Unit 6 - The Judicial Branch
Agenda 5/05/25 Day 1
1) Warm Up - Gimkit Review 17 Minutes
2) Work time on Supreme Court Case Assignment:
If Absent:
1)Complete your Supreme Court Case Assignment
Agenda 5/06/25 Block 1
1) Important Supreme Court Cases - Mr. Beat Video Brief and Notes
2) 1 Pager Stations Important Supreme Court Cases
3) Closing Activity - Guess the Cases Quizziz
4) If time allows, complete your Supreme Court case 1-pager.
\If Absent:
1) Read through the cases attached and fill out the graphic organizer with details about the courts decision in each case.
Helpful review videos below!
Important Cases You Need to Know
1. Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Significance: Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.
Why it matters: It gave the judiciary co-equal power and continues to define the role of courts in checking the other branches.
2: Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Significance: Declared that African Americans were not U.S. citizens and that Congress had no authority to ban slavery in U.S. territories.
Why it matters: Widely considered the worst decision in Supreme Court history, it intensified national tensions over slavery and directly contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.
3. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Significance: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson; ruled that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.
Why it matters: Marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and expanded the interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
4. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Significance: Guaranteed the right to a court-appointed attorney for criminal defendants in state courts.
Why it matters: Ensures fair legal representation as part of due process rights under the 6th Amendment.
5. Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Significance: Required that suspects be informed of their rights before police questioning.
Why it matters: Embedded Miranda rights into everyday law enforcement practices, reinforcing 5th Amendment protections.
6. Roe v. Wade (1973) and Dobbs v. Jackson (2022)
Significance: Legalized abortion nationwide under a right to privacy.
Why it matters: Central to debates over reproductive rights and federal vs. state powers.
7: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
Significance: Affirmed that students do not lose their First Amendment rights to free speech when they enter school property.
Why it matters: It established the “Tinker Test,” protecting symbolic speech in schools and empowering student voices.
8. Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Significance: Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide under the 14th Amendment.
Why it matters: Landmark civil rights case that expanded the definition of marriage and equal protection.