This document consists of a study unit and an accompanying teacher's guide prepared to assist teachers and community groups in discussing some of the legal and constitutional issues raised by the verdict in the Rodney King beating case. The study unit's first section, "Trial and Verdict," examines such issues as the public perceptions of…

Outlines the dramatic changes in the laws covering drug activity over the last 20 years. Federal sentencing guidelines now mandate much longer prison terms depending on the drug and type of activity. Simultaneously, courts have expanded legal definitions and approaches involving prosecution. Discusses the controversy over these developments. (MJP)

Presents a lesson plan that requires students to analyze an upcoming Supreme Court case concerning the constitutional rights of a convicted offender. Student handouts include a case study worksheet and an overview of the case. Students complete the worksheet, conduct small group discussions, and arrive at their own decisions. (MJP)

Recounts a lawyer's personal experience teaching high school students from the wrong side of the tracks about the U.S. Constitution as part of a pilot program. Suggests that linking legal issues to students' personal lives. Can inspire as well as inform. (CH)

Examines one of the least understood institutions of U.S. politics, the Electoral College. Discusses the historical circumstances resulting in its creation as well as the current structure and membership. Provides arguments for and against continuation of the Electoral College. (MJP)

Designed to help students better understand the controversial issue of affirmative action, this teacher's guide supplements the thirty-minute instructional videotape of the same name. The videotape explores the history of affirmative action in the United States, including its successes, failures, and future. The videotape and the teacher's guide…

This teacher's guide is part of a curriculum designed for infusion into secondary U.S. history courses to help students explore purposes of American law. In the curriculum students study about legal decision making during the American colonial period, explore methods our legal system uses to establish facts, learn that individual liberty is a…

Reviews the protections afforded by the Constitution for defendants in criminal trials. These include the right to a jury trial (in cases of possible incarceration), an impartial jury, and the requirement of a unanimous verdict. Defends the use of plea bargaining as essential to an efficient criminal justice system. (MJP)

Presents a concise overview of the complicated web of laws and regulations governing the financing of federal political campaigns. Discusses related issues such as "soft money," and the conflict between restrictive campaign regulations and free speech. Notes that regulation of state elections remains with the states. (MJP)

Investigates the many factors pertaining to low voter turnout. Lack of education, poverty, and apathy contribute strongly to diminished voter participation. Language difficulties, a highly mobile society, and the discouraging effects of polls also contribute. Notes the positive correlation between voter registration and participation. (MJP)

Describes learning activities to be used in conjunction with a facsimile of the 92nd Congress's joint resolution passing the 26th Amendment extending the voting franchise to 18-year-olds. These activities include document analysis, time lines, class discussions, and storytelling. Briefly reviews the amendment process. (MJP)

Outlines a role play that highlights the potential conflict between freedom of the press and the rights of defendants and victims. Students assume the roles of representative characters (police chief, newspaper editor) in a small town where a sensational murder has occurred. They also conduct a class discussion. (MJP)

Presents a paper delivered in Poland in 1989 and in five additional Eastern European cities in 1990. Defines democracy and suggests ways to teach about democratic government. Explores education's role in a democracy. Encourages student participation in student government, classroom discussion, community service, and research projects to give them…

This book, part of the "Exploring the Constitution Series," provides a basic introduction to important areas of constitutional law. Each volume contains a general introduction to a particular constitutional issue combined with excerpts from significant Supreme Court decisions in that area. The text of the Constitution, a chronological…

This curriculum is designed to introduce secondary students to the ideas behind the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution and the experiences of the Founders that led to the creation of this document. Its intent is to provide young people with a knowledge of how the Bill of Rights came into existence, why it took the form it did, and how it has…