The Rule of Law
Overview
In the last unit, we looked at the concept of federalism and the need to balance the powers of our local and national powers. In this final session of Unit II, we will discuss the importance of the concept of the Rule of Law in American Society.
This session focuses on the structure, organization and powers of the Federal Judicial Branch. A history of the individual cases that directly impacted the current status of American civil rights and liberties is emphasized. The area of student rights and responsibilities in secondary schools in America is discussed using real Supreme Court cases to allow you an opportunity to reflect upon how the Rule of Law may impact our contemporary environment.
Introduction
In this session, you will...
- Take notes on the Rule of Law and identify it on your constitution handout
- Understand the impact of the Ernesto Miranda Case
- Evaluate legal situations dealing with students' rights
Vocabulary
These are words you need to know that are relevant to the content of this session. Think about what they mean as you go through this session.
Words to know:
- Judicial Precedent
- Landmark Cases
- Civil Rights
- Discrimination
- Social Contract
- Federal Appeals
You should be able to clearly define them by the time you complete this session.
If necessary, search the web dictionary to find the definitions.
As you study and read through the Rule of law Notes, take notes using this template.
My suggestion? Print the blank document and WRITE your notes by hand (Studies have shown that a students' understanding of the readings increase significantly when doing so). If you choose to do this, I will have an inbox in room 317 where you can submit your work.
Before viewing, you may want to watch this tutorial on completing a notetaking assignment.
Click on "Cornell Notes" for an example of how to take them.Cornell Notes Grading Rubric :
-
Does not the standard = At least one section appears incomplete
The Supreme Court
What you will do:
- First, identify any judicial powers on your Constitution handout by marking the margins with a "jp"
- Take a virtual tour of the Supreme Court.
- Examine the backgrounds of current justices.
- Review recent court decisions that affect schools and young people.Recognize the general qualifications of a member of the Supreme Court
- Articulate reactions to Supreme Court decisions
- Describe the impact of Supreme Court decisions on students
Research:
Web Site: Oyez-The virtual tour requires the free QuickTime plug-in.
Respond:
Complete the handout titled "The Supreme Court" and submit it to your instructor via your Brady Gmail account.
Ernesto Miranda Activity
How did the case of Ernesto Miranda affect arrest procedures in America?
Complete the following assessment on Word doc and submit via your Brady Gmail account:
Question:
What were the the four main rights included in the Miranda warning?
(20 points)
Obituary
Imagine you are a newspaper reporter. You've been assigned to write an obituary for Ernesto Miranda. Use the information from Site 2 and from the Read page. Include details on his life and the impact of his case on the rights of the accused. Be sure that your article provides an answer to the Focus Question: How did the case of Ernesto Miranda affect arrest procedures in America?
(30 points)
Law Situations
Read:
Skim the Law Situations scenarios dealing with students' rights issues.
Research:
Select the three situations you find the most interesting.
Respond:
Pretend that you are defending the student or students in each of the three situations and write out a brief argument that would convince a judge you are right. Each argument needs to be at least 100 words in length. They must also be in paragraph form.
Submit your work as a Word Document via your Brady Gmail account.
Did I Submit It?
Now that you have a better understanding about the rule of law in our society, let's make sure that you completed all the assignments in this session before moving on to the culminating assessment for Unit 2
√ I submitted it!
- U2S5 -Rule of Law Notes
- U2S5 -Supreme Court Virtual Tour handout
- U2S5 -Miranda Assessment
- U2S5 -Law Situations argument
Now let's finish this unit by completing the unit project!
