Reviews a fascinating lesson plan designed to acquaint students with the methods and devices used to deny blacks the right to vote in the pre-Civil Rights era south. Students take the same test that Alabama required of resident blacks to vote. Includes a copy of the exceptionally difficult test. (MJP)

Outlines projects organized by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council to celebrate the Bill of Rights bicentennial. Concentrates on a poster exhibit consisting of 12 panels depicting civil rights with accompanying essays. Stresses promoting the Bill of Rights' relevance to students' lives and the humanities role in teaching lessons from history and…

Offers suggestions for teaching the concept of constitutional government. Differentiates constitutional governments from autocratic systems. Includes a handout containing excerpts from a model constitution. Involves students in comparisons of this model to the U.S. Constitution and discussions about clauses in the model. Reveals at the lesson's…

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)

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)

Presents a lesson examining the historical background of the U.S. government's relocation and internment of Japanese-Americans and Japanese aliens during World War II. Asks secondary students to consider both the legal and moral dimensions of the relocation effort and current compensation arguments. Includes handouts and suggestions for role…

Discusses the unique legal status of American Indians as citizens of tribal governments, and traces their struggle for civil rights. Examines provisions for in the U.S. Constitution dealing with the Indians, the military conquest of Indian tribes, and Indian participation in the civil rights movement. Includes a list of books on American Indian…

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 book, an update of the 1988 edition, gives readers a basic grasp of the general legal principles controlling the role of religion in public education with the goal of applying those principles to typical church/state issues. Chapter 1 offers the background of general legal principles needed to understand specific church/state issues. Chapter…

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)