Adult Education Criminal Justice & Law Resources

Affirmative Action had been a contentious issue in the United States since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to reject race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities around the nation upended decades of law and the higher education landscape. This lesson will invite students to draw connections between the past and today, as they take a focused look at affirmative action as it applies to admission programs at universities. Students will be provided with an introductory framework from which to understand the historical roots of affirmative action and its' controversial application today through the analysis of primary sources, research, and student-led discussion forum activity.

Time Frame: 2-3 class periods (Based on 60 min class period)

Materials:

• Teacher Reference Guide
• 35 Slide Presentation
• Guided Notes
• Four Articles
• Four Corner Signs

If you liked this lesson see other related 'Government' lessons here:

• Controversy and the Criminal Justice System (Eric Garner Case)
• César Chavez: Analyzing Primary Sources
• The 'Bill of Rights' Time Travel
• Mock Trial: Class Preparation (MY BEST SELLER)!
• Analyzing The Declaration of Independence & the U.S. Constitution
• Post Zombie Apocalypse: What Form of Government Would YOU Create?

In this zipped file, you will find the greatest tool I have used yet for the Supreme Court Cases that I have used in years. I simply took 6 manila folders and labeled them with the court case numbers (there are 6 court cases). I glued the court case summary on the right of the inside of the folder and made a pocket on the left with the folded up Supreme Court Decision inside. I number my students off 1-6 and split them up which makes it easy for photocopying with the court cases and the folders make the gallery walk/ learning stations last forever. This is also a great place to throw in some Kagan Structures. The Case Log is the only major photocopying you have to do, or you can have the students copy it down ahead of time. The students take on the role of the Supreme Court Justices as they complete the following as a group of Justices as they take notes, guess the outcome, and finally reveal the actual outcome of each case:

Case #______ Case Title:___________________________

Amendment being argued:

#___ :__________________________________________

Summary of the case:

Your decision: _____ to _____ in favor of_____________________

Supreme Court Decision

______ to ____ in favor of____________________because

Standard: SS.7.C.3 Demonstrate an understanding of the principles, functions, and organization of government.

Benchmark: SS.7.C.3.12 Analyze the significance and outcomes of landmark Supreme Court cases including, but not limited to, Marbury v. Madison, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Gideon v. Wainwright, Miranda v. Arizona, in re Gault, Tinker v. Des Moines, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, United States v. Nixon, and Bush v. Gore.

Background Knowledge: Students should have a working knowledge of trial, appellate, and supreme courts at the state and national levels. Students should understand the appellate process and the significance of judicial precedent, particularly with U.S. Supreme Court rulings. Students should be able to conduct a keyword search and evaluate search results for reliability.

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This zipped folder includes: Hooks, Bellringers, Questions, and Processing Activities. Student Review Reading for SS.7.C.3.10 Identify sources and types (civil, criminal, constitutional, military) of law. Overview: Benchmark Clarifications: Students will use examples of historical law codes to identify how laws originated and developed in Western society. Students will recognize constitutional, statutory, case, and common law as sources of law. Students will compare civil, criminal, constitutional, and/or military law.

Students will be giving their opinions on a hypothetical case similar to the Tinker v Des Moines case of 1965. Students will apply their opinion than review what the current law or section of court case states. This activity brings in a review of both the excerpts of the Preamble to the Constitution and the First Amendment of the Constitution, as well as introducing and comparing the scenario to the actual court case of Tinker v Des Moines. Students get to formulate their own opinion and compare their opinions with the Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of the Tinker case. This activity is not only 3 pages long of awesomeness, it is also easily adaptable to a Kagan Structure, Cooperative Learning Groups, guided discussion, or independent work depending on the needs of your students, time frame, or requirements of your school. Scenario: The Case of the Blue Arm Bands at HMMS The students sued the school district for violating their First Amendment rights. A group of students in the schools after-school Civics Club at Harns Marsh Middle School were concerned about the United States’ involvement in the nuclear arms race. To show their support for peace and nuclear disarmament (reduction of weapons), they decided to attend school for one week wearing blue armbands. Hearing of the plan, and fearing that school would be disrupted, the principal, Dr. Luckey, made a rule against wearing armbands. In spite of the rule, some students came to school wearing armbands anyway. Dr. Luckey claimed that they broke school dress code. The students were given OSS (Out Of School Suspension) for 4 days. In return, the students and their parents sued the school district in federal court for violating their First Amendment rights.