Reviews a collection of decisions rendered by the Burger Court during its waning months. The decisions involve (1) criminal procedures, (2) racial bias in jury selection, (3) search and seizure, and (4) the exclusion of jurors who have reservations about the death penalty. (JDH)

Focuses on the U.S. Bill of Rights Fourth Amendment discussing what it means related to current technological advances, such as automobiles and computers. Provides information on court cases relevant to the Fourth Amendment, such as Atwater v. City of Lago Vista and City of Indianapolis v. Edmond. Lists ideas for learning activities. (CMK)

Presents the pro and con viewpoints about the school voucher system in: "A Case for Including Religiously Affiliated Schools in Publicly Funded Voucher Systems" (Teresa Stanton Collett) and "The Inclusion of Religious Schools in Public Voucher Systems is Unconstitutional" (Caren Dubnoff). (CMK)

Offers a collection of resources with accompanying descriptions for teaching about the First Amendment and other related issues. Includes books, pamphlets, curriculums and lesson plans, mock trials, periodicals, posters, software, videotapes, and websites that are applicable for elementary through secondary students. (CMK)

Focuses on the process of amending the U.S. Constitution and describes Article V in detail. Explores the intent of the framers of the Constitution and provides historical information on the the various amendments. Addresses proposed amendments and the failure to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Includes questions for discussion. (CMK)

Provides viewpoints on whether the constitutional amendment process needs to be changed or not: (1) "When in Doubt, Do Nothing" (R. B. Bernstein); (2) "Citizens for the Constitution" (Erwin Chemerinsky); (3) "Constitutional Proposals from the States" (John Kincaid); and (4) "I Have a Better Way" (Gregory D.…

Educating students to understand overt, subtle, and erroneous claims made by partisan advertisers is no small feat. Often students are passive consumers who need to learn how to become critical listeners, viewers, readers, and producers of all types of media. Because of this, media literacy--the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce…

This instructor's guide assists secondary social studies educators in making effective use of the five-part video series, "That Delicate Balance II: Our Bill of Rights." In the tradition of "The Constitution: That Delicate Balance," the series introduces students to the Bill of Rights and the controversies that have arisen over…

"Update on the Courts," a resource for civic education, helps teach secondary school students about today's important Supreme Court and other judicial decisions, the legal issues involved, and the impact of the decisions on the students' lives. This issue features a lesson on copyright laws, a case overview and lesson on sexual…

This paper assesses efforts undertaken to promote teaching and learning about the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights during the years leading up to and including the bicentennial celebrations of these two documents. The assessment focuses on three specific topics: (1) patterns of content coverage; (2) materials for teachers and students; and…

This textbook on the separation of church and state continues the "Exploring the Constitution Series," which introduces important areas of constitutional law. Intended to serve either as a reference work, a supplement to a standard textbook, or as the textbook for a course, this volume covers the constitutional issues of prayer in public…

This catalog was developed to provide useful information about the many "Teaching Law to the Public" law school-based projects operating around the country in 1993-94. Aimed at law school project staff members, it is a handy reference to other law school programs. The catalog also is intended as a guide for everybody involved in…

This document is a teacher's guide to a series of mass transit advertisement posters illustrating Bill of Rights topics. The five posters in the series are discussed in five separate sections. Each section is divided into three units, each consisting of a learning activity, one for the secondary level, one for the middle school level, and one…

Designed to make the U.S. Constitution come alive for students, this guide uses real-life examples taken from the daily newspaper to illustrate the document's day-to-day applications. Activities are presented to familiarize students with the Constitution's content as well as with its continuing impact on U.S. life. Newspaper-related activities are…

This report contends that most U.S. history and government textbooks give only cursory attention to the Second Amendment "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms..." to the U.S. Constitution, and most endorse a particular political view of the amendment, rather than providing the necessary background for an informed political…