A.P. American Government Lesson Plan - Klein Oak High School
   
Dates Wednesday, December 2 - Tuesday, December 8, 2009
   
Topic The Judiciary
   
Objectives Students shall be able to

  1. Explain what judicial review is.

  2. Trace the origin of judicial review to Marbury v. Madison.

  3. List and comment on the three eras of varying Supreme Court influences on national policy, from the days of slavery to the present.

  4. Explain what is meant by a dual court system and describe the effects it has on how cases are handled and appealed.

  5. List the various steps that cases go through to be appealed to the Supreme Court and explain the considerations involved at each level.

  6. Discuss the dimensions of power exercised today by the Supreme Court and the opposing viewpoints on the desirability of activism by that Court.
   
Activities Video - Separate But Equal - the story of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
[Click here to learn more about the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas and here to learn more about the movie Separate But Equal .]

On one of these days - no earlier than Friday - we will preempt the video for a quiz on the two articles referred to below under "Assignments."
 
   
Assessment Monitor and adjust to check understanding. Students shall take a quiz over the video.
   
Assignments

Read the articles on judicial activism by Richard Posner and Thomas Sowell that you will find on LMS. [The Posner article is also in the American Politics reader.] Expect a quiz on these articles, no earlier than Friday. They are long articles, though, so please get started.