not made up of people from your ethnicity or background—are they still considered your peers? Scholars analyze the impact the Supreme Court case Hernandez v. Texas had on jury selection across the nation. Paired...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Sweatt v. Painter

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Is separate but equal actually equal? The 1950 Supreme Court case Sweatt v. Painter discusses the law of segregation and inequality. Scholars investigate the impact of the case on the desegregation of public schools across the nation...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Schenck v. US

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Freedom of speech is absolute—or is it? The Supreme Court case Schenck v. United States has learners research what free speech really looks like. A short video along with paired work creates open discussion and thought on what speech is...
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Plessy v. Ferguson

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Where did separate but equal originate and what does it mean? Scholars investigate the Supreme Court Case Plessy v. Ferguson. Using a short video clip, they analyze the impact the decision of legal segregation had on society in 1896....
Activity
US Institute of Peace

Simulation on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Why do Israel and Palestine have a history of conflict? Learners find out by participating in a simulation. They work through a scenario and take on one of 27–30 roles. They put themselves in the shoes of people from Israel, Palestine,...