The Supreme Court:

Lesson Plans

RESOURCE GRADE LEVEL MEDIA TYPE
Analyzing McCulloch v. Maryland

Analyzing McCulloch v. Maryland

In this lesson, students watch a video segment from the PBS series The Supreme Court about the landmark case Maryland v. McCulloch while considering the powers of the national government and state governments.

9-12

Lesson Plan
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

In this lesson, students examine the basic American principles of civil liberties within the context of World War II.

9-12

Lesson Plan
Define and Classify the Powers Associated with Federalism

Define and Classify the Powers Associated with Federalism

In this lesson, students watch video segments from the series The Supreme Court as they explore how the Supreme Court defined the balance of power under federalism.

9-12

Lesson Plan
Early Civil Rights Cases Facing the Supreme Court

Early Civil Rights Cases Facing the Supreme Court

In this lesson, students analyze and compare important early Supreme Court decisions involving the Fourteenth Amendment, including Justice John Marshall Harlan’s dissent in the Civil Rights Cases of 1883.

9-12

Lesson Plan
Explicit and Implicit Language – Interpreting the Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment

Explicit and Implicit Language – Interpreting the Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment

Students watch two video segments about the Fourteenth Amendment and then write an essay addressing where the amendment is explicit or implicit in meaning.

6-8

Lesson Plan
Liberty of Contract

Liberty of Contract

In this lesson, students examine how the Supreme Court applied the Fourteenth Amendment to questions involving the liberty of contract and protections for working people.

9-12

Lesson Plan
Minersville School District v.Gobitis

Minersville School District v.Gobitis

In this lesson, students examine the Supreme Court’s evolution in its decisions to support individual liberties.

9-12

Lesson Plan
The Importance of Precedent in the Decisons of the Supreme Court

The Importance of Precedent in the Decisons of the Supreme Court

In this lesson based on the series The Supreme Court, students define the terms "precedent" and "stare decisis".

9-12

Lesson Plan
The Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment

The Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment

In this lesson, students analyze and compare important Supreme Court decisions involving the Fourteenth Amendment and civil rights.

9-12

Lesson Plan
Understanding and Applying the Miranda Decision

Understanding and Applying the Miranda Decision

In this lesson students learn about the landmark Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona (1966) and apply the principles of Miranda to subsequent cases.

9-12

Lesson Plan