Becky Wandel explores what to look for when reading the news via …
Becky Wandel explores what to look for when reading the news via social media using her original stop light method. This resource includes a video and teaching resources.
In the aftermath of the divisive 2020 presidential election, PBS NewsHour and …
In the aftermath of the divisive 2020 presidential election, PBS NewsHour and Student Reporting Labs (SRL) aired "We the Young People", a half-hour virtual special highlighting the impact of young voters. The show featured teen voices and conversations with experts focusing on issues that affect young people.
In the first video, Jevin West, an Associate Professor at the University of Washington who studies the spread of misinformation, talks to student reporter Bridgette Adu-Wadier about the ongoing problem of misinformation online and in our society and how it has impacted democratic processes. In the second video, multimedia reporter Heather Taylor-Wynn talks to two teen fact-checkers from Poynter’s MediaWise program about solutions to slow down the spread of misinformation.
SRL's Becky Wandel spoke with science producer Nsikan Akpan about he how …
SRL's Becky Wandel spoke with science producer Nsikan Akpan about he how he debunked that cellphone-horns story. This resource includes a video and teaching resources to help students dig more deeply into the facts behind science stories we see in the news.
This documentary, featuring Justice Stephen G. Breyer and leading constitutional scholars, chronicles …
This documentary, featuring Justice Stephen G. Breyer and leading constitutional scholars, chronicles two key moments that defined our understanding of the role of the judiciary: the Cherokee Nation's struggles before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1830s to preserve its homeland in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, and Cooper v. Aaron (1958), which affirmed that states were bound to follow the Court's order to integrate their schools. (34 min)
This lesson explores the role of the judiciary in relation to the …
This lesson explores the role of the judiciary in relation to the legislative and executive branches and how judicial independence has evolved since the founding of the nation. Two significant cases covered in the lesson, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) and Cooper v. Aaron (1958), exemplify the importance of an independent judiciary. Students will use their knowledge based on watching the Annenberg Classroom video âAn Independent Judiciary.â
This discussion guide is for use with the video âIs the Supreme …
This discussion guide is for use with the video âIs the Supreme Court Different?â which features a conversation with Linda Greenhouse, the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph M. Goldstein Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School, who is interviewed by Theodore W. Ruger, dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, at the Fair and Impartial Judiciary Symposium on October 26, 2019, at the Penn Law School.
Students will explore, engage and develop a thorough understanding of the components …
Students will explore, engage and develop a thorough understanding of the components and ethics related to journalism. Click on the Activities Tab to complete the lesson.
In a constitutional system of government, the role of the judiciary is …
In a constitutional system of government, the role of the judiciary is essential for maintaining the balance of power, protecting individual rights, upholding the rule of law, interpreting the Constitution, and ensuring equal justice for all. The estimated time for this lesson plan is two class periods.
This documentary tells how a Black construction worker's personal-injury lawsuit against his …
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 …
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 …
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 analyze the interplay of processes and procedures that …
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.
This three-part documentary discusses why and how the Constitution was created at …
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.
This lesson focuses on the landmark Supreme Court case Youngstown Sheet & …
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 …
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.
Learn how laws are made in an updated version of LawCraft. Select …
Learn how laws are made in an updated version of LawCraft. Select a district to represent in the House of Representatives, then review letters from constituents. You'll dig into survey data and select an issue that's important to you and the people who live in your district. Take that issue to the House and jump into the law-making process. See if you can make the compromises necessary to get your bill passed by the House and Senate and still make a law you're proud of.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R., Texas) explain …
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R., Texas) explain the complex process of turning a bill into federal law in discussions with high school students.
Overview: This course contains five projects that are organized around the following …
Overview: This course contains five projects that are organized around the following question: “What is the proper role of government in a democracy?” Each project involves political simulations through which students take on roles that help contextualize the content required by the new College Board course framework.
Founders' Intent Elections Supreme Court Congress Government in Action
Openly licensed PDF unit plans of all the above units are available at this Sprocket Lucas Education Research Platform (scroll to bottom of web page).
Alternately, educators may sign up for free access to the online AP U.S. Government and Politics course that includes additional instructional supports: https://sprocket.lucasedresearch.org/users/sprocket_access Subject: U.S. History Level: High School Grades: Grade 11, Grade 12 Material Type: Full Course, Lesson, Unit of Study Author: Knowledge in Action, Lucas Education Research, University of Washington Date Added: 09/11/2018
This video tells the story of the origins of the Magna Carta …
This video tells the story of the origins of the Magna Carta and explores the two most important principles that it symbolizes: rule of law and due process. Students will learn how the framers interpreted and redefined the rule of law and due process when they created our Constitution. And they will understand how those rights have been expanded and protected by the U.S. Supreme Court through two landmark Supreme Court cases: U.S. v. Nixon and Powell v. Alabama.
This video tells the story of the origins of the Magna Carta …
This video tells the story of the origins of the Magna Carta and explores the two most important principles that it symbolizes: rule of law and due process. Students will learn how the framers interpreted and redefined the rule of law and due process when they created our Constitution. This version of Magna Carta and the Constitution is for use in history classes.
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