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Tim Tobin
09
Project
Summary
Elmira City Schools
1. General Overview of the Proposed
Project:
I am proposing to develop a Supreme Court Case
Law project that incorporates technology that has recently been
added into my classroom. Specifically, I am developing a project
that will require students, possibly individually and/or in groups
to research and develop a multi-faceted Court Case or Topic Based
(Freedom of Religion, Searches, Trials, etc) project that
underscores the role of the Supreme Court in shaping law, historical
events, and practices through its interpretation of the
Constitution. The technology that I plan to incorporate includes,
but is not limited to, power points, Smart Board technology, and
flipcharts. Students may also incorporate oral arguments from the
Court. Additionally, students may present more traditional options
such as brochures, written papers, and visuals such as posters.
2. Clear Purpose and Objective:
The purpose and objective of this project is
to have students recognize the role of the Supreme Court in the
shaping of policies, interpretation of laws, and expansion of
individual rights and the founding principle of equality. This will
be done by studying the Courts’ judicial decisions in the areas of
personal liberties, civil rights, legal rights in criminal
proceedings, and protecting the rights of the disadvantaged in
American history.
3. Stakeholders: grade level, who will
benefit, who will participate in this project.
The students who will participate in this
project are students in grade 12 government courses and/or students
in grade 11 US History courses.
4. U.S. History Content Area
The content in this project correlates to the
New York State Learning Standards 1 and 5 for Secondary Social
Studies. Specifically, the content area covers the government
component of the course and is used to reinforce the major cases
that appear on the New York State Regents exam.
5. Outline Describing Content
1. Judicial Branch Overview/Article II
2. Process and How a Case Travels to the
Supreme Court
3. Arguments and decision making by the Court
4. Cases. Themes to research (Assigned by
Theme that may include the expansion of federalism, the right to
privacy, the right of association, free speech, religious rights,
jury trials, and searches and seizures. For specific case project,
sample lists of cases provided.
6. Software to be used, internet
materials, contacts, etc.
Internet resources will be utilized. There are two websites to use,
www.cornelllaw.edu and ww.nwedu. This is
a site in conjunction with the OYEZ project of Northwestern
University
7. Level of Student Involvement
This entire project is student driven after an
initial teacher led discussion on the operating procedures and
processes of the United States Supreme Court. All aspects and
components of the project are student driven. In addition, the
group based option project requires students to develop a group
contract that outlines roles, tasks, and responsibilities of each
group member. Students are required to design a plan for completion
of the project, create a method for resolving conflicts, and discuss
how to utilize the skills and talents of the group members.
8. Evaluation process (include students
when possible)
The evaluation process will include a project
rubric, a teacher narrative, and student input for presentations.
As needed, a formal, traditional assessment of student presentation
remains an option to reinforce content, listening and note taking
skills.
9. Timeline: how you envision the
project being carried out between start up and conclusion
The timeline for this project is designed for
a five to six day window that includes the initial discussion and
assigning of the project, teacher modeling of the research sites,
development of the contract, and initial research. Days two through
four are dedicated to research and construction of the project.
Presentations will be given over days five and six.
Timothy J. Tobin
Elmira City School District
American History & Government, Grade 11
American Federal Government, Grade 2
Participation in Government, Grade 12
TAH Project Culminating Analysis and
Reflection
May 2009
I developed a Supreme Court Case
Law project. The primary purpose and learning objective was to have
students recognize the role of the Supreme Court in the shaping and
expansion of individual rights, the promotion of equality, and the
shaping of society through Court decisions. This was done by having
students research and study the Courts’ judicial decisions in the
areas of personal liberties, civil rights, legal rights in criminal
proceedings, and protecting the rights of the disadvantaged in
American history. A special emphasis was placed on the first
amendment and the fourth amendment.
The project required
students to complete individually and/or in groups to research and
develop a multi-faceted Court Case or Topic Based (Freedom of
Religion, Searches, Trials, etc) project that underscores the role
of the Supreme Court in shaping law, historical events, and
practices through its interpretation of the Constitution. The
technology that I incorporate includes, but is not limited to, power
points, Smart Board technology, and flipcharts. Students may also
incorporate oral arguments from the Court. Additionally, students
completed and presented traditional technology through the creation
of brochures, written papers, and visuals such as posters.
The implementation of this project
was given to three different classes. The classes were different
levels with two college level ACE courses, and two Participation in
Government courses. I offered different options of the project to
different class4es and offered a basic option to one section. This
was a good and bad idea. The advantaged is that it allowed me to
tailor the project and content, along with the requirements, to the
different levels of my students. The downside of this is that in
one class, I had a mixed bag of individual and group assignments.
