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…

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…

An inquiry approach, coupled with a simulation technique, is utilized in a kit designed to teach civil liberties to high school classes. This booklet, normally accompanied by five flow charts and a cassette, first presents the instructions for the simulation. Then, five constitutional case studies and excerpts from their Supreme Court decisions…

Outlines a lesson for high school students covering religious controversies in New York City schools in the 1840s. Issues pertain to Irish-Catholic immigrants' objections to public school religious instruction and attempts to obtain public support for parochial schools. Includes handouts concerning religious freedom, Bishop John Hughes' opinion,…

Remarks on experiences as a participant at a conference on constitution-writing that linked Czech and Slovak constitution writers with U.S. lawyers. Argues cultural traditions must be respected when advising how to write constitutions. Examines challenges facing Czech and Slovak constitution writers, including structuring the government; the…

This teaching guide outlines an 18 week elective course on criminal justice for use in grades 11 or 12. The course consists of five units and is intended to help students learn about law, crime and law enforcement, courts, corrections, and capital punishment. Throughout the course there is extensive participation of law enforcement and other…

Designed to expose high school students to the complexities of the bureaucratic structure of the Federal Government (especially that of the structure and organization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its relationship to tribal governments), this curriculum bulletin provides a guide for exploring the Federal Government's responsibilities to…

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)

Discusses prospects for democracy in South Africa. Explores the complexities and contradictions endemic to the process of overcoming 300 years of racist laws and practices. Considers the risks of concessions for both Black and White leaders; problems resulting from enduring political and economic inequalities; and constitutional alternatives.…

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…