The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about the significance of the Judiciary Act of 1789 in establishing a federal judiciary, and the power of judicial review as outlined by the landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case, Marbury v. Madison (1803). By the conclusion of this lesson, students will understand the key provisions of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and the structure of the federal judiciary, as well as the power of judicial review.

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about the significance of the Judiciary Act of 1789 in establishing a federal judiciary. By the conclusion of this lesson, students will understand the key provisions of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and the structure of the federal judicial branch.

This documentary tells how a Black construction worker's personal-injury lawsuit against his employer evolved into a landmark jury selection case on the Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co. that under the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, parties in civil cases cannot use race-based peremptory challenges to reject potential jurors.

In this lesson, students learn about the process used for jury selection and how the role and responsibilities of government in civil and criminal jury trials are viewed by the Supreme Court. They also reflect on the democratic values, principles, and dispositions of character working behind the scenes.

In this lesson, based on the Annenberg Classroom videos âFAQs: Juries,â students learn about the importance, history, and constitutional foundations of jury service. They become familiar with federal and state juror questionnaires and jury summonses. Students also participate in an attitudinal survey about jury service.

In this lesson, students learn about the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of the right to a trial by an impartial jury chosen from a cross-section of the community. Students explore how this right has not always been protected when potential jurors were excluded because of their race, ethnicity, and gender. Access to this resource requires a free educator login.

In this lesson, students analyze the interplay of processes and procedures that courts use to seat an impartial jury and gain appreciation for the essential role of juries in the justice system. They also explore the responsibilities and limits placed on government by the Constitution in the context of civil and criminal trials.

In Katzenbach v. Morgan (1966), the United States Supreme Court ruled that Congress had not exceeded its authority when crafting Section 4(e) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which extended voting rights to a group of voters who had been turned away at the polls because they could not pass literacy tests. The case hinged on the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Enforcement Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Katz v. United States (1967) asked the Supreme Court to decide whether wiretapping a public phone booth requires a search warrant. The Court found that an average person has an expectation of privacy while making a call in a public phone booth. As a result, agents violated the Fourth Amendment when they used electronic surveillance to listen in on a suspect without a warrant.

This three-part documentary discusses why and how the Constitution was created at the Constitutional Convention and explores the protection of individuals' rights in the Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright and limits on presidential power through checks and balances in the Supreme Court case Youngstown v. Sawyer.

Key constitutional concepts video that covers Articles of Confederation, Shays Rebellion and the writing of the Constitution.

Jury Service: Our Duty and Privilege as Citizens Very detailed Lesson plan by Annenberg with worksheets, videos, role plays can be condensed, could use bits and pieces of this as time and interest allows. Weakness: some activities are aimed more for the middle school crowd.

This lesson focuses on the landmark Supreme Court case Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952), which challenged the extent to which the president of the United States can exercise power during times of foreign conflict. The underlying issue, which has arisen throughout our nation's history, is to define the balance of power among the three branches of government during times of national emergency.
This lesson, based on the Annenberg Classroom video âKey Constitutional Concepts: Presidential Power,â is meant to teach students how constitutional law determines the parameters of presidential power by focusing on President Harry Truman's domestic policy regarding labor and the steel industry during the Korean War.
The estimated time for this lesson plan is 45 minutes.

The lesson begins with students considering the need for an attorney in a criminal trial, followed by an examination of the rights contained in the Sixth Amendment. Using the video, students examine both the constitutional right to counsel and how this right has been secured by Supreme Court decisions. Throughout this lesson, students are provided opportunities to form their own opinions regarding Gideon's case while reviewing the language of the Sixth Amendment as they see his case unfold. The lesson concludes with students writing a historical analysis of the Gideon decision and understanding how criminal defendants are now informed about their right to counsel.

The federal Appeals Court agreed with the government. Korematsu appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court agreed with government and stated that the need to protect the country was a greater priority than the individual rights of the people of Japanese descent forced into internment camps. This resource includes teacher materials, guides, and activities for teaching about this Supreme Court case.

Can’t make it in-person? Join our special livestream of the Sunday presentation of "An Evening with the Presidents.” Join Washington, Jefferson, and Madison this President’s Day weekend for a special LIVE! from History online evening event. The Presidents will explore how their administrations navigated party, faction, and the extensive differences that challenged America during their times. Recognizing that throughout our history, the United States has been a nation divided politically with different opinions and points of view. This was as much the case in our infancy as it is today. Hosted by Barbara Hamm Lee.

In colonial Virginia, those that followed religions other than the Church of England were considered dissenters.” Meet some of Williamsburg’s religious dissenters and hear about their hopes for change.

Join George Mason, author of the first draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, on May 27, 1776. Hear about its creation, his opinion on the necessity of a bill of a rights, and the debate that ensued.

After spying for the Marquis de Lafayette, James was not given his freedom and continued to fight for years after to gain it. He fought for even longer to ensure the freedom of his family. Looking back on his life, James Lafayette talks on the challenges he faced being a newly freed Black man in a lawfully unequal society.

Meet Myrtilla, an enslaved mother and houseservant owned by Thomas Everard. She has lived in Williamsburg all her life and seen many changes take place throughout the city, including whispers of revolution. Come hear her perspective on the what has happened and what the Declaration of Independence means for herself, her children, and others in her condition.