The Sixth Amendment right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusationâ is another protection meant to ensure that the accused receives a fair trail. A speedy, public trial that is heard by an impartial jury is meaningless if a defendant is left in the dark about exactly the crime with which he or she is charged.

Without this right, criminal defendants could be held indefinitely under a cloud of unproven criminal accusations. The right to a speedy trial also is crucial to ensuring that a criminal defendant receives a fair trial. If too much time elapses between the alleged crime and the trial, witnesses may die or leave the area, their memories may fade, and physical evidence may be lost.

The Sixth Amendment provides many protections and rights to a person accused of a crime. One right is to have his or her case heard by an impartial jury — independent people from the surrounding community who are willing to decide the case based only on the evidence.

The classic American drama Twelve Angry Men can be used to frame discussion of the constitutional right and civic function of the trial by jury. The lesson explores the specific provisions associated with this right as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the system.

The Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University hosted its annual fall civics-educator conference Oct. 10, 2023. Sharon McMahon, known as "America's Government Teacher," keynoted the conference that evening in the UCCU Center on UVU campus.

In this lesson, students will explore the fundamental reasons for the confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment. Students will engage in a simulation, identify the history and evolution of the confrontation clause from the Annenberg Classroom video The Confrontation Clause: Crawford v. Washington, and then apply this knowledge to the simulation. This lesson covers one 50-minute class period.

This discussion guide is for use with the video âWhat Are the Challenges to Judicial Independence?â which features a lecture by Charles Geyh, professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, at the Fair and Impartial Judiciary Symposium on October 26, 2019, at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Preparation and practice are the keys to a successful interview and amazing story. This lesson uses a famous art project, Humans of New York, to reverse-engineer good interview questions and techniques. Before you write your own interview questions, understand your goal: to get soundbites that connect with your audience, illuminate the topic and move your story forward. Click on the Activities Tab to complete the lesson.

Journalists often pitch story ideas inspired by events occurring in their communities or by issues they care about, but they also turn to the Internet and social media to find out what topics are engaging a large audience. This lesson will challenge students to think about the term “newsworthy” and what makes a story worthy of being reported. Click on the Activities Tab to complete the lesson.

This lesson will allow students to use primary sources, the Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court cases in conjunction with the game âThat's Your Rightâ and the Annenberg Guide to the Constitution. Students will be able to understand the meaning and importance of the Bill of Rights as well as how it safeguards freedoms and protects citizens from government intrusion in everyday life. Students will focus on primary sources, the Bill of Rights and real-life scenarios to prepare them to play the game âThat's Your Right.â Afterward, students can extend learning by exploring real Supreme Court cases that affect students in schools.

PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, in partnership with the Poynter Institute's MediaWise, hosted “Face the Facts: Election 2020 Youth Town Hall.” The virtual event engaged students and first-time voters to be prepared and better informed ahead of the November elections. In this resource, Hari Sreenivasan presents highlights from this town hall meeting. This resource includes a video and teaching resources.

This lesson is based on the Annenberg Classroom video âThe Right to Remain Silent: Miranda v. Arizona,â which explores the landmark Supreme Court case that made law enforcement the protectors of individual liberty where people are most vulnerable – in the interrogation room.