Court Case Bonanza!
For the AP Exam you’ll need to know the following court cases related to civil liberties. These cases
are known to show up in both the multiple choice and free response sections. This activity is designed
to support your learning as far as you want to take it. Should you decide to simply memorize these
rulings in flash-card fashion for short term test regurgitation, you’ll find this tool helpful. On the other
hand, there are some features here that will support those nerds who choose to go the extra mile and
actually (…pause for effect) “learn” these cases.
Instructions:
Read, and commit to memory, the ruling on each case. You may find it helpful to follow the hyperlinks
in the left-hand column which take you to www.oyez.org, a fabulous resource on the United States
Supreme Court. Here you’ll have the opportunity to read more about the background of the case, and
the rationale behind the Court’s opinion. The true nerds may even click around a bit and listen to
audio files of the oral arguments of the actual case! Generally, the more you can see each case as a
“story,” the better the learning will stick.
After you’ve explored a bit on the case itself, you’ll head over to the web to conduct an image search.
Look for any image/icon, or even a collection of images, that would help trigger the memory of this
case. Sounds a bit like a visual flashcard, right? Well, that’s exactly what it is. After you’ve completed
the entire you’ll convert this table into a collection of 3”x5” note cards that your teacher will let you
use on our Supreme Court unit exam. Cool!
Example:
Court Case
U.S. v. Doolittle, et.
al, 2007
Ruling
Image
U.S. Supreme Court upholds state law requiring
public school teachers to have a valid college
degree, instead of one purchased online.
Follow the link in
this column to learn
more about the case!
Paste a related &
memorable image
here for later use in a
“visual flashcard!”
Court Case
Question of Incorporation
Barron v. Baltimore, 1833
Gitlow v. New York, 1925
Freedom of Religion
(Establishment Clause)
Reynolds v. U.S., 1878
School Dist. Of Abington v.
Schempp, 1963
Engle v. Vitale, 1962
Lemon v. Kurtzman, 1971
Wallace v. Jaffree, 1985
Elk Grove School Dist v. Newdow,
2003
Freedom of Speech
(and Expression)
Miller v. California, 1973
Virginia v. Black, 2003
Schenk v. US, 1919
Bethel v. Fraser, 1988
Tinker v. Des Moines, 1968
Texas v. Johnson, 1989
Near v. Minnesota, 1931
Morse v. Frederick, 2007
Freedom of Press
NY Times v. Sullivan, 1964
Ruling
Image
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, 1987
Search & Seizure/Privacy
New Jersey v. TLO, 1984
Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 1992
Roe v. Wade, 1973
Mapp v. Ohio, 1961
Veronia School Dist. V. Acton,
1995
Death Penalty
Gregg v. Georgia, 1976
Stanford v. Kentucky, 1989
Due Process
Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963
Miranda v. Arizona, 1966
Rasul v. Bush, 2002
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 2006
Discrimination
Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896
Brown v. Board of Education, 1954
University of Cal. Regents v.
Bakke, 1978
Gratz v. Bollinger, 2003
Boy Scouts of America, et al. v.
Dale, 2000