The Fourth Amendment search and seizure law is one of the most technical and difficult areas in all of law to understand. Some Fourth Amendment Supreme Court cases are discussed. (RM)

Presents a lesson plan for teaching about gangs and the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Includes a handout and discussion questions and identifies sources for further reading. (SG)

Presents an essay examining homeless shelter residents' freedom from unreasonable searches. Reviews the historical background of the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable search and seizure. Explores factors considered when determining what is "reasonable." Analyzes the concepts of standing, what constitutes a home, and consent.…

How the law deals with the question of "Should students have rights in school?" is examined. One specific area of possible rights in schools--the question of searches of students by school officials--is discussed in depth. (RM)

Provides a moot court activity in which secondary students re-enact the U.S. Supreme Court case "California v. Greenwood," concerning the exclusionary rule and the privacy of a citizen's trash. Students role-play Supreme Court justices and attorneys to gain an understanding of how appellate courts operate. (LS)

This legal primer on violence in schools addresses the responsibility of school officials to respond to undisciplined youths whose behavior threatens the welfare and safety of other children in attendance. It is broken down into sections that provide a brief overview of the key rules and guidelines for school officials and teachers in each topic…

Designed to tap the rich collection of instructional techniques in the ERIC database, this compilation of lesson plans focuses on teaching high school students their Constitutional rights and responsibilities. The 40 lesson plans in the book cover the courts and basic rights, the rights of criminal suspects, the rights of minors and education law,…

Presents a student- and community-produced assembly program in which several Supreme Court cases are reenacted. Focuses on student rights concerning search and seizure, freedom of speech, and freedom of of the press. Provides a 40- to 50-minute script with roles for narrators, administrators, police officers, reporters, lawyers, and students. (CH)

These materials include the script for a mock trial in which students are asked to role play the participants in a case based on the facts of New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985). The case raised questions involving a students' rights to protection against unreasonable searches and seizures under the Fourth Amendment and schools' needs to…

Traces the application of the constitutional protection from "unreasonable searches and seizures" as it has evolved in response to public attitudes and changes in technology. Includes a synopsis of relevant cases and two lesson plans. The cases concern a police search through trash bags and drug testing for athletes. (MJP)

Designed to help make the Bill of Rights a living document, the student text (user's guide) describes the history of each right in the Bill of Rights and explains how the Supreme Court has interpreted those rights throughout history. The units trace the history of the Bill of Rights, describe and analyze the first ten amendments, and explain the…

Provides a model National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) essay examination that teachers may use to evaluate higher-order thinking among social studies high school students. Presents a constitutional issue for students to argue positions. Reports examination results from 51 classrooms. Includes essay examples and scoring rationale.…

Maintains that the adult male inmate population at a maximum security correctional center is a logical if difficult audience for effective lessons about the Bill of Rights. Presents two scenarios with accompanying instructional procedures and student discussion questions. (CFR)

Public school principals and teachers have a compelling need to understand student rights when teaching constitutional principles that apply to students. This book seeks to help both students and educators understand those rights. The work concerns itself with the fundamental federal constitutional rights of public school students. A study of the…

A series of nine lessons that can be used in any order, this booklet is intended to help teachers and students discuss and analyze the issue of terrorism in the United States. The lessons cover a range of important issues appropriate for social studies classes, and contain readings, discussion questions, and interactive activities. The first…