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...

What do slaves fighting for their freedom on board a ship and a slave fighting for his freedom in a courtroom have in common? Budding historians investigate the two different cases of the Amistad slave revolt and the Dred Scott argument....

Who decides someone is not a real person? Scholars investigate the Dred Scott v. Sandford court case which deals directly with slavery and citizenship. After viewing a short video clip, classmates work in pairs to assess and discuss the...

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...

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....

Freedom of speech allows anyone, even those in school, to say and do what they feel—right? The 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines serves as the backdrop for a study on First Amendment rights. Scholars use a short video along...

Do the government's affirmative action policies promote equity in the United States? The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and affirmative action policies come under scrutiny in an activity that asks class members to...

Learners take a closer look at historical relations between the United States and Mexico. In this Texas annexation lesson, students examine primary documents authored by Zachary Taylor, James Polk, and Abraham Lincoln to consider why the...

What is the difference between the federal court and state court systems? What about criminal versus civil cases? Check out this resource that will offer your class members a general and effective overview of the judicial branch in the...

Students examine the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. president and their own roles as citizens of a democracy. They explore various websites, listen to a State of the Union address, and write a letter to the President of the...

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..." These familiar lines begin the Preamble to the Constitution, but do learners know what they mean? A close reading exercise takes a look at the language of the...

Supreme Court justices debate the meaning of the US Constitution, but we expect teachers to explain it to scholars with far less training and experience. A daunting task for sure, but it's not insurmountable with resources that simplify...

High schoolers examine the life and work of John G. Roberts, the nominee to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In groups, they use the internet to define the role of the Chief Justice and complete handouts to record their...

High schoolers discuss what they believe Supreme Court Justices should do while in office. As a class, they brainstorm a list of their prior knowledge about the justices and Supreme Court. In their journal, they write about the qualities...

When, if ever, is the government justified in restricting individual rights? When, if ever, should the "greater good" trump individual rights? To prepare to discuss this hot-button topic, class members examine primary source documents,...

Dred Scott v. Sanford was a watershed moment for the country—and a key moment leading up to the Civil War. Using videos and analytical worksheets, scholars consider the facts of the case and then develop their own arguments before the...

Learners trace the history of the Michigan Supreme Court from when the state was still a territory. They define procedures as they relate to the Court. They compare and contrast the territorial court to the new Court.

Learners identify the players, events and changes in the history of the Supreme Court of Michigan. They explain the purpose of the Court in state government. They summarize the role and purpose of the Court.

Students examine the purpose and responsibilities of the Supreme Court and its justices. In groups, they research a specific case and identify how the Supreme Court affects their lives. Using the information they find, they create a...

Students identify the justices on the Michigan Supreme Court known as the "Big Four". They relate to them by researching their lives. They participate in an activity in which they practice their investigation and presentation skills.

Students explain the role of the Supremem Court under the Constitution. They explore current evetns related to the Constitution and read about the roles of the Senate and President in selecting the next justice. They create a chart about...

Students explore the powers of the Supreme Court. In this Judicial Branch lesson, students define vocabulary regarding the branch's responsibilities, take notes on a video regarding the branch, and discuss the powers of the branch in a...

What's the best way to make sense of the Constitution?  A helpful lesson contains both the text of Article III and annotation of each of its sections, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts. It also includes links to a...

Two Supreme Court cases, Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education take center stage in a lesson about the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Class members research both cases to compare and contrast the rulings.