Lesson Plan - 3 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about three Supreme Court cases involving young people and compare and contrast them.

Curriculum Connections

• U.S. Supreme Court

• Three Branches of Government

• U.S. Constitution

• The First and Fourth Amendments

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Consider the role courts play in daily life

• Understand how checks and balances limit powers

• Investigate conflicts over rights in a constitutional democracy

English Language Arts:

• Learn and use domain-specific vocabulary

• Compare and contrast events

• Integrate information presented in multiple formats

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, WHST.6-8.7, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, W.6-8.7, SL.6-8.1

1. Preparing to Read

Build Background and Vocabulary

Before playing the video “Unboxing the Supreme Court,” ask students to take notes as they watch and then write three facts they learned about the U.S. Supreme Court. Share responses. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms from the article.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to underline or highlight three important details about each case.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• What did the Supreme Court decide about First Amendment rights in the Tinker case? (Central Ideas)
The Supreme Court ruled that students and teachers have First Amendment rights to free speech at public schools—up to a point. The justices sided with the students who wore armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. However, the Court said that schools can limit expression that might be disruptive.

• Summarize the Court’s decision in the case about group prayer. (Summarizing)
The Supreme Court ruled that the Santa Fe Independent School District could not broadcast prayers before football games. The 6-3 ruling declared that the prayers were forcing students to participate in a religious ceremony. Yet the Court pointed out that students are allowed to voluntarily pray on school grounds as long as school officials aren’t involved.

• Why did Lindsay Earls decide to sue her school district? What did the Supreme Court rule? (Key Details)
Earls decided to sue her school district because she thought that her school’s policy to drug test students involved in extracurricular activities violated the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits “unreasonable searches” of Americans. The Supreme Court sided with the school district and said the drug tests were a reasonable way for schools to maintain safety and deter drug use.

3. Skill Building

Compare and Contrast

Use the Skill Builder Comparing Cases to have students select two of the three cases to analyze using a graphic organizer.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

Printable Lesson Plan

download
Lesson: 3 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

A step-by-step guide to teaching this article in your classroom

PDF

Interactive Slide Deck

PDF
Slide Deck - 3 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

Share an interactive version of this lesson with your students.

PPT
Text-to-Speech