Civics Final

Final for 2nd Semester Civics (Final given on the day of Senior Finals - Either May 20th or 22nd):
1. Choose a case from the list of Supreme Court cases I handed out in class at the beginning of the unit.
2. Find a story in the media relating to the issue dealt with in the case you selected.
3. Review the Constitutional issue, facts and competing arguments relevant to the case you selected. Complete a note card containing all of this information and bring it to class on the day of the final.
4. Read and highlight the news story you selected. Bring a copy of your highlighted story to class on the day of the final.
5. On the day of the final, in class you will write an essay explaining the case you selected and it's historic significance to the First Amendment's provision on Freedom of Speech. In your essay, you will briefly discuss how the news story you selected, related to the case you chose as the focus of your final essay. (How does the case and the story relate?)


The Final is worth 100 points.
Did you select an appropriate case?
Did you complete a note card?
Did you select an appropriate news story?
Did you bring a copy of the news story to class?
Did you highlight and/or take notes on the story?
In your essay, do you include the name and date of the case?
Do you explain the facts and legal arguments of the case?
Do you explain the relationship between the case and the news story?
Is your essay organized?
Is your essay neatly written?


Having trouble finding a story? Look here for ideas:
http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/index.html
http://www.npr.org/
http://www.cnn.com/
http://www.madison.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.votesmart.org/news_media_resources.php#39
http://news.findlaw.com/
http://www.aclu-wi.org/youth/issues/wisconsin.html
http://www.aclu-wi.org/wisconsin/index.shtml
Cases:
Schenck v. United States, Chaplinski v. New Hampshire, Miller v. California, New York Times v. Sullivan, United States v. O'Brien, Tinker v. DesMoines, Bethel School District v. Fraser, Cohen v. California, Texas v. Johnson, Wisconsin v. Mitchell, West Virginia v. Board of Education v. Barnette
Need Case summaries/opinions?:
http://www.findlaw.com/

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