While the projects were all completed, this made the management and
grading assessment a bit more difficult. The higher level students
wanted to do the work on their own and the moderate to lower level
students. for the most part, paired up. I am not certain this is
something I am satisfied with. I wanted a group discussion on the
finer points of the cases, as well as some paired “aha” moments, top
happen. I am not certain if this did to the degree I had hoped
for. IN addition, I had one group form that I was not comfortable
with as this group was without a leader. I would change this
component.
Student response to the assignment
was positive and the results were excellent. On highlight was one
of my underclassman enrolled in the class of seniors, did a visual
presentation on flag burning that several innovative technology
components. I had him come in one day after class and give me a
tutorial for future incorporation. While this part of his work was
good, his content was weak and his oral presentation could have been
better. I should have paired him with another, stronger academic
student that did not have the technological skills. All work was
completed in the appropriate time allotments, all students did their
oral presentations. As far as academic quality, the projects
included all of the necessary requirements, information was
accurate, with one exception of a student who offered the incorrect
decision, and resources were cited. Personal insight and
application of the Court decision was adequate. I strive for
students to offer their opini9ons and insights into all work that we
do. This could have been improved in this project.
The benefits to students in doing this project is that
it reinforces/expands research skills used in other courses, most
notably it reinforces the senior thesis from a mechanical
perspective. In addition, this allows students to use creativity
and intellect by conjuring up innovative ways to present
information. I find that students are very strong in the technology
area and fostering this strength through projects such as this is
beneficial. This approach allows for students to present content
and become experts on a case/issue. Further, as technology evolves
in our building, students take the lead in many areas and “instruct”
their peers and their teachers in ways to use technology in
instruction.
The successful completion of this
project has allowed me to spin off other assignments and topics
through the use of technology. For instance, after completing this
project, I recently designed a project on presidential elections
since 1960. This was a power point based project that was done by
pairs of students. The addition to this was each presentation was
required to imbed a video clip or commercial from the election
campaign. These led to some very interesting student work. One
group imbedded a clip from the Vietnam War (1968) and played
Fortunate Son in the background. Another group used the Kent State
photograph in their presentation. This led to the playing of “Ohio”
(CSNY) and the reading of two archival letters to one of the slain
students’ parents This second assignment was a by-product of the TAH
project as it allowed me to move out into new areas of technology,
which the students are good at and enjoy, and to bring in content
and expertise through class discussion generated by student work.
My goal for next year is to develop an animated/video type project
for students to create based on course content, curriculum, and the
NY State learning standards.
SUPREME COURT: CASE LAW PROJECT
As a
group, you are required to do research on a “thematic right” by
researching Supreme Court Cases. You are to collectively organize
your findings in the following fashion:
This
assignment has several components:
·
A
12-15 minute presentation of your findings. You should include a
Power Point.
·
A
handout for the class members (brochure, pamphlet, notes outline,
bulleted summary, etc.)
·
A
written summary for the instructor.
·
Completion of group contract, self-assessment, attendance logs, and
presentation evaluations.
·
Submit
a print out of your power point…3 slides per page.
·
Submit
an electronic copy of your power point.
Specific Guidelines for the Cases:
A. Select Topic Assignment of a Bill of Rights Theme
·
Refer
to list of Themes that have been provided
·
Assemble yourself into groups.
B.
Information that you need to gather about the Topic and cases:
1. Background Information: This includes
pertinent facts such
as dates, location, people, and the actions that
led to the case.
2. Constitutional basis of the Case:-identify
and explain the
provision(s) of the Constitution that is being raised. What
right
is being asserted? (most of this should be done by the
thematic nature of the assignment)
3. Supreme Court Decision in the cases.
Include the voting result.
4. Opinion:-Include excerpts from the
written opinions of the case. This would include the
majority, minority, and concurring opinions
as appropriate. The majority
opinion is of the utmost
importance. A note about opinions: These can be lengthy.
5.
Results/Impact/Observation of the Cases-What is the point
that you are trying to convey? How has the Court expanded (Or
limited) our rights as citizens?
Library/Internet Research
1... The following web sites may be helpful”
Oyez!Oyez!Oyez…Northwestern Law Library
http://www.findlaw.com
http://www.law.net/
www.cornell.edu
www.google.com
Power Point Presentation:
1.
Visually Appealing
2.
Less is More on Slides
3.
Appropriate Background
4.
Visual Effects as Appropriate
5.
Special Touches…images
6.
Minimum 10 Slides (you can elaborate off the slides…..avoid reading)
7.
Maximum 15 Slides
8.
