Students will choose one landmark case to conduct research on, as they work to answer the overall question: To what extent have Supreme Court rulings bettered the lives of Americans?
Students will be able to select one case to base their assignment on. No duplicates may occur, so students will go through a process to select their topics. Please view this presentation to get a general idea as to what cases can be examined. The list below includes the possible choices for this assignment.
For this assignment, students will conduct research and will need to find the following information:
The historical context of the case (events and developments leading up to the focus of the case, the culture of the country at the time, and relevant information in relation to those two components)
Original ruling (prior to being brought before the Supreme Court)
Supreme Court’s rulings (both the majority and the minority, how did it break down amongst the Justices)
A response to the overall question, supported by evidence from your research
| Date | Expectations |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 05/31 | Introduce assignment and select topic |
| Thursday 06/01 |
Mini-Lesson: Organizing sources and information and begin research for context After attendance, we’ll go down to the library for a mini lesson from Mrs. Minton |
| Thursday 06/01 - Friday 06/02 |
Continue research on the context of the case |
| Monday 06/05 & Tuesday 06/06 |
Continue research on the decision |
| Wednesday 06/07 |
Continue to research articles that will help answer the central question |
| Thursday 06/08 & Friday 06/09 |
Work on final product SUBMIT FINAL PRODUCT |
| Monday 06/12 | Small group presentations |
To present this information, students will create a final product that is engaging, creative, and effectively educates their audience on their specific case. The following may be considered for possible final products: