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Home > The Judicial Branch > Mini-lesson: Supreme Court Opinions (HS)
Lesson Plan
The Judicial Branch

Mini-lesson: Supreme Court Opinions (HS)

9-12
One class period
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Learning Objectives

The student will be able to...

  • Define majority, plurality, concurring, and dissenting opinions

  • Describe the impact Supreme Court opinions have on courts and the public

  • Evaluate a commentator’s credentials when deciding how much value to place on a particular news-related opinion

  • Recognize how news-related opinion can contribute to the public conversation

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Overview

Students will learn about the types of Supreme Court opinions and the influence of legal precedent. Additionally, this Media Moment Mini-lesson introduces traditional authors of opinion pieces and explores factors that should influence a student’s evaluation of an author’s credibility. Students then evaluate two commentators or authors of choice to judge the value and limitations of their opinions.

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Mini-Lesson
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