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This mini-lesson takes a look at the role of fair and impartial courts in American life. Students learn about how judges are selected and held accountable. It also looks at how…
This lesson plan teaches the fundamentals of Supreme Court Justice nominations and helps students understand the politics behind the nominations. It challenges students to cut…
This mini-lesson highlights some of the most critical additions to our Constitution and how those additions guarantee students' rights.
Learn about the judicial philosophies of activism and restraint. In the second half of the lesson, students learn about opinion journalsim and explore criteria through which they…
Opinions, opinions, opinions! Learn about the types of Supreme Court opinions and the influence of legal precedent. In the accompanying news literacy-related activity, students are…
What does a Supreme Court justice really do? How do they make their decisions? What better way to find out than by trying it yourself! Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF…
If Marbury was right, then why didn't he get the writ? Find out how the Supreme Court got the power to decide what is constitutional, and what the Court can do with that power.
Did Cellar breach the contract? Or was there no contract to begin with? Let students decide in this scripted trial simulation. Got a 1:1 classroom?
Does your state court system feel oddly similar to our federal one? Chances are it does, but there may still be some differences. In this lesson, students learn how our…
Most cases start and end in trial court, but what if there's an error? Show students how a case works its way up in this printable poster for your classroom! iCivics en español! A…
What does the phrase “freedom of speech” really mean? This lesson outlines the types of speech the First Amendment does and does not protect. Students also examine the Supreme…
What does the right to free speech actually mean? Students examine the types of speech the Supreme Court has interpreted as protected by the First Amendment, and those that have…
The First Amendment includes a two-for-one deal in its protection of religious freedom. This mini-lesson explains the difference between the Establishment and the Free Exercise…
The 14th Amendment defined natural born citizenship for the nation. Over a century later, the clause is still making news. This mini-lesson examines the 14th Amendment’s…
Learn about one of the hardest working passages in the U.S. Constitution: the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Students learn why the clause was created and discover how…
Meet the superhero legislation of civil rights. Students are introduced to eleven categories of civil rights protections with a focus on Title VII, which bans discrimination in the…
Students examine the key voting rights protected by this landmark civil rights law. This mini-lesson also provides an overview of the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the law in…
Nothing is set in stone. And that includes our rights. In this lesson, students learn how and why the courts can limit people’s civil rights and liberties. Students take on the…
Can a constitutional democracy function if the people don’t know the issues? In this lesson, students learn what freedom of the press means and why it was considered so important…
From cutting in line to hurting someone’s feelings, everyone's been accused of something. But what happens when people are accused of breaking the law? In this lesson, students…
Lesson Plan
