Describes a lesson which relates the U.S. Constitution and state and federal actions to the everyday lives of high school students. Students use a time line of a person's life events in order to identify the points at which the state or federal government intervenes. The authority for this intervention is then sought in the U.S. Constitution. (JDH)

Provides an activity designed to help students understand how U.S. Supreme Court judges are selected. Points out that the Constitution does not specify any qualification to serve as a federal judge, but that an unwritten rule is that all nominees have a bachelor of laws degree. (JDH)

Presents a lesson which has students examine constitutional guarantees regarding freedom of religion. The lesson uses key U.S. Supreme Court cases, the Constitution, and the Northwest Ordinance to involve students in examining the issue of prayer in public schools. (JDH)

Presents a game which has students interpret Articles I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution to understand the allocation of powers among the 3 branches of government. The game helps students understand the interaction between the 3 branches of government, stressing the separation of powers and the system of checks and balances. (JDH)

Describes a lesson which has students examine the limits of judicial power when executive branch decisions violate constitutional guarantees. The lesson is based on a hypothetical case involving living conditions in a run-down jail. (JDH)

Provides 3 learning activities based on actual court cases which are designed to introduce students to the concept of judicial review, its limit and process. (JDH)

Briefly reviews the history of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. Maintains that the 1803 U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Marbury v. Madison" established the Court's authority to not only interpret the Constitution, but also to apply the Constitution to acts of other separate but equal branches of government. (JDH)

Provides a 49 item crossword puzzle which focuses on concepts and terminology related to the U.S. Supreme Court. (JDH)

Presents a case study involving students in the issue of separation of powers as applied to the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act. Students examine the case of Jagdish Rai Chadha, an immigrant threatened with deportation whose problems resulted in 1983 U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring legislative veto provision of Immigration and…

This article provides background on the voir dire (jury selection) process, explaining its importance to the outcome of a trial. Offers a simulation experience which has students take the role of lawyers interviewing 29 prospective jurors for an alcohol-related traffic accident involving a 20-year-old driver. Profiles for prospective jurors and…

Examines how the framers of the Constitution came to choose our system of government, how that system was designed to function, and how the separation of powers has served to maintain our democracy despite attempts to violate it. (JDH)

Reviews the characteristics and landmark cases of the Warren, and Burger eras of the U.S. Supreme Court. Describes the changes taking place under Chief Justice Rehnquist and assesses the future of the Supreme Court with the addition of Justice Antonin Scalia. Maintains that the trend toward judicial activism will continue. (JDH)

Reviews a collection of decisions rendered by the Burger Court during its waning months. The decisions involve (1) criminal procedures, (2) racial bias in jury selection, (3) search and seizure, and (4) the exclusion of jurors who have reservations about the death penalty. (JDH)

Using three landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, this lesson teaches students in grades seven through twelve about the benefits and limits of free speech. (JDH)

Presents an activity designed to show the sources of power under our federal and state systems of government. Provides a visual demonstration of how power is divided, promotes study of the U.S. and state constitutions, and highlights the role of citizens in making democracy work. (JDH)