Unit 5: The Judiciary & Civil Liberties
Textbook: Government in America: People, Politics and Policy (Chapters 16, 4, 5)
Unit Summary
Students will address the overarching essential question, “ To what extent do judicial decisions influence American society ?" This unit will include an examination of the federal court system as established by Article III of the Constitution and federal statute. Students will investigate the judiciary's role in interpreting the Constitution and examine civil rights and liberties through landmark Supreme Court decisions and legislation.
Essential Questions
1. What role do the federal courts play in the American political system?
2. To what extent is the Supreme Court the final arbiter of constitutional interpretation?
3. How do judges interpret the Constitution?
4. To what extent are civil rights and liberties protected by court decisions and legislative action?
Relevant “Crash Course” Videos
18 Legal System Basics
19 Structure of the Court System
20 Supreme Court of the United States Procedures
21 Judicial Review
22 Judicial Decisions
23 Civil Rights & Liberties
24 Freedom of Religion
25 Freedom of Speech
26 Freedom of the Press
27 Search & Seizure
28 Due Process of Law
29 Equal Protection
30 Sex Discrimination
31 Discrimination
32 Affirmative Action
Day 1
Topic: Federal Courts
Format: PowerPoint presentation
Day 2
To prepare: Read Chapter 16
Topic: Federal Courts
Format:
iCivics, Judicial Branch in a Flash (reading and worksheets)
iCivics, Courts in a Nutshell (interactive)
Day 3
Topic: Federal Courts
Format:
iCivics, Appellate Courts: Let’s Take it Up (reading and worksheets)
iCivics, CourtQuest (interactive)
Day 4
Topic: Federal Courts
Format:
Conversations on the Constitution: Judicial Interpretation with Justices Scalia and Breyer (worksheets and video from the Annenberg Classroom)
Day 5
Topic: Federal Courts
Format:
iCivics, Interpreting the Constitution: What Does That Mean? (worksheet activity)
iCivics, The Supreme in Supreme Decision (worksheet activity)
iCivics, Supreme Decision (interactive)
iCivics, Argument Wars (interactive)
Day 6
Topic: Federal Courts
Format:
View The West Wing, Season 5 Episode 17 “The Supremes”
Day 7
Quiz, Chapter 16
Day 8
To prepare: Read You Can’t Say That!, by David Bernstein.
Topic: Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
Format:
Class discussion of reading to introduce civil liberties
Selected images from PowerPoint presentations to highlight difference between civil liberties and civil rights
Introduce research project/case summaries on civil liberties and civil rights
Day 9
To prepare: Read Chapters 4 & 5
Assign cases; begin research
Day 10 -12
Presentation of cases and teacher led discussion of legal holdings of landmark opinions
Day s 13 & 14
Topic: Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
Format:
PBS video, Constitution USA with Peter Sagal. Episodes II & III (It’s a Free Country, Created Equal)
Day 14
Test chapters 4 & 5