Supreme Court Landmark “Poster”
Objectives:
Analyze the constitutional and historical significance of a landmark
Supreme Court case and ascertain its legal and social impact today.
Evaluate the judicial import of a landmark decision made by the U.S.
Supreme Court in terms of constitutional law.
Activity:
Choose a landmark Supreme Court case (from the case list) which
significantly determined constitutional case law and helped define your
constitutional rights and responsibilities.
Create a poster or poster board demonstrating the legal and
constitutional aspects of the chosen case and decision.
Poster/board should be no larger than 20” x 30”.
Check out my supplies in computer room.
The face of the poster must include the following:










Your name/class (duh!)
Name of the case
Year of the decision
Background of the case
Amendment(s) being evaluated
The constitutional question(s)
The court decision and vote
The quote from majority opinion
Illustration/Graphic
Bibliography - 3 sources min. (on back of poster)
You will be orally presenting the content and “upshot” of your
case.
Resources:
 http://www.oyez.org/
 WebBoard “Resources” tab – “U.S. History” post
Supreme Court Landmark Cases
Note: In many cases, the 14th amendment as well as other amendments will
be cited in the abstracts along with the stated amendment.
1. Reynolds v. U.S. 1879 (1st religion/marriage) –
2. Everson v. Ewing Township 1947 (1st religion/busing) –
3. Engel v. Vitale 1962 (1st school prayer) –
4. Lemon v. Kurtzman 1971 (1st religion/school aid) –
5. Marsh v. Chambers 1983 (1st prayer in legislatures) 6. Edwards v. Aguillard 1987 (1st religion/school) –
7. Allegheny Cty. v. Greater Pitt. ACLU 1989 (1st holiday displays)–
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Schenck v. U.S. 1919 (1st speech during war) –
9. Gitlow v. New York 1925 (1st speech/states’ rights) –
10. Brandenburg v. Ohio 1969 (1st violent speech) –
11. Near v. Minnesota 1931 (1st press) 12. N.Y. Times v. Sullivan 1964 (1st press) 13. N.Y. Times Co. v. U.S. 1971 (1st press) 14. Miller v. California 1973 (1st pornography) –
15. Texas v. Johnson 1989 (1st flag burning) –
16. Reno v. A.C.L.U. 1997 (1st internet speech) –
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17. Cox v. New Hampshire 1941 (1st assembly) –
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18. U.S. v. Miller 1939 (2nd gun registration/rights) –
19. Printz v. U.S. 1997 (2nd gun rights) –
20. McDonald v. Chicago 2009 (2nd gun control) –
21. Mapp v. Ohio 1961 (4th exclusionary rule) –
22. U.S. v. Leon 1984 (4th good faith exemption) –
23. Terry v. Ohio 1968 (4th stop and frisk) –
24. Illinois v. Wardlow 2000 (4th investigatory stop) –
25. Griswold v. Connecticut 1965 (4th/9th birth control) 26. Roe v. Wade 1973 (4th abortion) –
27. Webster v. Reproductive Health Services 1989 (4th abortion) –
28. Cruzan v. Missouri Dept. of Health 1990 (4th right to die) –
29. California v. Greenwood 1988 (4th personal property) –
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------30. Chi., Burlington & Quincy Railroad v. Chicago 1897 (5th private property)
31. Benton v. Maryland 1969 (5th double jeopardy) –
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------32. Gideon v. Wainwright 1963 (5thdue process/6thright to council) –
33. Miranda v. Arizona 1966 (5th/6th self-incrimination/right to lawyer) 34. Pointer v. Texas 1965 (6th right to face accuser) 35. Barker v. Wingo 1972 (6th speedy trial) –
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------36. Gregg v. Georgia 1976 (8th capital punishment) 37. Glass v. Louisiana 1985 (8th cruel/unusual punishment) 38. Ingraham v. Wright 1977 (8th corporal punishment) –
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------39. Brown v. Board of Education 1954 (10th segregation/education) 40. San Antonio Ind. School Dist. v. Rodriguez 1973 (10th education funding/ states’
rights)–
41. Zelman v. Simmons-Harris 2003 (10th school vouchers) –
42. Univ. of California v. Bakke 1978 (10th education/affirmative action) –