CONNECTICUT TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOLS
Date:
______________________
Subject: Civics
Grade: 10
Class: ______________________
Teacher: _____________________
Teacher: _____________________
Guiding Questions for Lesson Plan Development
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What are the important outcomes I want all students to learn as a result of this lesson?
What background knowledge/skills do students need to have to successfully master the lesson content?
What types of learning strategies, skills and modifications (reading, note taking, highlighting as you read, writing, listening, etc.) do
students need to use to successfully participate in this lesson AND where in the lesson will the specific strategy be taught or reviewed?
What types of activities will I incorporate in my explicit direct teaching (modeling, small groups, brainstorming, activating prior knowledge,
problem solving, etc.) to assure that ALL students’ needs/interests/talents are met?
What are effective and appropriate ways (oral presentations, tests, reports, graphs, etc.) to evaluate how well students learned the objective?
LESSON PLAN
Learning Objective: Students will
Express informed opinions and draw conclusions concerning the Bill of Rights.
Investigate the rights of individuals by interpreting landmark Supreme Court cases based on knowledge of the Bill of Rights and the
role of the court.
Analyze primary sources.
Reference to Curriculum Goal(s) and Corresponding Learner Outcome (e.g., Goal I, L.O. I.2): Citizenship: Rights and Responsibilities –
EQ -What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens?
*Schema Activator (activity designed to stimulate the student’s interest and independent thinking about the learning topic; activates prior
knowledge):
Day 1- Journal prompt: You were given an assignment to write an article for the student newspaper on the food served in the cafeteria. You write
an article describing how you think the cafeteria food is awful. You submit the article and are told the next day that the principal is furious and will not
allow the article to be printed. Now you’re furious because in Civics class you’ve learned that Americans have freedom of speech and freedom of the
press. Have your rights been violated? Does the principal have the right to squash your article? Why or Why not?
Day 2- Journal prompt – You are a law clerk and the Supreme Court judge has asked for a summary of the Hazelwood decision. Write a oneparagraph summary.
Day 3- Journal prompt –You are a reporter for the Hartford Courant - Write a headline and first sentence lead-in announcing the verdict in the
Tinker case.
Day 4 – Journal prompt – Write why you agree or disagree with the decision in either the Schenck case or the Skokie case.
Day 5 – Journal prompt – Explain the process of a case being heard by the Supreme Court.
**Explicit/Direct Teaching Strategies:
Day 1 - Model using a guided questions sheet for analyzing the following Supreme Court case:
1988 Supreme Court Hazelwood Case- Whether or not school officials can decide what students may or may not write in school newspapers.
Day 3 – Guided reading – Supreme Court procedures.
Students in jigsaw legal teams (taking opposing views) will analyze one of 2 cases- Schenck case or the Skokie case. The groups will present
arguments to the rest of the class.
**Practice Activity:
Day 2- In pairs, students will use the Guided Questions sheet and analyze a primary source/case study on the Tinker case.
Upon completion, they will compare responses with another pair of students editing their answers as needed.
Whole group sharing.
Final check will be made by comparing answers to an answer key.
**Application/Assessment:
Day 4 – 6 In groups, students will assume the role of Supreme Court Justices and review the facts and arguments related to landmark cases and
make decisions based on the Bill of Rights. Groups will choose from cases related to the Bill of Rights. Each group will draft a written opinion and
make a presentation to the other groups using a format of their choice (i.e. interview, Powerpoint, skit, debate, poster, brochure, comic strip, role
play etc). Each presentation must include: the facts of the case, the reasons for the decision and a conclusion describing why the case is relevant
today.
*Closure:
Day 1- Students will summarize the facts of the Hazelwood case.
Day 2 – Students will explain how the Tinker case was similar or different then the Hazelwood case.
Day 3 - 3-2-1 Students will write 3 things they have learned about the rights of individuals; 2 things they need to explore further concerning the
rights of citizens and 1 question they have for tomorrow’s class.
Day 4 – Students will name the amendment they are going to focus on and explain why.
Day 5 – 3-2-1 Students will write 3 things they learned today; 2 things they need to explore further and 1 action for the next class.
Day 6 - Students will choose a case that was presented and explain why the case is relevant today.
**Reflections based on student performance; necessary changes/modifications for future use:
*Required for each lesson
** Dependent upon learning sequence within the unit.