Class Discussion: Supreme Court Opinions
Visit the following website:
http://www.oyez.org/issues (Links to an external site.)
This website is a nice place to get the very basics regarding Supreme Court opinions. The often 40, 50 or 100 page opinions written by the justices are summed up into neat little paragraphs.
Using the menu on the left (which groups cases together by their issue – I would recommend civil rights, criminal procedure, due process, or 1st Amendment ) select a Supreme Court case that interests you.
Several things are required here (400 words):
- First, sum the case up in your own words.
- Then, present the “question” exactly as worded on Oyez.
- Next, sum up the conclusion of the justices.
- Finally, write about what implications the court ruling has on American society.
Go to the website:
(Links to an external site.)www.whitehouse.gov (Links to an external site.) and click on dropdown link in the top, left corner of the page to get to the “Issues” tab. Choose one topic that interests you and then study the website to see what the president has currently done or is doing about the issue you selected. Give a 400 word summary about what issue you chose and what you learned. How would you do things different?