Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court I: A Case of Racial Discrimination in the late 1800s and Minority Supreme Court Justices

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read the decision of the Michigan Supreme Court in the Ferguson v. Gies, a case dealing with discrimination in a restaurant. They participate in a class discussion about the case and the justices that presided over it. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Procedures of the Court

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the role of the Michigan Supreme Court. They diagram the procedure one must follow to bring a case before the Court. They discuss the order of business for oral arguments as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Be the Judge

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research and evaluate a case considered by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. They watch a Bill Moyers video, conduct a debate, and write about the decision they would make if they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights and the News

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students examine current news stories and from them develop "BIG" questions related to individual and group rights. They then relate their questions to the U.S. Constitution and supreme court decisions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Supreme Court Rulings

For Teachers 10th
Become familiar with the constitution and amendments with an in depth opportunity to utilize media center resources. Groups of students focus on an amendment then make a presentation to the class.
Lesson Plan
State Bar of Texas

Gibbons v. Ogden

For Teachers 8th Standards
Have you ever played the game Monopoly? Do you know what it takes to win the game correctly? Scholars research the nature of outlawing monopolies in the United States while controlling trade. They investigate the court case Gibbons v....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine federalism and judicial review. In this Supreme Court lesson, students examine primary documents from Marbury v. Madison and discuss the implications of the decision.
Interactive
2
2
Judicial Learning Center

Judicial Independence

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Most people support the idea of an independent judiciary in theory until they hear about a court case that violates their principles. An informative resource explains why the concept is important. It also provides scholars of criminology...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Dred Scott Decision

For Students 4th - 5th
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a passage about the Dred Scott Decision and answer questions about what they read. Students write 4 short answers.
Lesson Plan
Deliberating in a Democracy

Cyberbullying—Alternate Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Should schools be permitted to punish young scholars for off-campus cyberbullying? After reading a passage that details statistics about cyberbullying and Supreme Court rulings about schools' ability to limit student speech,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Just Say It

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explore the initial Supreme Court decision to regulate commercial speech, and then analyze the legal precedents and principles underlying a recent case contesting this regulation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Internment of Japanese-Americans

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students assess the significance of a watershed event in the political history of the United States . They identify events and issues associated with the internment of Japanese-Americans as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

School Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study the Bill of Rights. As a class, they create a "School Bill of Rights," with amendments. Students discuss the difference between rights and responsibilities and examine Supreme Court decisions dealing with the first...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hodgson v. Minnesota

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the role of and develop opinions of the court in weighing competing interests in making decisions. They examine the power of the courts and legislature to regulate constitutional rights.
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Voters and Judges

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the work on independent judiciaries. In this federal courts lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on details of federal cases. Students respond to discussion questions and participate in an activity...
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Voices of the Struggle: The Continual Struggle for Equality

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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....
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Brown v. the Board of Education: Success or Failure?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Desegregation does not mean equality. An eye-opening lesson focuses on the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision to end school segregation. Scholars review a series of political cartoons to understand how the public viewed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

For Teachers 10th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Revisiting Roe v. Wade

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students 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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Michigan United Conservationists Club (M.U.C.C). v. Michigan Secretary of State: An Issue of Referendum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Faces of the Bench

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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.
Activity
Administrative Office of the US Courts

Texas v. Johnson

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Juvenile Death Penalty

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Sensitive material is discussed in this lesson. 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...