Curated OER
Choosing the Lincoln Statue
Fourth graders research photographs or artwork depicting Abraham Lincoln during the time when he was traveling the 8th Judicial Circuit and practicing law in Champaign County. They develop a Powerpoint presentation of the results of the...
Curated OER
Unfair Or Deceptive Sales Practices
Students explore fair and unfair practices in the judicial system. They are to find sources in their own community to find help for a problem.
Curated OER
Introduction to the Constitution: The First Three Articles of the Constitution, Separation of Powers
High schoolers review the first three articles of the United States Constitution. In groups, they examine the three branches of government and their function. They follow the path of a bill until it becomes law and discuss Congress' role.
Curated OER
Exploring United States V. Hirabayashi
Students discuss and examine the case of Gordon Hirabayashi.
Curated OER
Lesson 2: The Tired King
Middle schoolers are introduced to the three functions of government (legislative, judicial, and executive). They read and discuss a story about an overworked king who must handle all the tasks of government. Students give a description...
Curated OER
U.S. Constitution - Checks and Balances
Students examine the separation of powers of the branches of the U.S. federal government. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students listen to a SMART Board supported lecture on checks and balances of the Judicial, Legislative, and...
Curated OER
What is Brazil's Government Like?
Students compare and contrast the American system of government with that of Brazil. They research how the Brazilian govenment functions.
Curated OER
Michigan Court System (Part 1) (Middle School)
Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.
Curated OER
Utah's Judicial Branch
Seventh graders explain that the judicial branch of Utah's government interprets laws and reviews the consitutionality of laws.
Judicial Learning Center
Article III and the Courts
What's the best way to make sense of the Constitution? A helpful lesson contains both the text of Article III and annotation of each of its sections, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts. It also includes links to a glossary...
Judicial Learning Center
The U.S. Supreme Court
How do Supreme Court justices determine which cases to consider? What happens when the Supreme Court decides not to take a case? The lesson explores important questions and others in the field of criminology. It focuses on the appeals...
Judicial Learning Center
Types of Court Cases
How can one court acquit someone of a crime, while another convicts the person of the same one? It's all because of the differences between civil and criminal trials. An informative resource provides scholars in the field of criminology...
Judicial Learning Center
The Players in the Courtroom
Courtrooms are complicated. In addition to the many rules, there are a number of people whose jobs are not very clear to the casual courtroom observer. With the resource, individuals identify some of these roles and review more...
Ohio Center For Law-Related Education
Four Activities: Thurgood Marshall and the Nomination and Confirmation of Federal Judges
The process of nominating and confirming federal judges can sound like a lot of bureaucratic hoops, but a resource breaks down the steps of the Supreme Court nominations in a simpler manner. Learners participate in four activities that...
Judicial Learning Center
The Ratification Debate
Most Americans profess their love for the US Constitution, but this was not always the case. An informative lesson overviews the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists by summarizing the main arguments of each side. It...
Curated OER
Branches of Government Worksheet
This is a basic multiple choice activity. Learners answer a set of 9 multiple choice questions about early colonists and branches of government. You might use this as a check for understanding or a quick quiz. The first 2 questions are...
Curated OER
The Branches of Government
After reviewing and reading about the three branches of US Government, complete this activity with your class. In groups, they will place their "cards" on the board under the correct branch. This lesson is weak and unclear. I'd make a...
Curated OER
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
Students create a series of drawings to show the process of how the Supreme Court does its work. The drawings may be in strip cartoon form or a series of separate illustrations.
Curated OER
How the Court Became Supreme
Students investigate how the Supreme Court changed under the leadership of John Marshall. In this Supreme Court instructional activity, students recognize the role of the Supreme Court as well as the significance of Marbury v. Madison....
Curated OER
Functions of the Three Branches of Government
Learners research the branches of government and write summaries about both the state and federal systems. After conducting reaserch in texts and online, students create Venn diagrams displaying the governmental functions of the three...
Judicial Learning Center
Civil Rights and Equal Protection
Almost every American is familiar with the Supreme Court case of Brown vs. Board of Education. Far fewer understand the constitutional reasoning or the wide-ranging consequences of the ruling in the field of criminology. The interesting...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 1st Amendment Rights
Why should classes care about the First Amendment? An engaging lesson serves as a powerful tool for answering just that. As all four cases in the lesson relate directly to freedom of expression in schools, young scholars explore the...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 4th Amendment Rights
Americans love to learn about their rights, especially those that protect them from the government's power to invade their privacy. Young people are especially engaged by this topic. An informative lesson explores four Supreme Court...
Curated OER
The "Big Four"
Students identify the four individuals who are identified as the "Big Four", examine the years they were on the bench together, and look and the impact they made in key cases.