Choosing Supreme Court Justices in 2005

Nearly every president has had the opportunity to name a nominee to the United States Supreme Court. But what makes someone an ideal candidate to become a Supreme Court justice? High schoolers test their prior knowledge about the...

If the Supreme Court is so supreme, why do all cases not just start there? High schoolers learn why every case does not start at the Supreme Court as well as the importance of hierarchy in the US judicial system in the 11th installment...

The Supreme Court is set up to practice a concept known as Judicial Review. Scholars investigate the structure of the court system in the United States government and politics. They use a short video, the 19th of a 50-part unit, to...

How can you get a case argued before the Supreme Court of the United States? Learners research the way a court case ends up in the highest court in the 20th installment of a 50-part series covering the United States government and...

What was Nixon's strategy when dealing with the Supreme Court? Find out using a strategic resource. Pupils view a video about Nixon, read background information about judicial nominees for context, and engage in discussion regarding...

Young scholars have freedom of speech—or do they? Using an actual court case and research materials on the Supreme Court, young legal scholars examine the Supreme Court's role and history. Then, they argue a case the court declined to...

People often hear the words precedent and Supreme Court together, but why? A resource on the Supreme Court includes a variety of discussion questions, handouts that guide young historians, a video about Nixon and the court system, and...

Is the right to wear a band t-shirt included in our freedom of speech? Budding historians consider the question by using a video game. After a brief animated video, users drop in and listen to Supreme Court justices as they debate the...

The Supreme Court gets all the glory, but very few federal cases make it to the highest court. An interesting lesson explores the structure of the lower levels of the federal court system. In addition to outlining the organization of...

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...