Spelling and Grammar Matter!
Written Paper/Narrative
1. A typed group summary paper must be submitted.
2. Length of not more than 3 pages should be sufficient.
3. Proper format to be followed…spacing, paragraphs,
Rights Themes
-
Right to
Privacy
-
Right of
Association
-
Free
Exercise of Religion
-
Establishment Clause Cases
-
Civil
Rights
-
Free
Speech-types, limitations
-
Search and
Seizures
-
Rights of
the Accused
-
Criminal
Procedures (6th Amendment)
Supreme Court Case Project
You are required to do
computer/Internet research on a Supreme Court Case and organize your
findings in a pamphlet or written paper and a
short presentation of your findings.
This
assignment has several components:
1.
Library/Internet Research
2.
Brochure/Pamphlet or Written Paper
3.
Presentation
4. Follow
up Analysis: First Amendment Case Quiz!
·
Note a Final Exam Essay Comes
from this assignment.
Specific Case Guidelines:
A.
Select/Random Assignment of a Supreme Court Case
·
Refer to list of Court Cases
that have been provided
·
A brief statement of each case
topic will be give
B.
Information that you need to gather about the case:
1.
Background Information:
This includes pertinent facts such
as
dates, location, people, and the actions that led to the case.
2.
Constitutional basis of the Case:-identify
and explain the provision
of the Constitution
that is being raised. What right is being asserted?
3.
Supreme Court Decision
in the case. Include the voting result.
4.
Opinion:-Include
excerpts from the written opinions of the case. This
would include the
majority, minority, and concurring opinions as appropriate. The
majority opinion is of the utmost importance.
5.
Results/Impact/Observation of the Case-What
are the lasting
effects of this Case?
Why is/was this case important? Your views on the Court ruling?
6.
Sources/Works
Cited:
The
Task (choose one of the following)
Choice A) Create a three fold
brochure/pamphlet in a desktop publishing or word processing program
(Microsoft office publisher) and write a summary of an important
Supreme Court case from the provided list of cases. Include the
following:
-
An eye-catching cover.
-
Address the 5 required items of
information.
-
Minimum of 3 images (clip art, digital
images, etc.) to highlight and illustrate the  issue
of the case.
Choice B: Traditional
Written Paper/Poster Board
1. A typed
paper must be submitted.
2. Length 2
pages should be sufficient.
3. Include
a cover sheet and source page.
4. Proper
format to be followed…spacing, paragraphs, parenthetical citations,
etc.
Evaluation:
Your project grade will
be based on the content and appearance, participation while in the
computer lab/library, and presentation. A grading rubric will be
used. This assignment will have a value of 125-150 points.
Library Use:
Consider: Google your
case and type in name, consider using OYEZ. Look around a bit…you
will find a great deal of information. Choose wisely!!
Several class periods
are provided for this assignment.
Dates:
Library:
Submit Work: Present:
Group Contract
This contract is an
agreement between the following group members:
_____________________
__________________________
_____________________
__________________________
This contract shall
be valid for the Supreme Court Case Law project..
Our group has
decided that we will make decisions by
__________________________. If we can not make everyone
satisfied with our decision, we will
____________________________________________________. If
someone remains unsatisfied we will
____________________________________________________.
The following
formal roles have been created in our group:
Group Leader:
______________________________
Record Keeper:
_____________________________
Facilitator:
_________________________________
Technology Person:
___________________________
The following
are expectations of all members of our group:
The following
is how our group plans on handling conflicts:
If a member of
our group fails to meet expectations, the following is the
consequence that we agree on:
Work will be
divided up in the following manner:
Signatures:
__________________________
_________________________
_________________________
________________________
Date:
__________________________
Group
Members:
1.___________________
2.__________________
3.__________________
4.__________________
Case
Law Project Attendance Log:
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Presentation |
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Student
Name:___________________________ Total score:_____
Brochure Assignment
1.
The work is neatly
typed. 5 4 3
2 1
(proper font, spacing, etc)
2. The pamphlet includes the
5 4 3 2 1
name, class, date, and title
of case.
3. The student has checked
and 5 4 3
2 1
corrected the assignment for spelling
and punctuation.
4. The pamphlet presents
the 5 4 3
2 1
topic and issue clearly.
5.
The student has included the
5 4 3 2 1
decision and opinions of the Court.
6. The student has clearly
5 4 3
2 1
presented his/her
opinion/significance
of the case.
7.
There are at least three
images 5 4 3
2 1
In the visual component
8.
The visuals are
5 4 3
2 1
effective and appealing.
9. The student met deadlines.
5 4 3 2
1
10. The student met all
5 4 3 2 1
components of the assignment.
