Don’t let your students be on the wrong side of this abysmal statistic: fewer than half of Americans (43%) can name even ONE right guaranteed by the First Amendment (48%). 

By focusing on four broad areas of rights–free expression, privacy, criminal proceedings, and equal treatment–students are better able to make relevant meaning of what they can and can’t do.

These activities can be done well in about 3 class periods.

Included in this Landmark Supreme Court Cases project kit:

Overview

• Teacher Overview with general notes, skills covered, outcomes, and links
• Detailed Lesson Plans with step-by-step directions and lesson takeaway notes
• Answer Key of podcast guided notes, plus a summary of included cases
• Editable Quiz Question Bank to build a custom assessment natively in your LMS

Student Activities

• Podcast– How a Case Gets to the Supreme Court: use the included guided notes to gain background information about how these cases even get heard
• Landmark Court Case Poster Project: students research and create a one-pager of their assigned case displaying the facts and outcomes that have helped define our basic rights. Includes poster requirements, rubrics, sample poster, 2 case sign-up sheets (one with 40 cases and one blank to select your own cases)
• Poster Gallery Walk: use the included guided notes to learn about all the ways we have and don’t have rights regarding free expression, privacy, criminal proceedings, and equality. Also includes signage to organize the gallery walk and make a bulletin board afterward
• Formative & Summative Assessments: use the included fun Tarsia puzzle to quiz students on what they learned and the question quiz bank to create your own final quiz
• Print PDF and editable Google files of all student materials

The cases focus on the extended protections of the last century, particularly since the 1960s. This is not intended to explore historically significant cases that are covered in a US History course. However, a blank sign-up sheet allows you to assign any cases you wish.

This resource is 16 PDF pages, plus Google files. 

Reviews

What grades is this intended for?
This was designed for high school, but you may be able to use it with higher-level middle schoolers. 

What supports are included? How can I modify this?
Short readings with visuals, graphic organizers to guide learning, outline steps for project component. 

Google versions of student materials are editable to tailor to your students’ needs. 

Can I use this in a homeschooling setting?

Sure! Everything in this kit can still be used in a solo or a small-group setting. 

Is this editable? What file types does this resource come in?
The main resource is a secured, non-editable PDF file intended to be printed.

Included are links to editable Google files, to customize to your classroom needs and assign digitally if you choose. 

What standards does this address?

Several! Standards vary, but this resource supports these from various states:

• Analyze the structures, functions, and processes of the judicial branch
• Examine the process used by judges to interpret or clarify the law, make a decision, and write a summary opinion
• Use critical thinking skills to make inferences and draw conclusions

What are the terms of use for this resource?

This resource, including all ancillary files, may be used as needed for regular, non-commercial single-classroom use between a teacher and their students. 

This includes printing copies and sharing digital files with students through a secure platform, like Google Classroom or Canvas, email, or a classroom-only shared drive.

The using and sharing of any part of this resource in any manner outside the above-mentioned capacity is strictly prohibited. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to,

• posting files on the open internet or in a Facebook group
• emailing files to or sharing print copies with others (without purchasing additional licenses)
• uploading or storing files in a shared cloud drive accessible by anyone other than students
• including any part, or any derivative work, within any commercial endeavor like curriculum development, professional training, or for-profit teaching like Outschool, or selling this resource as your own in either print or digital formats

Doing so violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), copyright law, and these terms.

By downloading this resource from Let’s Cultivate Greatness, the original user has been granted one license for a single teacher (or number of teachers matching the number of licenses purchased) and their students at any one time.  

Let’s Cultivate Greatness retains the full copyright of this resource.