Free Lesson Plans

Landmark Supreme Court Cases and the Constitution

Short historical narratives exploring the facts of the case, constitutional arguments on each side, analysis of the Court’s ruling, thought-provoking discussion questions, and suggested responses.

Past Lessons:

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)- Judicial Review or Judicial Activism?
• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) – Federal Power
• Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) – Commerce Clause, Federalism
• Reynolds v. United States (1878)- Free Exercise of Religion
• Quincy Railways v. Chicago (1897) - Just Compensation, Incorporation
• Strauder v. West Virginia (1879) and Smith v. State of Texas (1941)- Fourteenth Amendment, Equal Protection
• Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918) – Commerce Clause, Federalism
• Olmstead v. United States (1927) – Fourth Amendment
  
• Near v. Minnesota (1931) – Freedom of the Press, Prior Restraint
• Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940) – Free Exercise of Religion
• Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940) – Freedom of Speech, Religion
• United States v. Causby (1946) – Eminent Domain
• Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) – Executive Power
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)- Equal Protection
• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)- Fourth Amendment, Exclusionary Rule
• Engel v. Vitale (1962) – Freedom of Religion, Establishment Clause
• Edwards v. South Carolina (1963) – Freedom of Speech and Assembly
• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)- Sixth Amendment, Right to Counsel
• New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) – Freedom of the Press, Libel
• Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)- Personal Liberty, Privacy
• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)- Rights of the Accused
• Loving v. Virginia (1967)- Equal Protection
• Skokie (1977) and Brandenburg (1968) – Freedom of Speech and Assembly
• Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)- Freedom of Speech, Students
• New York Times v. United States (1971)  – Freedom of the Press, Prior Restraint
• Roe v. Wade (1973)- Personal Liberty
• Taylor v. Louisiana (1975) – Juries
• Gregg v. Georgia (1976) – Eighth Amendment, Death Penalty
• Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982) – Freedom of Speech, Students
• New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)- Fourth Amendment, Students
• Bethel v. Fraser (1986)- Freedom of Speech, Students
• South Dakota v. Dole (1987) – Federal Power
• Allegheny County v. ACLU (1989) – Freedom of Religion, Establishment Cause
• Texas v. Johnson (1989) – Freedom of Speech
• Lee v. Weisman (1992) – Freedom of Religion, Establishment Clause
• Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Commission (1992) – Eminent Domain
• J.E.B. v. Alabama (1994) – Representative Juries
• United States v. Lopez (1995) – Commerce Clause, Federalism
• Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network (1996) – Freedom of Speech and Assembly
• Dickerson v. United States (1999) – Rights of the Accused
• Owasso v. Falvo (2001) – Privacy, Students
• Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002) – Freedom of Religion, Establishment Clause
• Pottawatomie v. Earls (2002) – Fourth Amendment, Students
• Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada (2003) – Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment
• Locke v. Davey (2004) – Free Exercise of Religion
• Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004) – Executive Power
• Gonzales v. Raich (2004) - Commerce Clause
• Kelo v. New London (2005)- Eminent Domain
• MGM Studios v. Grokster (2005) – Property Rights, Copyright
• Morse v. Frederick (2007) – Freedom of Speech, Students
• F.E.C. v. Wisconsin Right to Life (2007)- Freedom of Speech, Campaign Finance
• District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) – Second Amendment
• McDonald v. Chicago (2010) – Second Amendment
• Citizens United v. F.E.C. (2010) – Freedom of Speech, Campaign Finance