Register
Play & Learn
Teach
Register
Home > Resource Library > Double Take: The Dual Court System
Lesson Plan
The Judicial Branch
Available in Spanish

Double Take: The Dual Court System

9-12
One class period
Sign up to save to your favorites

Learning Objectives

  • Distinguish between the federal and state court systems and describe the structure and powers of each
  • Explain the role of the judiciary and the purpose of the dual court system
  • Identify the origin and authority of federal and state courts
  • Analyze the role of federal and state judges as appointed and/or elected officials
  • Recognize ways in which individuals interact with the dual court system
Sign up to assign Sign up to access

Overview

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 country came to have a dual court system and explore how the state and federal levels of that system work. Students explore jurisdiction, trial and appellate courts, and how judges are selected. Follow this lesson by assigning The Courts in a Nutshell WebQuest to help students learn more about the court system in their state.

But wait, there's more! Reinforce key concepts using our Kahoot!

iCivics en español! Student and class materials for this lesson are available in Spanish.

 

Access engaging resources with an iCivics account!

Create your free iCivics account and discover standards aligned lessons and games that meet all of your instructional needs. Our nonpartisan classroom resources engage students with complex concepts in ways they can understand and relate to.

Tags

Pedagogy Tags
ELA/Literacy
Primary Source
Spanish
Tech Options
No Tech Required
Web browser
Integrations
Kahoot
Kami
PDF
State standards icon

View state standards alignment

Search State Standards

Use the Scope & Sequence to help you plan your iCivics classroom experience!

Whether you enjoy finding opportunities within a well-structured sequence of resources or prefer looking around for pieces and bits that can be jigsawed together, our Scope & Sequence documents are a perfect reference point for planning. Scope & Sequence documents are available for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and list all of our resources in one place.

View the Scope & Sequence