Race and the United States Constitution

Lesson Plan on Race in America

Students will:

• Analyze how the United States Constitution approaches issues of race and citizenship.
• Explore with their classmates the Supreme Court's historical definitions of "citizen."

Required Reading:

• United States Constitution and Amendments
• Specific Cases

Handouts:

• Student Handout
• Case Investigation Form
• Poster Presentation Directions
• Poster Rubric

In the Classroom:

Notes: Before the lesson, students should have become familiar with the Constitution, the Amendments, and the function of the Supreme Court. Students will need access to the Internet in order to complete this lesson. This lesson may take place over two 50-minute periods, and could be used in conjunction with the Choices unit, A More Perfect Union: Shaping American Government.

1. Forming of Groups—Divide students into pairs assigned each a specific Supreme Court Case from the Student Handout. Distribute the Case Investigation Form, the Poster Presentation Directions, and the Poster Rubric to students. You may also wish to print out and distribute the cases themselves, though students may locate these online.

2. Researching Cases—Provide students time to research their cases using the suggested websites. Remind students to complete their Case Investigation Forms (CIF) to help them outline the key points of their case.    

3. Poster Preparation—Provide students time to create a poster highlighting the key points of their Supreme Court case, using the directions and rubric as guides.

4. Poster Presentations—Ask each group to present their posters, explaining specifically the outcome of the case and the case's place in the history. Students should be prepared to answer questions from their audience.

Homework:

After all students have presented their posters, students will write a one page reflection that addresses the Supreme Court's interpretation of the goals of the U.S. Constitution (see student handout).

This lesson was developed by:
Maureen DeRoy—Hudson Middle School, Hudson, Massachusetts
Chad Hayes—Beadle Middle School, Omaha, Nebraska