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,...

Our elected officials are supposed to represent us, but what does it mean when they aren't like us? Budding citizens explore the demographic makeup of the US Congress, the role of money in political elections, and the Citizens United...

The ability to analyze an argument is a skill emphasized by the Common Core standards. Offer your class an opportunity to develop and hone their skills by providing them the testimonies in an Oregon court case. After reading the facts of...

Twelfth graders brief Supreme Court cases about student rights that they have studied over the past year, and apply them to a contemporary situation.

Ninth graders explore the Supreme Court Case Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier.  In this American Government lesson, 9th graders research the recent history of censorship and how the courts have been involved in either...

Students role play a case that involves a decision as to whether an action was a juvenile prank or an act of vandalism. They investigate the workings of determining certification of a juvenile to adult court.

Learners examine and discuss the judicial branch of the U.S. government. They define what a court is, list three characteristics of a trial court and an appellate court, and analyze various trial and appeal situations.

High schoolers explore the basic Constitutional protections of due process and then consider the balance of these basic protections with issues of national security. A variety of segments of U.S. Supreme Court cases are examined in this...

In this English worksheet, students read "God Awarded Victory in US Court Case," and then respond to 1 essay, 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.

Courtrooms are complicated. In addition to the many rules, there are a number of people whose jobs are not very clear to the casual courtroom observer. With the resource, individuals identify some of these roles and review more...

Explore the Fifth Amendment by examining the meaning of "public use" as learners read a scenario and role play their assigned parts to determine "public use." They also read Supreme Court Cases regarding the amendment and present their...

US history classes explore constitutional rights as they relate to court cases involving teens. Your class must already be familiar with the Bill of Rights before beginning this series of exercises. In preparation for a debate-style...

Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...

Use Nathanial Hawthorne's immortal text on the influence of religion on the early American settlements, as well as its continued impact on American culture, with a unit that focuses on The Scarlet Letter. In addition to Hawthorne's...

As part of a study of the Civil Rights Movement from 1868 to the present, class members examine first person narratives, the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, and other significant events in civil rights history....

Students examine warrantless searches and due process. In this Supreme Court instructional activity, students examine primary documents from Mapp v. Ohio and discuss the implications of the decision.

Students examine state rights and the commerce clause. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students examine primary documents from Gibbons v. Ogden and discuss the implications of the decision.

High schoolers examine checks and balances. In this Supreme Court activity, students examine primary documents from United States v. Nixon and discuss the implications of the decision.

Learners examine Miranda v. Arizona. In this court decisions lesson, students analyze the self incrimination case and read other supplemental articles about police procedures and due process. Learners discuss the Supreme Court decision...

Students examine the issues of slavery and due process. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Dred Scott v. Sandford and discuss the implications of the decision.

Eleventh graders examine the term precedent in the court system.  In this American Government instructional activity, 11th graders research various court cases in history.  Students create a study chart that shows comparisons...

Students explore the Missouri courts. In this primary sources lesson, students examine the Missouri court case Burden v. Hornsby as well as other primary documents and narratives relating to the case. Students analyze the case as they...

Students rewrite a traditional fairy tale to represent the viewpoint of the villain. They participate in a mock trial of that villain in which all regular court participants (judge, jury, defendant, witnesses, plaintiff, etc) play roles.