Given the current national debate over immigration reform and the plethora of anti-immigrant policies, practices, and laws, school curriculums should include materials that will allow students to learn about, and reflect on, the impact this debate has on the lived realities of those most impacted. Specifically, teachers and their students will…

These lessons are based on U.S. Census 2000 results, focusing on changes in the United States during the 1990s. Students construct choropleth (thematic) maps, analyze information from tables and maps, discuss the impact of the Census 2000 apportionment counts on their state and the United States, and calculate population totals. Lessons include…

This constitutional casebook is the outcome of the P.A.T.C.H. Law Program of the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District in New York. The casebook provides students and teachers in grades 7, 8, 11, and 12 with a summary review of the 22 cases mentioned in the New York State Regents' 11th grade "U.S. History and Government"…

Presents activities for teaching high school students about the freedom of religion. Includes student handouts that explain basic constitutional principles and summarize leading U.S. Supreme Court cases concerning religious liberty. Encourages teachers to invite students to speculate on the future relationship of religion and public education. (SG)

This book explains the development and current workings of the American and Maryland judiciaries. An interview with the Honorable Arthur M. Monty Anhalt of the Circuit Court of Prince George's County, a long-time advocate of law education, presents a realistic view of the principles by which jurists operate in their daily effort to impart justice.…

This book presents, in words and pictures, a history of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Fifteen chapters in the book are entitled: (1) Origins; (2) The Colonial Experience; (3) The American Crisis: Road to Revolution; (4) New Order of the Ages; (5) The Bill of Rights; (6) The Civil War; (7) A Changing America; (8) War & Reaction;…

Minutes of a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution are presented, beginning with opening statements from four United States senators (Hatch, Grassley, Thurmond, DeConcini) concerning the significance of the United States Constitution and its doctrine of the diffusion of powers. The core of the minutes includes the prepared…

Engages secondary students in an analysis of individual rights issues decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Provides an outline and a "test" to evaluate a law or government action, giving students objective criteria to guide their reasoned opinions. Emphasizes the need for a reasonable and rational method to analyze the law. (LS)

This collection of research findings by several organizations quantifies public ignorance of the U.S. Constitution and the success of the "We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution Program" in addressing the problem. Surveys by the American Bar Association, the Hearst Corporation, the National Assessment of Education Progress, the…

This digest discusses issues related to teaching about the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It begins by quoting the amendment that protects citizens of the United States against unreasonable searches and seizures, and goes on to discuss how the understanding and interpretation of the amendment have been influenced by historical events,…

Provides a lesson plan on the issue of distributive justice, or fairness in the ways things are distributed among individuals and groups. Includes a student reading concerning a proposed guaranteed standard of living. Proposes an activity that calls for student discussion of a constitutional amendment that would offer such a guarantee. (SG)

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.…

Intended to accompany the film "Mister Chief Justice," this study guide introduces the life of John Marshall and early U.S. history through a fictional account of a dinner party at the home of the chief justice in March, 1801. The guide presents the historical characters who attended the dinner, including John Marshall, Mary Willis…

A compilation of more than 50 lesson plans on law related education, these materials were written by middle school and high school teachers from around the United States. The lessons cover a broad range of topics including "DNA Fingerprints and the Constitutional Right to Privacy"; "Censorship and Book Banning in Public Schools"; "The Death…