Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Developed by Leslie Kelly

Overview|Introduction|Task|Process|Resources|

Evaluation|Conclusion

Overview

Your class will be looking at many of the Supreme Court cases that have had
great significance to the United States Constitution and United States citizens.
/ World and U.S. Studies II- 10th grade
/ Social Studies Standards-
1.  S.S Skills and Methods (Thinking and Organizing) detect bias in primary
and secondary sources of information – evaluate the credibility of sources
for logical fallacies, consistency of arguments, unstated assumptions and
bias. – Analyze the reliability of sources for accurate use of facts,
adequate support of statement and date of publication.
2.  History (The U.S. in the 20th century) Analyze the origins, major
developments, controversies and consequences of civil rights movements
with emphasis on Brown v. Board of Education.
3.  Government (Rules and Laws) - Examine the U.S. Constitution as a living
document by analyzing its evolution through amendments and Supreme
Court decisions including: Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v Board of Education
and Regents of the University of California v. Bakke.

Back row (left to right) Breyer, Thomas, Ginsburg, Alito

Front row (left to right) Kennedy, Stevens, Roberts, Scalia, Souter

Introduction

The Supreme Court is not a bunch of stuffed shirts looking at law books all day. Without them our lives would be very different. The idea of “liberty and justice for all” would be unthinkable without the Supreme Court. Over the past two centuries the Supreme Court has been the main reason for the longevity of our Constitution and our government. Without “The Court”, the Constitution would only be available to the strictest of interpretations. With “The Court”, our Federal Government has been receptive to the changes that come with history. If it were not for “The Court”, the civil liberties that you and I enjoy on a daily basis would not be present. We would not know the freedom of speech, expression, or assembly that we know today. You might not have the right to an attorney, a fair trial, or the right to go to any school. In this Webquest you will discover the roots of some of our nation’s most famous court cases to be heard before the Supreme Court.

Task or what do we have to do?

You and your partner will briefly go through each of the Supreme Court cases listed. Pick three that you would be interested in researching. Then I will go around and assign each group one case to research (hopefully one you are interested in). Now the real task begins. You will obtain information through a number of websites, develop a newsletter and make a presentation to the class. Each of you will have specific roles.

Researcher 1 1. Research the case on the web.

Show no bias, just the facts.

Write a description (summary) of the case,

Include the year it went in front of the court.

2.  Write an article about the amendments that are being focused on. (Do not just say the fifth amendment- tell us what the fifth amendment is)

3.  An article on the opinion or the decision of the court. What did they decide? Also tell us about the dissenting opinion if it was controversial.

Researcher 2 1. You will give your opinion of the court case. Remember this is your opinion and it is okay if others do not agree with it. Make sure the readers understand the case and your thoughts.

2. You will write a biography about the justice that wrote the opinion of the court case. (Our justices can be rather interesting people.)

3. You will find images to use in a newsletter and also find extra “filler” to use. This could be political cartoons, vocabulary words, puzzles…

Both together

1. Make a newsletter in Publisher. 2 pages is usually what it takes but some can be longer. Include the articles, biographies, editorial and pictures. Also you must include headlines and by lines. Optional information could include vocabulary lists for new words, other cases in front of the Supreme Court today. Make it creative, easily readable, and full of important information.

Process or how do we do it?

1.  Follow the links below to research your case. Gather information on the facts of the case, the issue confronting the court and the decision of the court. Remember this is not a long research paper, a newsletter should be much shorter and to the point.

2.  Write the articles, biography, editorial and acquire a few pictures. Filler is to be used just to fill up the newsletter. Make a rough draft of what your newsletter will look like.

3.  Begin the newsletter. Have a title, date, headlines and by lines. If you have more room add your extras. Extras could include cartoons, crosswords… as long as they are about the court case.

