Learning Activity: Preparing Case Studies of Supreme Court Decisions
Have students prepare a case study of a Supreme Court decision they have studied. Students can select from a wide variety of Supreme Court cases including
- Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857),
- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896),
- Schenck v. United States (1919),
- West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943),
- Korematsu v. United States (1944), and
- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).
Students can find information about these cases and others at www.landmarkcases.org. Students can also consult: U.S. Supreme Court Decisions: A Case Study Review for U.S. History and Government available from the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program at www.lycny.org.
Students should include the following information in their case studies*:
- Facts:
- What happened in this case? Who are the parties involved? What caused the dispute to go to court? What facts are important? Unimportant? Are any facts missing?
- Issues:
- What is (are) the legal questions involved in this case? What are the constitutional issues involved in this case?
- Arguments:
- What are the main arguments made by each side in this case? What are these arguments based on?
- Decision:
- What was the Supreme Court’s decision in this case? What was the majority or unanimous opinion? What was the minority or dissenting opinion?
- Evaluation:
- To what extent do you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision in this case? What important legal questions remain unresolved? What precedents were established by this decision? How does this decision affect your life?
Have students present their case studies in small groups that researched similar constitutional issues or to the entire class. Students can design wall charts or computer-generated graphics that highlight the information included in their case studies. Discuss the similarities and differences in the cases and decisions to demonstrate how the Supreme Court reflects changes in societal norms and values.
(*Adapted from: Maureen McDonnell, “Making a Case for the Case Study Method,” Social Education: The Official Journal for the National Council for the Social Studies, January/February 2002, pp. 68-69.)