Landmark Supreme Court Cases

NC Essential Standards

Landmark Supreme Court Cases Casebook Assignment

Purpose:

The activity is designed to teach the student how to research Supreme Court Cases as well as teach them about some of the more important Supreme Court Cases in US History. These cases have helped to define Civil Rights and Liberties that have become common knowledge and taken for granted by students today. This activity will make students familiar with these cases, many of which may appear on the Final Exam. Although every possible Supreme Court case cannot be covered, the selection of cases here will give the students the opportunity to see and understand how the Supreme Court does its work and prepare the students to answer any question about Supreme Court cases.

Directions:

The final goal of this project is for each student to have a collection of Supreme Court Cases to reference that deal with important Consitutional issues. Each student will research their assigned case and complete the required information in a manner consistent with the Project Rubric and Description. When each student completes their case, the entire class will have access to the information.

Below are the links to important information for each case. Students are required to go beyond the Oyez brief summary and read the syllabus, concurring opinions (if any), and dissenting opinions (if any) to summarize the information for their assigned case. All submissions must clearly demonstrate this level of examination into the decisions.

The Cases:

Year Case Oyez Summary Syllabus Concurring Opinion Dissenting Opinion
1803 Marbury v. Madison Oyez Justicia    
1819 Dartmouth College v. Woodward Oyez Justicia Justice Washington
Justice Story
Justice Duvall
1819 McCulloch v. Maryland Oyez Justicia    
1824 Gibbons v. Ogden Oyez Justicia Justice Johnson  
1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford Oyez Justicia Justice Wayne
Justice Nelson
Justice Grier
Justice Campbell
Justice Catron
Justice McLean
Justice Curtis
1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Oyez Justicia   Justice Harlan
1925 Gitlow v. New York Oyez Justicia   Justice Holmes
1942 Betts v. Brady Oyez Justicia   Justice Black
1943 West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette Oyez Justicia Justice Black
Justice Murphy
Justice Frankfurter
1944 Korematsu v. US Oyez Justicia Justice Frankfurter Justice Roberts
Justice Murphy
Justice Jackson
1950 Feiner v. NY Oyez      
1950 Sweatt v. Painter Oyez Justicia    
1954 Brown v. Board of Education (1) Oyez Justicia    
1961 Mapp v. Ohio Oyez Justicia Justice Black
Justice Douglas
Justice Harlan
1962 Engel v. Vitale Oyez Justicia Justice Douglas Justice Stewart
1963 Gideon v. Wainwright Oyez Justicia Justice Clark
Justice Harlan
 
1963 Abington School District v. Schempp Oyez Justicia Justice Douglas
Justice Brennan
Justice Goldberg
Justice Stewart
1964 Escobedo v. Illinois Oyez Justicia   Justice Harlan
Justice Stewart
Justice White
1964 Heart of Atlanta Motel v. US Oyez Justicia Justice Black
Justice Douglas
Justice Goldberg
 
1966 Miranda v. Arizona Oyez Justicia Justice Clark Justice Clark
Justice Harlan
Justice White
1967 In re Gault Oyez Justicia Justice Black
Justice White
Justice Harlan
Justice Harlan
Justice Stewart
1968 Tinker v. Des Moines School District Oyez Justicia Justice Stewart
Justice White
Justice Black
Justice Harlan
1971 Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Ed Oyez Justicia    
1972 Wisconsin v. Yoder Oyez Justicia Justice Stewart
Justice White
Justice Douglas
1972 Furman v. Georgia Oyez Justicia Justice Douglas
Justice Brennan
Justice Stewart
Justice White
Justice Marshall
Justice Burger
Justice Blackmun
Justice Powell
Justice Rehnquist
1973 Roe v. Wade Oyez Justicia Justice Stewart Justice Rehnquist
1974 US v. Nixon Oyez Justicia Justice Burger  
1976 Gregg v. Georgia Oyez Justicia Justice White
Justice Blackmun
Justice Brennan
Justice Marshall
1977 National Socialist (Nazi) Party v. Skokie, Illinois Oyez      
1978 Board of Regents of University of CA v. Bakke Oyez Justicia Justice Brennan
Justice White
Justice Marshall
Justice Blackmun
Justice Brennan
Justice White
Justice Marshall
Justice Blackmun
1982 Island Trees School District v. Pico Oyez Justicia Justice Blackmun
Justice White
Justice Burger
Justice Powell
Justice Rehnquist
Justice O'Connor
1985 Wallace v. Jaffree Oyez Justicia Justice Powell
Justice O'Connor
(Search Findlaw)
Justice Burger
Justice White
Justice Rehnquist
(Search Findlaw)
1985 New Jersey v. TLO Oyez Justicia Justice Powell
Justice Blackmun
Justice Marshall
Justice Stevens
Justice Marshall
Justice Stevens
1986 Bethel School District v. Fraser Oyez Justicia Justice Brennan Justice Marshall
Justice Stevens
1988 Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier Oyez Justicia   Justice Brennan
(Search Justicia)
1989 Texas v. Johnson Oyez Justicia Justice Kennedy Justice Rehnquist
Justice Stevens
2003 Gratz v. Bollinger Oyez Justicia Justice O'Connor
Justice Thomas
Justice Breyer
Justice Stevens
Justice Souter
Justice Ginsburg
2010 Citizens United v. FEC Oyez Justicia Justice Roberts
Justice Scalia
Justice Stevens
Justice Thomas
Justice Stevens
Justice Thomas
2013 Salinas v. Texas Oyez Cornell Justice Thomas Justice Breyer
Landmark Surpeme Court Cases Jumbles Assignment

The Handouts:

Print the documents below. Cut and paste the jumbled information into the blank chart. The information can be used on the quiz if, and ONLY if, your chart is completed.

First Amendment Cases Handouts

Bill of Rights Cases Handouts

More Cases Handouts

More Cases

Scenarios

Self-Quizzes:

Copyright M. Caggia 2018