4.  Present to the class. Be professional.

Links or where I go for my information

Bob Jones University v. U.S.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=461&invol=574

http://web.utk.edu/~scheb/bjuvus.html

http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/cases/name.htm

http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/court/bobj_v_us.html

Brown v Board of Education

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Brown/

http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/history/A0809176.html

http://www.nps.gov/brvb/

Cruzan v. Director Missouri Department of Health

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Cruzan/

http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/88-1503.ZS.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Cruzan

Dred Scott v. Sandford

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Scott/

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/E/dred_scott/scottxx.htm

http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/dred.htm

Engel v. Vitale

http://www.pbs.org/jefferson/enlight/prayer.htm

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Engel/

http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/prayer.html

Escobedo v. Illinois

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Escobedo/

http://www2.law.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/foliocgi.exe/historic/query=[group+f_sixth+amendment!3A]/doc/{t36394}/hit_headings/words=4/pageitems={body}

http://www.phschool.com/atschool/supreme_court_cases/escobedo.html

Gregg v. Georgia

http://www.lectlaw.com/files/case26.htm

http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/greggvgeorgia/

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/gregg.html

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/scales/greggreas.html

In Re Gault

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=387&invol=1

http://web.utk.edu/~scheb/gault.html

http://www.yria.alcade.net/essays/inregault.htm

Korematsu v. U.S.

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Korematsu/

http://www.law.uh.edu/teacher/korematsu/

http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=Korematsu

Mapp v. Ohio

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Mapp/

http://vava.essortment.com/mappohiosuprem_rouv.htm

http://www.landmarkcases.org/mapp/background3.html

Miller v. California

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=413&invol=15

http://www.csamerican.com/SC.asp?r=413+U.S.+15

http://www.nap.edu/html/youth_internet/ch1.html

Miranda v. Arizona

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Miranda/

http://www.thecapras.org/mcapra/miranda/rights.html

http://www.landmarkcases.org/miranda/home.html

Plessy v. Ferguson

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfrnb/plessy.html

http://www.kids-right.org/plessey.htm

http://www.landmarkcases.org/plessy/home.html

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Regents/

http://www.landmarkcases.org/bakke/home.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regents_of_the_University_of_California_v._Bakke

Roe v. Wade

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Roe/

http://members.aol.com/abtrbng/roeins.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_vs._wade

Schenck v. U.S.

http://www.thisnation.com/library/schenck.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schenck_vs._US

http://www.answers.com/topic/schenck-v-united-states?cat=biz-fin

South Dakota v. Dole

http://www.4lawschool.com/conlaw/south.shtml

http://home.pon.net/jmt/law/TwoL/conlawone.htm

http://lawschool.mikeshecket.com/constitutionallaw/southdakotavdole.htm

Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hiram G. Hill

http://www.answers.com/Tennessee+Valley+Authority+v.+Hill?cat=biz-fin

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=437&invol=153

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Valley_Authority_v._Hill

Texas v. Johnson

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Johnson/

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=491&invol=397

http://www.landmarkcases.org/texas/home.html

Thompson v. Oklahoma

http://www.phschool.com/atschool/supreme_court_cases/thompson.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompson_v._Oklahoma

http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~leg485/thompson.htm

Tinker v. Des Moines

http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/tinker/home.html

http://www.law.uh.edu/teacher/tinker/

http://www.landmarkcases.org/tinker/home.html

Resources

Glossary of Terms

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Glossary.html

Law School dictionary

http://www.law.harvard.edu/library/research_guides/one_l_dictionary.htm

Case Summaries

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/CaseSummary.html

Summary Charts

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Chart.html

U.S. Constitution with amendments

http://www.law.emory.edu/FEDERAL/usconst.html

Supreme Court Justices

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/S/SpC1rtJ1T1A1B1L1E1.asp

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/about/biographiescurrent.pdf

