Classroom Civics Activities

Federal courts are benefiting from the work of Rebecca Fanning, the national outreach officer at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. These are Fanning’s recommended  uscourts.gov courtroom, or classroom-ready, resources:

Founding Fundamentals and Federal Courts

1. Rule of Law

• Court Shorts: Rule of Law (5-Minute Discussion Starter Video)
• Rule of Law and Your Rights (Courtroom/Classroom Activities)
  

2. Separation of Powers

• Court Shorts: Separation of Powers (5-Minute Discussion Starter Video)
• Separation of Powers and the Evolution of Title IX (Courtroom/Classroom Activities)

3. Fair and Impartial Judiciary (Judicial Independence)

• Court Shorts: Fair and Impartial Judiciary (Coming –Video Discussion Starter)
• Judicial Independence: A Fair and Impartial Judiciary and the Error-Correcting Role of

U.S. Courts of Appeals   (Courtroom/Classroom Activities)

 Civic Engagement and Skills

1. Jury Service

• Jury Service — Hands-On Justice (4-Minute Discussion Starter Video)
• Participation in Jury Service (Courtroom/Classroom Activities)

2. Legal Skills as Life Skills

• The Program in Action (6-Minute Overview Video)
• Civility in the Law and in Life (4-Minute Discussion-Starter Video
• Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions (Courtroom/Classroom Activities)

Program Tools

• Civility Self-Reflection Quiz
• Reality Check Quiz – 10 Risky Situations

Landmark Supreme Court Cases Applied to Teen Situations

Courtroom, Classroom, and Virtual Programs

• Student Voices and School Walkouts
• Tinker v. Des Moines
• Backpack Search at School and Vaping
• New Jersey v. TLO
• Social Media and Cyberbullying
• Elonis v. U.S.

 More Discussion Starter Videos in One Place

• Federal Judges’ Oath of Office: Its Personal Meaning to Judges
• Student Voices: Promises of the Preamble
• Student Voices: The Bill of Rights