Inviting students to ponder the meaning of secure elections can launch an important discussion about public trust in election results.

High school ethnic studies courses that address the perspectives and experiences of people of color are increasingly in demand. The author describes the thematic, inquiry-based approach she developed that reflects her school’s diversity.

A classroom study of the gender-neutral statute known as Title IX can spark an engaging discussion on the law’s impact.

During this session, participants will learn strategies for teaching the 2022 midterm elections. Major issues confronting voters in the midterms will be analyzed; strategies for teaching these and other controversial issues in the classroom will also be discussed. Civics teachers, U.S. history, and other teachers teaching the midterm elections and the American political system will benefit from this session. Guest Speaker: Stephen Armstrong is the social studies consultant for the Connecticut State Department of Education and Past President of the National Council for the…

The Supreme Court closed out its 2000 term in June after issuing seventy-nine opinions and agreeing to take up more questions of interest to students and educators alike. Among the issues already slated for review after the 2001 term opens on October 1 are cases that could decide the future of affirmative action, the death penalty, and on-line pornography. Looking Back Last term was contentious for the justices, and not just because of the December decision in Bush v. Gore, No. 00-949—the case that effectively decided the 2000 presidential election. It determined both that the Florida…

Examining the recent monumental Supreme Court rulings on abortion, gun rights, and religious freedom can spark important classroom discussions on their legal, political, and social implications.   

The sixtieth anniversary of Clarence Gideon’s court case, in which the Supreme Court decided that defendants in criminal proceedings should have access to a lawyer regardless of ability to pay, provides an opportune moment for an engaging lesson on the right to public defense.

The examination of compacts in the classroom offers an opportunity to explore areas of law that fall outside the most-taught legislative processes while serving as a jumping off point for discussions on federalism, state sovereignty, and separation of powers.

A close examination of the Constitution’s Article V could launch a fascinating classroom debate on whether a constitutional convention today could break our legislative logjams.