When the Texas state legislature passed a law in the 1970s allowing school districts to deny enrollment or charge tuition to illegal immigrant children, the Tyler Independent School District instituted a $1,000 tuition rate for illegal immigrant children. Sixteen undocumented children from four Mexican families in Tyler filed a class-action suit…

At the heart of the Western intellectual tradition, particularly the value it places on the critical analysis of civic life, or social studies, lies the story of a trial. If the story of a trial lies at the root of social studies, then it comes as no surprise that many teachers find that trials can serve as excellent teaching tools, especially for…

Presents four strategies for teaching secondary students about equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment. To be taught by the classroom teacher or a visiting lawyer, these strategies use such methods as a panel discussion and examination of Fourteenth Amendment court cases to accomplish their goals. (GEA)

In 1964, Congress passed Public Law 82-352. This civil rights act forbade hiring, promoting, and firing discrimination based on sex or race. Title VII of the act created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to implement the law. Subsequent legislation expanded the role of the EEOC. Today, the EEOC enforces laws that prohibit…

Constitutional essays which formed the basis of public assemblies throughout three states are compiled in this book. The first three essays consider the U.S. government principles of federalism, judicial review, and the separation of powers. Michael L. Benedict proposes that the question of ultimate sovereignty has been answered differently by…

On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling in the landmark civil rights case "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas." State-sanctioned segregation of public schools was declared a violation of the 14th Amendment and was unconstitutional. This historic decision marked the end of the…

Incorporates material from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's into the high school curriculum as part of a unit on the Reconstruction Era. Discusses the background and passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and the beginning of Jim Crow laws as precursors to the Civil Rights Movement. (KO)

The Supreme Court's opinion in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case legally ended decades of racial segregation in America's public schools. Originally named after Oliver Brown, the first of many plaintiffs listed in the lower court case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS, the landmark decision actually resolved five separate…

Presents seven lesson plans for secondary school students. Titles include "Civil Rights in the 19th and 20th Centuries"; "Tyranny of the Majority"; "Equality Under Law"; "Voting Rights: Key to Equal Rights?"; "Hispanics! Immigration! Reform?"; "Unincorporation"; and "Indians and the…

This unit focuses on the development of national sovereignty in the United States, the nature of American citizenship, the psychological roots of allegiance, and the relationship of all of these to Constitutional change. The student is asked at the outset to explain the meaning of Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Successive sections then explore…

Aiming to educate adult learners on the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, this teachers' guide focuses on cases and controversies about individual rights which are most relevant to the lives of adults. The worktext for adult learners provides some basic background information about the development and interpretation of the Bill of…

Provides a lesson plan for focusing on the legal struggle to secure personal liberties during the age of Reconstruction. Analyzes the Fourteenth Amendment and a petition from the citizens of Cleveland, Tennessee, in order to identify the methods of change at the federal level and the limitations of such action. (KO)

This teachers' guide focuses on each of the of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Organized by amendment, each section includes the text of the amendment and its counterpart in the Maine Constitution; an introduction to the legal principles embodied in that amendment; and…

Designed to provide students and adults with a learning experience related to the jury system, this game focuses on the jury selection process. In doing so, the game examines an important element of a fair trial--the right of the accused to be judged by an impartial jury. The game is designed for four class periods and can be used with a class of…

In April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. Under the powers granted to it by the U.S. Constitution, Congress passed the Selective Service Act of 1917. Among the first regiments to arrive in France, and among the most highly decorated when it returned, was the 369th Infantry, more gallantly known as the…