Learning Objectives*
The following knowledge and skill learning objectives can be taught and reinforced through the study of the life and legacy of Robert H. Jackson.
Knowledge: Grade 7 & 8 students should be able to —
- Define terms such as citizenship, civil and human rights, civic values, due process of law, genocide, government, constitutional democracy, judicial review, and justice
- Describe the origins of the United States Supreme Court and its duties and powers as outlined in the United States Constitution
- Explain the role of the United States Supreme Court in determining whether actions taken by the president, Congress or the states are allowed by the United States Constitution (judicial review)
- Discuss the importance of due process of law as it relates to an individual's civil rights
- Describe the circumstances of the court packing scheme as proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the New Deal era
- Explain the effects of the Great Depression on the American people
- Summarize actions taken by individuals, groups, and various levels of government to solve the problems and relieve the suffering caused by the Great Depression
- Discuss the importance of the United States aid to its allies before World War II including the Destroyers for Bases agreement and the Lend-Lease Program
- Explain the importance of the United States Supreme Court decision in the case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943) and the significance of Robert H. Jackson’s majority opinion in that decision
- Describe the circumstances of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II
- Summarize the United States Supreme Court’s decision in the case Korematsu v. United States (1944) and the importance of Robert H. Jackson’s dissent in that decision
- Define the meaning of the concepts of genocide and human rights
- Discuss how the Nazi Holocaust violated the human rights of millions of Jewish and non-Jewish victims throughout Europe
- Explain how the concepts of genocide and human rights were used to bring Nazi war criminals to justice at the Nuremberg Trials
- Discuss Robert H. Jackson’s role in the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial and the important legacy of his speeches and closing argument in that trial
- Describe how the United Nations defines the concept of human rights as found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, see: http://www.un.org/publications
- Explain the importance of various amendments to the United States Constitution related to the extension of civil rights to all Americans, including the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
- Identify the important milestones in the civil rights movement including the significance of the United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
Skill: Grade 7 & 8 students will learn and practice social studies skills related to getting, organizing, and presenting information.
Students should be able to get information by —
- Locating sources of print and non-print information about the duties and powers of the United States Supreme Court
- Researching the effects of Great Depression on millions of Americans and identifying ways that various levels of government and non-government agencies attempted to relieve the suffering the Depression caused
- Using textbooks, websites, trade books, and newspapers to summarize the importance of the United States aid to the allied nations before World War II specifically the Destroyers for Bases Agreement and the Lend-Lease Program
- Visiting United States Supreme Court websites (www.law.cornell.edu, www.landmarkcases.org, www.supremecourtus.gov/index.html, and www.brownvboard.net) to research the court’s decisions in cases such as West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), Korematsu v. United States (1944), and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
- Researching the historical background of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II
- Reading from textbooks, trade books, government documents, historical novels, transcripts of interviews, and newspapers to learn about the impacts of the Nazi Holocaust on millions of Jewish and non-Jewish victims in Europe during World War II
- Using textbooks, trade books, newspaper and magazine articles, websites, government documents, and transcripts of interviews with historians and survivors to learn about the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial and the important role played by Robert H. Jackson as the chief United States prosecutor
- Researching the historical background of the civil rights movement by identifying the major United States Supreme Court decisions and individuals, including Robert H. Jackson, involved in protecting individual civil rights
- Locating sources of information about the civil rights legislation that provided equal rights for all Americans
- Contacting the United Nations or visiting the UN website (www.un.org/rights) to collect information about the creation of the UN, its goals, and how different UN agencies have advanced and protected civil and human rights throughout the world
Students should be able to organize information by —
- Creating a chart that displays the organization of the federal government as outlined by the United States Constitution including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government
- Outlining the critical events leading up to the Great Depression
- Designing charts that present the major New Deal programs, their goals, and their effects on the American people
- Preparing timelines that identify the important events in the life of Robert H. Jackson, focusing on how his contributions improved life on the local, State, and national levels
- Creating a graphic organizer that displays the events leading up to the outbreak of World War II including the efforts of the United States to assist the allied nations
- Outlining the reasons for the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and preparing case briefs that identify the facts, arguments, and decision in the United States Supreme Court case, Korematsu v. United States (1944)
- Completing charts that identify the human rights violations that took place during World War II in Europe and the United States responses to the Nazi Holocaust
- Preparing document-based reports about the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial including the role played by Robert H. Jackson as chief United States prosecutor
- Developing timelines that mark the important milestones in the civil rights movement including federal legislation, Constitutional amendments, and United States Supreme Court decisions
- Designing charts that show the major accomplishments of the United Nations in promoting peace and protecting human rights around the world
Students should be able to present information by —
- Preparing a glossary of terms related to the life and accomplishments of Robert H. Jackson including definitions for terms such as: citizenship, civil and human rights, civic values, due process of law, court packing, internment, genocide, government, justice, and judicial review
- Presenting oral reports on the duties and powers of the United States Supreme Court including information about judicial review, selection of justices, and how the court makes its decisions
- Publishing a classroom newspaper that highlights the events leading up to United States entry into World War II including stories about the Destroyers for Bases agreement and the Lend-Lease Program and Robert H. Jackson’s role in advising President Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Writing short legal briefs of important Supreme Court decisions related to civil rights issues during World War II including West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), and Korematsu v. United States (1944) including Robert H. Jackson’s opinions on these cases
- Debating the decision to place Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II
- Performing a mock trial based on the events of the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial including opening arguments, defense and prosecution presentations, closing arguments, and the court’s final verdicts
- Designing a website or graphic display showing the major events and accomplishments of the civil rights movement including information about the important leaders, tactics, and United States Supreme Court decisions including Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
- Designing posters that illustrate the human rights included in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (visit: http://www.un.org/publications and see: Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
(* Adapted from: Social Studies Resource Guide with Core Curriculum, The State Education Department, 1999, pp. 12-14. www.nysed.gov.)