Students learn the purpose of appellate-level courts and how those courts operate differently from the trial courts most people are familiar with from watching television. By following the case of a real middle school girl who was strip searched at school, students find out what happens when someone takes a case all the way to the Supreme Court. Through this case, students learn about the structure of the federal court system and the way appellate courts decide cases.
Pedagogy Tags
![Appellate Courts: Let's Take It Up - Purpose of the Appellate Court - 1](/sites/default/files/styles/lesson_plan_rev_slider/public/2021-12/Appellate%20Courts-%20Let%27s%20Take%20It%20Up%20Purpose%20of%20the%20Appellate%20Court_Page_1.png?itok=3OPorhgR)
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![Appellate Courts: Let's Take It Up - Purpose of the Appellate Court - 3](/sites/default/files/styles/lesson_plan_rev_slider/public/2021-12/Appellate%20Courts-%20Let%27s%20Take%20It%20Up%20Purpose%20of%20the%20Appellate%20Court_Page_5.png?itok=5mRS0ZdP)
I find the materials so engaging, relevant, and easy to understand – I now use iCivics as a central resource, and use the textbook as a supplemental tool. The games are invaluable for applying the concepts we learn in class. My seniors LOVE iCivics.
Lynna Landry , AP US History & Government / Economics Teacher and Department Chair, California