Week of 4/5

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break, and is geared up for the last quarter of high school!

We will be spending the next three weeks studying the judicial branch of government, the federal court system, and the vital protections for individual liberty found in the Bill of Rights, including how those rights apply in favor of students.

This week's plans:

Reading Assignment: Read Chapter 11 (all sections) and Chapter 12, section 1 this week. Also, read the handout on students' rights and be prepared to discuss on Friday.

4/5 (Monday)--Bill of Rights Overview; Incorporation Doctrine. Prior to the break, we watched a two-part film on the Bill of Rights. Today, we will examine the numerous individual rights embodied in the Bill of Rights in more detail, and discuss the important doctrine of incorporation, under which almost all the protections in the Bill of Rights have been extended to the individual states, not just the national government.

4/6 (Tuesday)--Structure of the Federal Courts. Today we will discuss the structure and operation of the federal court system. You will learn about jurisdiction--the power of a court to hear and decide a case--and about the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction.

4/7 (Wednesday)--The Supreme Court. Today we will finish up our discussion of the federal court system by taking a closer look at the Supreme Court. Although it is the most important court in the United States, you may be surprised to find that the Court only hears a small number of cases each year. However, each of these cases usually involves a very important principle of constitutional law, and the decisions often have far-reaching impacts.

4/8 (Thursday)--Important Supreme Court Decisions. In its 200+ year history, the United States Supreme Court has decided thousands of cases that impact virtually every aspect of life in America. Today, we will examine twelve of the most important cases the Court has issued, from the 1803 decision in Marbury v. Madison that established the principle of judicial review, to the 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of New London, which greatly expanded the powers of a local government to exercise the power of eminent domain (also known as condemnation). Take careful notes, as you will see these cases again!

4/9 (Friday)--Students' Rights. Although school life often seems dominated by rules and restrictions, students enjoy most of the same protections as adults under the Bill of Rights, although some of those rights are more restricted. Today we will discuss the Supreme Court's decision in Tinker v. Des Moines School District, which established the foundation and limits of students' rights under the First Amendment.

Next week, we will take a closer look at First Amendment rights, the rights of those accused or suspected of crimes, and the important concepts of equal protection and due process of law.