A Parrot's Day in Court

When a person goes on trial for a crime, what options does a court have to render justice? Who are the key players in the legal system? Interested legal scholars answer the inquiries and more using an Internet-based activity, chart, and...

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. 

An empowering resource shows an interview with Justice Day O'Connor and explains her path to the Supreme Court, as well as her personal feelings on becoming the first female to hold the position. Scholars also listen to a short...

After oral arguments and the lawyers go home, what actually happens in the Supreme Court? Justice Stephen Breyer describes how members of the court discuss cases and write opinions behind the scenes. Though their discussions involve...

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...

What is free speech? And does it apply to corporations looking to support federal campaigns? As decided in the controversial Citizens United ruling, the Supreme Court determined that corporations have the same rights as people and can...

Bell Ringers that set the right tone for a lesson can be hard to design. Launch a study of the Supreme Court with a video has justices that revealing how they decide what cases to hear, how they determine their rulings, and even why the...

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 glossary...

The "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" law requires schools receiving any federal funding to provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution. The lesson plans, materials, videos, questions, and activities...

Students react to a series of statements about the Supreme Court, then read a news article about the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...