First Amendment

Inquiry research Project

8th Grade Social Studies

What is this “Inquiry” PRoject?

• The “First Amendment Inquiry Project” is a project in which you will:
• Identify a question about the First Amendment that genuinely interests you
• Identify the court case in which the Supreme Court answered that question
• Identify the cause(s) of the Supreme Court case
• Explain the Supreme Court’s decision in the case
• Analyze how the court case changed American society (or prevented change)
• Evaluate the extent to which democratic ideals of the US Constitution are evident in the case

What’s the purpose of this “Inquiry” PRoject?

• To allow you to research a question that interests you
• To help you understand how the First Amendment is relevant to your life and to our society in the 21st century
• To understand how democratic ideals of the Constitution are present in real-life situations
• To practice your research skills (summarizing sources, presenting the best examples of textual evidence to support claims, identifying credible sources, etc.)

Things to know before approaching this project

• The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Court cases are heard by the Supreme Court not because of how severe a crime is, but because of the complexity or importance of the case.�
• The Supreme Court may decide to hear a case for any of the following reasons:
• National importance
• To correct a lower court’s decision
• To resolve a split decision in a lower court

Things to know before approaching this project

Things to know before approaching this project

• The Supreme Court does not necessarily determine what is morally or ethically correct.
• The Supreme Court decides whether or not a specific action, law or lower court ruling violates the US Constitution.

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• The Supreme Court interprets laws to ensure the US Constitution is not being violated, and over time the Court may actually change its mind and reverse a previous decision.

Things to know before approaching this project

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Things to know before approaching this project

• The Supreme Court is a great example of how to present arguments in a respectful way.
• While we may feel very strongly about what is right or wrong in a particular case, our personal feelings about a case are irrelevant. We will model the Supreme Court by discussing these cases without insulting others or insisting that our personal views are the “correct” or “legal” views to have.

Video Link: “U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer talks about the basic listening practices used by the Court to reach decisions in the cases it hears”