This documentary explores the landmark Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona that said criminal suspects, at the time of their arrest but before any interrogation, must be told of their Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and Sixth Amendment right to an attorney. The decision led to the familiar Miranda warning that begins âYou have the right to remain silent … â

How did we go from thirteen British colonies to the United States of America? Explore the major hardships of life under British rule, why some colonists decided to break away, and how they set a path for a new and independent government.

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade. Dealing with a citizen's Constitutional right to privacy and liberty, this lesson asks students to evaluate the Court's constitutional reasoning in Roe v. Wade.

In these five videos, judges explain separation of powers and the roles of the three branches of government as well as landmark cases related to separation of powers. Judges also review the system of checks and balances, and why it's important to respect the nation's rule of law and the jurisdiction of the courts.

Romer v. Evans (1996) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that dealt with sexual orientation and the Colorado State Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled that Colorado could not use a constitutional amendment to abolish laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Explore the rights of the accused through the origins and progression of 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments using an interactive timeline and associated resources.

Follow Justice Sandra Day O'Connor’s journey to the highest court in the land.

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Schenck v. United States. Dealing with the First Amendment's free speech protections and whether it has limits during wartime, this lesson asks students to evaluate the Supreme Court's limitations of free speech set forth in Schenck.

The Supreme Court reviewed his case in 1919, upholding his conviction and the constitutionality of the Espionage Act. This resource includes teacher materials, guides, and activities for teaching about this Supreme Court case.

In 1957, Dollree Mapp stood up to police who tried to enter her home without a search warrant. Her act of defiance led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in Mapp v. Ohio that limited police powers. This documentary explores the Fourth Amendment case in which the Court ruled that evidence illegally obtained by police is not admissible in state courts. The 1961 case redefined the rights of the accused.

This film examines the history of guns and gun ownership in our society from the Revolutionary War to modern times and the complicated debate over what the founders intended when they wrote the Second Amendment. Does it protect a right of individuals to keep and bear arms? Or is it a right that can be exercised only through militia organizations like the National Guard?

This resource from the National Constitution Center includes an introduction, big questions, recorded class sessions, briefing documents, slide decks, and worksheets about the second amendment of the United States Constitutuion.

In this lesson, students will consider the perspective of Angelina Grimké regarding the injustices of slavery. They will consider ways in which they can promote or fight for justice in their own lives.

In this lesson, students will explore the life of Thurgood Marshall and follow the development of his identity. Through his example, students will understand how they can develop and refine their identity in their own lives and, through this refinement, help advance freedom for themselves and others.

In this explainer video, students learn about the seven principles of the Constitution. A host explains each principle, and students consider how these principles apply to our government today.

In Shaw v. Reno (1993), the U.S. Supreme Court questioned the use of racial gerrymandering in North Carolina's reapportionment plan. The Court found that race could not be the deciding factor when drawing districts.

Shays’ Rebellion was a series of violent protests staged during 1786 and 1787 by a group of American farmers who objected to the way state and local tax collections were being enforced. While skirmishes broke out from New Hampshire to South Carolina, the most serious acts of the rebellion occurred in rural Massachusetts, where years of poor harvests, depressed commodity prices, and high taxes had left farmers facing the loss of their farms or even imprisonment. The rebellion is named for its leader, Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays of Massachusetts.

In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), a landmark case, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which provided the federal government with a formula to determine which voting jurisdictions should be subject to oversight when passing electoral laws.

In this vodcast, we take a look at the men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

This tool allows students to explore the rights the Sixth Amendment grants to defendants in criminal trials by linking the text's most debated clauses to expert knowledge on their various interpretations.