5= excellent 4= good 3= average
2= needs improvement 1=weak/missing
Score _________ Conversion ______
This assignment was submitted:
_____ on time ____ late
_____penalty
Comments:
Student
Name:___________________________ Total score:_____
Supreme Court Assignment
1.
The paper is neatly
typed. 5 4 3 2 1
2. The cover page includes the
5 4 3 2 1
name, class, date, and title
of work..
3. The student has checked
and 5 4 3 2
1
corrected the paper for spelling
and punctuation.
4. The student paper presents
the 5 4 3 2 1
topic and issues clearly.
5.
The student has included the
5 4 3 2 1
decision and opinions of the Court.
6. The student has clearly
5 4 3 2 1
presented his/her opinion.
7.
The student has
completed 5 4 3 2 1
.an oral presentation
8.
The student visual
is 5 4 3
2 1
effective and visually appealing.
9. The student met deadlines.
5 4 3 2 1
10. The student met all
three. 5 4 3 2 1
components of the assignment.
5= excellent 4= good 3= average
2= needs improvement 1=weak/missing
This assignment was submitted:
Score _________ Conversion ______
_____ on time ____
late _____penalty
Comments:
SUPREME COURT CASE PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
You are required to do research on a
Supreme Court Case and organize your findings in a written paper and
a short presentation of your findings.
This assignment has
several components:
1. Written Paper
2. Presentation
3. Visual
Specific
Guidelines:
A. Select/Random
Assignment of a Supreme Court Case
·
Refer to list of Court Cases that have been provided
·
A brief statement of each case topic will be given
B. Information that you need to
gather about the case:
1. Background
Information: This includes pertinent facts such
as dates,
location, people, and the actions that led to the case.
2.
Constitutional basis of the Case:-identify and explain the
provision of the
Constitution
that is being raised. What right is being asserted?
3. Supreme
Court Decision in the case. Include the voting result.
4. Opinion:-Include
excerpts from the written opinions of the case. This would
include the
majority, minority, concurring opinions as appropriate. The
majority
opinion is of the utmost importance.
5. Results/Impact/Observation
of the Case-What are the lasting effects of this
Case? Why is/was this case
important? Your views on the Court ruling?
Library/Internet
Research
1... The following web
sites may be helpful”
Oyez!Oyez!Oyez…Northwestern
Law Library
http://www.findlaw.com
http://www.law.net/
www.cornell.edu
www.google.com
2. Due date for paper is the week of
June 6th.
Oral Presentation
1. Order of presentation will be
scheduled…volunteers or random assignments.
2. Note cards, visual aids, and
other “helpers” acceptable.
3. A five minute
overview presentation will be the acceptable goal...
4. Goal is to do 4-5
presentations per period.
Written Paper
1. A typed paper must be
submitted.
2. Length 3 pages should
be sufficient.
3. Include a cover sheet
and source page.
4. Proper format to be
followed…spacing, paragraphs, parenthetical citations, etc.
Follow Up Analysis
1. Evaluations of oral
presentations.
Suggested Court Cases
-
RAV V. St. Paul
-
Tinker v. Des Moines
-
Hazlewood v. Kuhlmeier
-
Hustler Magazine v. Falwell
-
Miller v. California
-
Texas v. Johnson
-
Minersville v. Gobitis
-
West Virgina v. Barnette
-
US v. O’Brien
-
Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v.
City of Hialeah
-
Chicago v. Morales
-
Wooley v. Maynard
-
Bethel v. Fraser
-
FCC v. Pacifica
-
NAACP v. Alabama
-
Loving v. Virginia
-
GLIB v. Hurley
-
Lynch v. Donnelly
-
Dale v. Boy Scouts
-
Martin v. PGA
-
Pottawatomie v. Earls
-
US v. Banks
-
Santa Fe School District v.
Doe
-
NEA v. Finley
-
Ferguson v. City of Charleston
-
Griswold v. CT
-
Wallace v. Jaffree
-
Engel v. Vitale
-
Employment Division v. Smith
-
Wisconsin v. Yoder
-
Sherbert v. Verner
-
Rust v. Sullivan
-
Madsden v, Women’s Health
Clinic
-
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire
-
RENO v. ACLU
-
Wisconsin v. Mitchell
-
Raytheon v. Hernandez
-
Locke v. Davey
-
Elk Grove School District v.
Newdow
-
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
-
Virginia v. Black
Log
Group Contract
Pamphlet Rubric_
Pamphlet Project Requirements
Paper Rubric___
Assignment I
Reflection
Suggested Court Cases
Assignment II
|