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Unit 4: Final Assessment
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Unit 4: Final Assessment

Individual Rights and Liberties
Civil Liberties on Trial:

A Supreme Court Research Presentation

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/CourtEqualJustice.JPG

The frieze at the top of the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C. depicts Liberty (seated in the center) protected by Order (immediate left) and Authority (immediate right). The building reminds us that the Supreme Court strives for “Equal Justice Under The Law”.

For the Unit 4 Final Assessment you will apply the knowledge you have gained from the previous 4 lessons to synthesize a historical investigation project that documents the significance of a single landmark Supreme Court decision in a selected civil liberties case. Remember, not all Supreme Court decisions are favorable to civil liberties. In fact, some outrageous decisions have destroyed certain civil liberty protections. Examine the partial topic list below to begin brainstorming landmark civil liberties cases for this project.

Benchmark 9.1.3.4.1:

Analyze the meaning and importance of rights in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments; compare and contrast these with rights in the Minnesota Constitution.

Benchmark 9.1.3.4.2:

Explain the scope and limits of rights protected by the First and Second Amendments and changes created by legislative action and court interpretation.

Benchmark 9.1.3.4.3:

Explain the scope and limits of rights of the accused under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments and changes created by legislative action and court interpretation.

Benchmark 9.1.3.4.4:

Explain the current and historical interpretations of the principles of due process and equal protection of the law; analyze the protections provided by the Fourteenth Amendment.

Learning Target:

I can...synthesize a research presentation of a landmark Supreme Court decision in a selected civil liberties case.

To complete Unit 4 Final Assessment please follow the steps below:

The following cases are landmark Supreme Court decisions. This is by no means an exhaustive list. If there is a case that you would like to research that is not on this list, please contact your instructor for his/her approval. These links are just for your preliminary background information. You must use other sites in addition to the link for the case that you select below to meet your source minimum.

  1. Abrams v. United States 
  2. Barron v. Baltimore
  3. Adkins v. Children's Hospital
  4. Barron v. Baltimore
  5. Boerne v. Flores
  6. Bowers v. Hardwick
  7. Brown v. Board
  8. Bush v. Gore
  9. Casey v. Planned Parenthood
  10. District of Columbia v. Heller 
  11. Dred Scott v. Sandford
  12. Gideon v. Wainwright
  13. Griswold v. Connecticut
  14. Grutter v. Bollinger; Gratz v. Bollinger
  15. Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
  16. Korematsu v. United States
  17. Lawrence v. Texas
  18. Lochner v. New York
  19. McDonald v. City of Chicago
  20. Minersville School District v. Gobitis 
  21. Miranda v. Arizona
  22. Plessy v. Ferguso
  23. Regents of University of California v. Bakke
  24. Reynolds v. Sims
  25. Roe v. Wade
  26. Schenck v. U.S.
  27. Slaughterhouse Cases
  28. Swift and Co. v. U.S.
  29. United States v. Miller
  30. West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish

1.) Home page: This where you will display the title of your presentation and provide your name, grade, and the date. In addition, you will provide at least two images relevant to your topic. (Only 1 slide)

2.) Case Background: Here you will describe the landmark Supreme Court decision of a civil liberties case that you selected. You will describe what happened, who was involved, where the circumstances that led to the case occurred, when it happened, and why the case went to the Supreme Court. This should be no more than 2 slides and should have a minimum of two images.

3.) Amendment in Dispute: On this slide you will identify the amendment in dispute. You must have the entire amendment written out on the slide. If only a section of the amendment is in dispute you must still have the entire amendment on the slide, you should highlight the disputed portion. (Only 1 slide)

4.) The Decision of the Supreme Court: On these slides (no more than 2), you will discuss what the Supreme Court decided and the constitutional reasons behind their decision. You should have a minimum of two images.

5.) Legacy: (No more than 2 slides) This is your conclusion of your research. Here you will respond to the questions: How did it affect strength of civil liberties at the time of the Court’s decision? Why is this decision important today? In addition, you will provide at least two relevant images.

6.) Personal Opinion of Decision: (Only 1 slide. No images) Based upon all of what you have learned from the unit and this project provide your personal opinion of Supreme Court’s decision and its impact upon civil liberties in the United States.

7.) Sources: This is where you will list the sources of your research. You should have at least 4 sources including the link on this page that gave you your first supply of information on your case. Again, no more than 2 slides. No images

To create your presentation, examine the grading rubric and follow the directions below:

STEP 1:

You should use PowerPoint, Google Presentation, or a similar program to create your presentation. The finished presentation should be a minimum of 7 slides, but cannot exceed 11 slides. Examine the grading rubric for details. A breakdown of requirements is as follows:

  1. Following minimum requirements for the amount of slides
  2. All 7 elements specified above contained in presentation
  3. A title for each slide IN ADDITION to required text
  4. 2 images clearly related to the term on each slide except where noted otherwise
  5. No more than 50 words per slide with the exception of the essential question slide

STEP 2

Using each of the 5 elements of the grading rubric, you will now grade your own presentation and provide a written explanation of why you graded yourself in the way you did. This should be completed as a separate document.

STEP 3

SUBMIT THIS PRESENTATION AND YOUR WRITTEN EXPLANATION OF YOUR PERSONAL GRADE THROUGH THE ASSIGNMENT MODULE BELOW.

Upload your presentation to the add submission box
o Open document to your computer
o Complete the Presentation
o Click "Save As" and save it onto a special place on your computer
o Click "Upload a File"
o Upload the file to this Moodle page
o Click Save. You will repeat these same directions for the written explanation for your personal
grade.