Civil Liberties/Civil Rights Project
Civil liberties are those rights that belong to everyone; they are protections against government and are guaranteed by the Constitution, legislation, and judicial decisions. Civil rights are the positive acts of government, designed to prevent discrimination and provide equality before the law.
Over time, the Supreme Court has applied the Bill of Rights to the states through the 14th amendment (the Incorporation Doctrine).
► For this project, your group will research one of the topics below and deliver an informative presentation to the class.
► For your topic, you will address: (1) relevant constitutional provisions; (2) relevant Supreme Court decisions; (3) relevant legislation and executive orders
►Each group’s presentation will be approximately 15 minutes.
► Visuals are a required part of your presentation
►This project is worth 50 points. Grading criteria include the following: knowledge of your topic; ability to explain the purpose and relevance of constitutional provisions; appropriateness of Supreme Court decisions and knowledge thereof; consideration of relevant legislation and executive orders; use of visuals to enhance your presentation; ability to answer questions. Evidence of planning and preparation will be considered.
► A portion of your grade will be determined by the class. See Project Rubric for specifics.
Topics
1. Freedom of religion (the establishment clause & the free exercise clause)
2. Freedom of speech and the press
3. Right to Privacy – contraception, abortion
4. Rights of the Accused – search & seizure; self-incrimination; right to an attorney
5. Cruel & unusual punishment
6. Right to Bear Arms
7. Affirmative action (Supreme Court cases and statutes)
8. Racial discrimination (segregation; voting rights)
9. Equality and other groups (gender, gay & lesbian rights, other minorities)
Cases and statutes to consider for each topic.
Note: This is not a comprehensive list. If there are other significant cases related to your topic, be sure to include them. Your research should be current. Also, research whether your topic has been in the news recently.
Freedom of religion (the establishment clause & the free exercise clause)
Engel v. Vitale, Abington School District v. Schempp, Sherbert v. Verner, Lemon v. Kurtzman, Sherbert v. Verner, Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, Employment Division v. Smith
Freedom of speech and the press
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, Brandenburg v. Ohio, Yates v. United States, Roth v. United States, Miller v. California, Jacobellis v. Ohio, Memoirs v. Massachusetts, Tinker v. Des Moines School District, Texas v. Johnson
Right to Privacy – contraception, abortion
Griswold v. Connecticut, Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Lawrence v. Texas
Rights of the Accused – search & seizure; self-incrimination; right to an attorney
Brady v. Maryland, Mapp v. Ohio, Miranda v. Arizona, Escobedo v. Illinois, Gideon v. Wainwright, Katz v. United States, Terry v. Ohio, NJ v. TLO
Cruel & unusual punishment
Trop v. Dulles, Robinson v. California, Gregg v. Georgia
Right to Bear Arms
District of Columbia v. Heller, McDonald v. Chicago
Affirmative action (Supreme Court cases and statutes)
14th Amendment, Civil Rights Act of 1964, presidential executive orders, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Grutter v. Bollinger, Gratz v. Bollinger, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, Fisher v. University of Texas
Racial discrimination (segregation; voting rights)
14th & 15th Amendments, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, Brown v. Board of Education, Bolling v. Sharpe, Cooper v. Aaron, Gomillion v. Lightfoot, Griffin v. County School Board, Green v. School Board of New Kent County, Lucy v. Adams, Loving v. Virginia
Baker v. Carr, Reynolds v. Sims, Wesberry v. Sanders, Shelby County v. Holder
Equality and other groups (gender, gay & lesbian rights, other minorities)
Civil Rights Act of 1964, Reed v. Reed, Craig v. Boren, Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Lawrence v. Texas, Bishop v. United States, Hollingsworth v. Perry
Civil Liberties/Civil Rights Project
SCORING RUBRIC
Group Names ______Period _____
Excellent(9 – 10) / Good /
Acceptable
(7 – 8) / Needs
Improvement
(1 – 6)
CONTENT (20 points)
Explains the topic in language class can understand; breaks down topic into component parts; quality selection and explanation of Supreme Court cases; summarizes the facts of the case and explains the court’s decision and rule of law; legislation and executive orders where applicable
CONTENT
See above
DELIVERY (Oral Presentation)
Presents topic in a logical, interesting sequence that audience can follow; eye contact; limited amount of reading; topic presented in an engaging, conversational manner; evidence of rehearsal; observes 15-minute time limit
DELIVERY (Visuals)
Uses different media creatively; includes visual information relevant to content; group explains visuals to class; quality and variety of visuals enhance presentation; evidence of preparation
CLASS VOTE (up to 5 points)
GROUP CONDUCT (up to 5 points)
Library and class time used well; group members remained on task
GRADE ____/50