SS.912.A.1.6

In this lesson plan, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the establishment of the judicial branch, the responsibilities of the court system, and key landmark cases that have impacted the United States. This lesson should be taught after students have had the chance to explore basics about the structures, functions, and processes of the judicial branch as described in Article III of the U.S. Constitution.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will use case studies to evaluate issues that cause the government to balance protecting individual rights with protecting the common good.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will review interview notes and historical research to write first draft narratives about individuals they previously interviewed in this integrated lesson. This lesson is Part 3 in a series of 5 parts designed to help students communicate with members of an older generation.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students analyze the impact of civic engagement as a means of preserving or reforming institutions. This analysis will take place through identifying means and methods to promote social change using historical examples of citizens achieving or preventing political and social change through civic engagement.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will participate in a silent debate over individual interests versus the public good using facts from historical U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will review a Supreme Court case, identify the rights restricted and, try to determine a ruling for the case before reviewing the historical outcomes. The cases relate to historical events that have resulted in the government limiting or attempting to limit the rights/freedoms of the people of the United States. Students will then compare their decisions with the findings of the Supreme Court. As they review the cases, they will build an understanding of government-imposed restrictions on citizen’s rights and why they may happen.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why were Japanese-Americans interned during World War II? The teacher first distributes a timeline, which the class reviews together. Students then view a government-made newsreel from 1942 explaining the rationale for internment. This is followed by 4 more documents, including the "Munson Report," an excerpt from the Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v Korematsu, and the 1983 report of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. For each, students answer guiding questions and formulate a hypothesis: according to the document, why was internment necessary? A final class discussion has students determine which document(s) best explain what occurred.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn about public policy solutions and how public opinion, the media, and interest groups all influence decision-making about public issues with this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, learn about landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, including Brown vs. Board of Education, Miranda vs. Arizona, and Roe vs. Wade.  This tutorial covers the backgrounds, outcomes, and impacts of eight important cases in detail. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about America's history in this interactive tutorial. This webisode from PBS's History: A Freedom of Us provides detailed informational texts, primary source documents that include photographs, and online quizzes to help you explore aspects of this complex time in American history. You'll learn about the 1862 Homestead Act, the rise of immigration, different aspects of the immigrant experience, the expansion of the American West, and the violent conflicts that resulted in the deaths of Native Americans and the removal and relocation of different tribes onto reservations.

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial, you will view an outstanding video on the meaning and history of habeas corpus: the law that prevents a person being held in jail or prison without being able to hear and contest the charges being brought against them. You'll then learn about 4 recent Supreme Court cases where habeas corpus has been called into question in the context of the global war on terror.

Type: Tutorial