Objective: Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

Starter: Imagine the entire population of the U.S. is 100 people. Out of 100, what number of Americans would be Muslim?

1.How accurate was your prediction?

2.What surprised you most about these numbers?

3.Based on these numbers, what generalization could you make about religion in American?

4.Based on the data from this chart, would it be accurate to call the United States a Christian nation?

5.If you were running for President of the United States and you had never been a religious person, but you needed to choose a religion to pretend to be to make the most people vote for you, what religion would you chose, and do you think it would work?

6.How do you think these numbers have changed in the last fifty years and in the last 10 years?

7.How different do you think these numbers will be in the future?

8.How do you think the fact that 71% of all Americans are Christians impacts American politics?

9.Is it reasonable to think that a country that is 71% Christian is going to have a high wall of separation between church and state?

10.Fact: one out of every 100 Americans is Muslim. What do you think the average American would guess that number is?

11.Fact: 23% of Americans are non-religious (unaffiliated). How do you think this growing number influences American politics?

12.Of all the American religious (and non-religious) groups listed above which do you think the is most reliably Republican and which is the most reliably Democratic?

Review

  • Identify 1 way your rights are protected by the Constitution.
  • Describe 2 examples of civil rights protections.
  • Identify 3 civil liberties protected in the Bill of Rights.

Word of the Day

Still on Thanksgiving break.

Supreme Court Conference: Freedom of Religion

The First Amendment prohibits the federal government from “an establishment of religion” and from interfering with the practice of religion.  Both religious protections have been extended to the states by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.  The interpretation and application of the First Amendment’s establishment and free exercise clauses reflect an ongoing debate over balancing majoritarian religious practice and free exercise.
Digital Copy here!

Project: SCOTUS Case in a Box

Digital Copy of Directions and Landmark Case Chart
You will research a landmark Supreme Court case and create a “Landmark Case Box” by bringing in tangible artifacts to represent that case. For example, if your assigned case was Texas v. Johnson (flag burning is protected free speech), you might choose to include a flag, a picture of Reagan, an EMPTY match book (some of these are sensitive issues, if you have to make a judgment call about the appropriateness of an object, you need to run it by Jacobson ahead of time), a typed or handwritten copy of the First Amendment, etc. You will present your case and box to the class. You will work in pairs on this project. Here are the requirements for the presentation:
 
  1. You must have at least eight objects in your box. These objects must relate to the case you’re assigned. I recommend using an empty cereal box.
  2. You must cover and then decorate the outside of your box with illustrations, words/phrases/constitutional clauses, photos, etc., that relate to your case. You must complete a Landmark Supreme Court Case chart with information about your case.
  3. Glue the chart to one side of the box and use it as a prompt when you present your case to the class. Your classmates will fill in their blank graphic organizers (one for each of the 9 cases) based on the information you present in class.
  4. You must present the contents of your box to the class. Show each item in the box and explain why it was significant to your case. Be prepared to answer questions from your audience about the case.
  5. List of Landmark Supreme Court cases:
    1. Brown v. Board of Education (equal protection under the law)
    2. Engel v. Vitale (establishment of religion)
    3. Gideon v. Wainwright (right to counsel)
    4. McDonald v. Chicago (right to bear arms)
    5. New York Times v. United States (prior restraint)
    6. Roe v. Wade (abortion)
    7. Schenck v. United States (clear and present danger)
    8. Tinker v. Des Moines (symbolic speech)
    9. Wisconsin v. Yoder (free exercise of religion)

Closer: Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

On Deck

Next Topic: Freedom of Speech
Textbook: Read Section 4.3 (pp. 95-105)
​Work on SCOTUS Case in a Box