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Unit

Students and the Constitution Supreme Court Cases

Published
Nov 6, 2020
Statue of a seated figure in front of a neoclassical building with columns, inscribed with "Equal Justice Under Law."

Lessons

U.S. Supreme Court building with American flag and cloudy blue sky.
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
  • 4 Activities

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Tinker v. Des Moines. Dealing with students rights and the First Amendment's protection of free speech, this lesson asks students to evaluate the extent to which the First Amendment should protect symbolic speech, and the degree to which that protection should be guaranteed to students in public schools.

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
  • 4 Activities

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Dealing with the extent of students' First Amendment rights, this lesson asks students to argue whether or not the First Amendment should protect student speech in public school-sponsored newspapers.

The United States Supreme Court building with columns and statues under a blue sky.
Pottawatomie v. Earls (2002)
  • 4 Activities

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Pottawatomie v. Earls. Dealing with students' Fourth Amendment protections when in schools, this lesson asks students to assess the Court's evolving definition of "reasonable" searches with respect to public school students.

Standards