THE U.S. COURT SYSTEM
Landmark ‘SCOTUS’ Case – Group Project
* GROUP 1 – FAMILY PLANNING & MARRIAGE
Burwell v. Hobby Lobby
Griswold v. Connecticut
Loving v. Virginia
Obergefell v. Hodges
Roe v. Wade
* GROUP 2 – SEARCH & SEIZURE
Mapp v. Ohio
New Jersey v. TLO
Safford Unified School District v. Redding
Terry v. Ohio
Vernonia School District v. Acton
* GROUP 3 – FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Gitlow v. New York
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
Morse v. Frederick
Texas v. Johnson
Tinker v. Des Moines
* GROUP 4 – DEATH PENALTY
Furman v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia
Kennedy v. Louisiana
Roper v. Simmons
* GROUP 5 – RELIGIOUS FREEDOM & SCHOOL PRAYER
Cantwell v. Connecticut
Engel v. Vitale
Everson v. Board of Education
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe
* GROUP 6 – SCHOOL SEGREGATION & CIVIL RIGHTS
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
Brown v. Board of Education
Korematsu v. United States
GUN RIGHTS
District of Columbia v. Heller
McDonald v. Chicago
* GROUP 7 – GOVERNMENT
Citizens United v. FEC
Gonzales v. Raich
United States v. Nixon
LEGAL RIGHTS
Gideon v. Wainwright
Miranda v. Arizona
* GROUP 8 – SODOMY
Bowers v. Hardwick
Lawrence v. Texas
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Grutter v. Bollinger
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
REQUIRED (…will be on test, 24 total)
1.) Boy Scouts of America v. Dale – homosexual rights and private organizations
2.) Brown v. Board of Education – school segregation and civil rights
3.) District of Columbia v. Heller – gun rights
4.) Engel v. Vitale – religious freedom and school prayer
5.) Everson v. Board of Education – freedom of religion, private schools and busing
6.) Furman v. Georgia – death penalty
7.) Gideon v. Wainwright – assistance of counsel and the right to an attorney
8.) Gitlow v. New York – freedom of speech and press, criminalized speech
9.) Gregg v. Georgia – death penalty
10.) Griswold v. Connecticut – birth control and contraception, women’s rights
11.) Grutter v. Bollinger – affirmative action
12.) Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier – freedom of speech in schools
13.) Kennedy v. Louisiana – the death penalty
14.) Lawrence v. Texas – sodomy laws in the United States
15.) Mapp v. Ohio – protection from unreasonable search and seizure
16.)
17.)
18.)
19.)
20.)
21.)
22.)
23.)
24.)
McDonald v. Chicago – gun rights
Miranda v. Arizona – legal rights in the Bill of Rights
New Jersey v. TLO – search and seizure in public schools
Regents of the Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke – affirmative action
Roe v. Wade – abortion and women’s rights
Terry v. Ohio – protection of unreasonable search and seizure, protection of law enforcement
Texas v. Johnson – flag burning and symbolic speech
Tinker v. Des Moines – protesting Vietnam and freedom of speech in public schools
United States v. Nixon – the power of the President and the legal system
THE U.S. COURT SYSTEM
Project Requirements – Visual Report & Presentation
Name: __________________________________
Directions: Conduct a thorough search of your Landmark ‘SCOTUS’ Case. As you are conducting your research,
compile the following information into a neatly and professionally organized oral & visual presentation.
The overall grade for your presentation is worth 80 TOTAL POINTS.
1.)
NAME OF THE CASE & YEAR THE OPINION WAS ISSUED BY THE SCOTUS. – 5 points
SUMMARIZE THE BACKGROUND OF CASE THOROUGHLY & IN DETAIL (TELL A STORY! …if the case has a “cool”
background, talk about it). – 10 points
2.)
EXPLAIN THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE AT HAND. (think specific amendments, freedoms, liberties, civil rights,
etc.) – 5 points
3.)
HOW DID THE SUPREME COURT RULE? GIVE AN EXPLANATION. (if it is necessary, include a quote from one of
the justices’ opinions). – 15 points * *
4.)
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CASE? WHY IS THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION
IMPORTANT/SIGNIFICANT/PROFOUND? GIVE AN IN-DEPTH EXPLANATION. – 15 points * *
5.)
GIVE YOUR OPINION OF THE ISSUE AT HAND, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE RULED IF YOU WERE A SUPREME
COURT JUSTICE? – 5 points
6.)
* WAS YOUR PRESENTATION INTERESTING? ...ENTHUSIASTIC? WERE YOU A ‘GOOD SPORT’ ABOUT
PRESENTING? – 10 points
* VISUAL PRESENTATION… DOES IT INCLUDE ALL SIX REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH ONE OF YOUR CASES? DOES IT
HAVE COLOR & REFLECT YOUR CREATIVITY? DOES IT INCLUDE PICTURES & INTERESTING VISUALS? – 15 points * *
Become an “EXPERT” on your Landmark ‘SCOTUS’ Case, make sure you
understand all the important details of your case before you present!