Interpreting the Constitution: What Does That Mean? Print All Related Standards

Description

Students learn that the rights in the Bill of Rights have no exact definition and are open to interpretation (by the Supreme Court, of course).  Students look at real-life cases involving the 8th and 5th amendments and see whether they come to the same conclusion about each case as the Supreme Court did.

Note: this lesson includes two optional PowerPoint presentations (see Lesson Prep below).

Objectives

Students will...

  • Attempt to define a vague rule about school supplies by choosing possible items that would be covered by the rule.
  • Use the language of the 5th and 8th Amendments to decide whether a series of specific cases violate those amendments or not.
  • Compare the student’s decisions with the actual decisions of the Supreme Court in each case.
  • Critique the Supreme Court’s definition of these amendments as the real decision for each case is revealed. 

Lesson Prep

Print
all student and teacher materials.
Interpreting the Constitution.pdfapplication/pdf icon
Preview
PowerPoint presentation for revealing 8th Amendment answers (optional and recommended).
Interpreting-The-Constituion-8th.pptapplication/vnd.ms-powerpoint icon
Preview
PowerPoint presentation for revealing 5th Amendment answers (optional and recommended).
Interpreting-The-Constituion-5th.pptapplication/vnd.ms-powerpoint icon

Step by Step

DISTRIBUTE one “What Does That Mean?” packet to each student.

INTRODUCE the “What Does That Mean?” introductory activity and have students complete the worksheet by circling all the “supplies” they personally think would be covered by the rule. You may choose to have students complete this with a partner.

POLL students to get an idea what items they chose. Emphasize the differences among students’ choices.

TURN to the “Hey—That’s Cruel and Unusual” checklist. Tell students they will be looking at eight real-life Supreme Court cases. Read the directions with the class, then let students answer. You may choose to have students work in pairs or to discuss each case as a class.

POLL students on each case. Write a tally on the board to keep track of how many students chose “yes” and “no” for each case.

REVEAL the answers! Power Point Option: Use our ready-made PowerPoint presentation to reveal each answer. Turn up the volume so students can hear the drum roll and cymbal crash with each question and answer. Answer Card Option: While students are working, cut out and distribute the answer cards to 8 students. Reveal the answers by having students read what is on their cards.

REPEAT the activity for the “I Take the Fifth” scenario checklist. The cases are a bit longer with this one and the ideas are a bit more complex. You may choose to do only one of these during the class period.

COMPARE the poll to the actual answers. Were there any cases where the class came up with a different answer than the Supreme Court? Are there any cases where students disagree with the Court after knowing how the case came out?

RETURN to the introductory activity and tell students that “necessary and useful” now means “items a student cannot do his or her assignments without.” Have students cross out all circled items they think no longer meet the definition.

CLOSE by discussing their choices and whether the new rule made it easier. Explain that the courts help make rules easier to follow by clarifying what they mean in individual cases.

Recommended Sequence

Before: 
Do I Have a Right?
After: 
Argument Wars

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