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0101281.html

http://www.oyez.org/oyez/portlet/justices/

http://www.supremecourthistory.org/02_history/subs_timeline/02_a.html

Supreme Court quiz and answers

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Quiz.html

http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/QuizAnswers.html

How to create a newsletter

http://www.bcschools.net/staff/PublisherHelp.htm

Evaluation

Webquest Rubric

CATEGORY / Distinguished 10-11 / Good8-9 / Developing6-7 / Basic0-5
Summary of the case / The article has a clear purpose & understanding of the topic. 0 writing and grammar mistakes. / The article has a clear purpose & understanding of the topic. 1-3 writing and grammar mistakes. / The article has an unclear purpose & the understanding of the topic is limited. 4-7 writing and grammar errors. / The article has an unclear purpose & the understanding of the topic is very limited. 8 or more writing and grammar errors.
Amendments affected article / All amendments affecting the case are mentioned and elaborated on. 0 writing and grammar errors. / All amendments affecting the case are mentioned. 0 writing and grammar errors. / All amendments affecting the case are mentioned. 1-3 writing and grammar errors. / Some of the amendments affecting the case are mentioned. 4 or more writing and grammar errors.
Opinion of the court article / The opinion of the court is stated and easily understood. 0 writing and grammar errors. / The opinion of the court is stated and easily understood. 1-3 writing and grammar errors. / The opinion of the court is stated but not easily understood. 4-7 writing and grammar errors. / The opinion of the court is very confusing. 8 or more writing and grammar errors.
Biography of the Justice / The article has a clear purpose & understanding of the topic. 0 writing and grammar mistakes. / The article has a clear purpose & understanding of the topic. 1-3 writing and grammar mistakes. / The article has an unclear purpose & the understanding of the topic is limited. 4-7 writing and grammar errors. / The article has an unclear purpose & the understanding of the topic is very limited. 8 or more writing and grammar errors.
Editorial / The information was accurate and I understand your thoughts on the topic. 0 writing and grammar errors. / The information was accurate and I understand some of your thoughts on the topic. 1-3 writing and grammar errors. / The information was inaccurate and I understand some of your thoughts on the topic. 4-7 writing and grammar errors. / The information was typically inaccurate, misleading or libelous. 8 or more writing and grammar errors.
Pictures and Filler / Graphics and filler are in focus, are well-cropped and are clearly related to the articles they accompany. / Graphics and filler are in focus and are clearly related to the articles they accompany. / 80-100% of the graphics and filler are clearly related to the articles they accompany. / More than 20% of the graphics are not clearly related to the articles OR no graphics and fillers were used.
Newsletter format X 2 / All articles have headlines and by lines. Format of the newsletter is exceptionally eye catching. / All articles have headlines and by lines. Format of the newsletter is nicely done. / Most articles have headlines and by lines. Format of the newsletter is adequate. / Most articles have headlines and by lines. Format of the newsletter is not adequate for high school level work.

Presentation will be on a 12 point scale. Total points will be 100. Each person can receive a possible 50 points.

Conclusion

I hope that you have enjoyed your search into the Supreme Court. Reflect on the following questions:

-Can you relate to any recent examples where these cases might have

been tested?

-Can you cite an experience in your life that relates to a case you have heard about?

-How do you think our history would have been altered if these cases had been decided differently?

The U.S. Constitution is an ever-changing document, everyday events

in your community and state can alter laws in this remarkable

document.


.

Scavenger Hunt Instructions:

Copy and Paste these questions on a new Word document.

Print out the paper.

Then answer the following 20 questions on the paper.

Turn them in to me.

Name- ______

1.  What case dealt with a man who was 7/8 white and 1/8 black?

______

2.  Which case deals with discrimination of people in interracial marriages?

______

3.  What case dealt with a person being chained to a concrete block and thrown into a river? ______

4.  What prayer was recited in New York schools prior to 1962?

______

5.  What woman claimed that the Texas statutes were unconstitutionally vague and that they abridged her right to personal privacy? ______

6.  Which case affirmed the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to protect the environment? ______

7.  What case deals with a persons right to citizenship?

______

8.  Who worked in defense plants in San Francisco before running away and was later arrested? ______

9.  What 2 cases dealt with stating a persons rights before interrogation?

______AND ______

10.  Which case deals with symbolic speech? ______

11.  Which case begins at the Republican National Convention?______

12.  What 2 cases deal with the death sentence?

______AND ______

13.  What 2 cases had to deal with obscene materials?

______AND ______

14.  In what case was a future Republican presidential nominee (1990) sued? ______

15.  What court case said “separate but equal” was unconstitutional?

______

16.  What case begins with indecent remarks by adolescents?

______

17.  Which case deals with the Espionage Act of 1917?

______

18.  Which case deals with affirmative action? ______

19.  Who fatally shot his brother-in-law? ______

20.  What case dealt with the right to die? ______