Our Supreme Court: A History with 14 Activities (20) (For Kids series) - Softcover

Richard Panchyk

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1556526075 ISBN 13: 9781556526077

Publisher: Chicago Review Press, 2006

Synopsis

This lively and comprehensive activity book teaches young readers everything they need to know about the nation's highest court. Organized around keystones of the Constitution—including free speech, freedom of religion, civil rights, criminal justice, and property rights—the book juxtaposes historical cases with similar current cases. Presented with opinions from both sides of the court cases, readers can make up their own minds on where they stand on the important issues that have evolved in the Court over the past 200 years. Interviews with prominent politicians, high-court lawyers, and those involved with landmark decisions—including Ralph Nader, Rudolph Giuliani, Mario Cuomo, and Arlen Specter—show the personal impact and far-reaching consequences of the decisions. Fourteen engaging classroom-oriented activities involving violations of civil rights, exercises of free speech, and selecting a classroom Supreme Court bring the issues and cases to life. The first 15 amendments to the Constitution and a glossary of legal terms are also included.

About this title

About the Author:

Richard Panchyk is the author of American Folk Art for Kids, Archaeology for Kids, Galileo for Kids, and World War II for Kids and the coauthor of Engineering the City. Senator John Kerry lives in Boston. James Baker III is a former Secretary of State.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7 Up—The history and evolution of the court and how it works are discussed in the first chapter. Thematic sections follow, covering such topics as free speech, privacy, and civil rights, with significant decisions included. The cases are arranged chronologically, giving readers a sense of how the court's opinions have changed over time. Throughout, interviews with a variety of people involved in Supreme Court cases add to the text. They include former attorneys general, politicians, lawyers, and litigants. Some of the interviews contribute a wider perspective on issues, while others give personal insight into the case and the time period. The variety and arrangement of photos, drawings, posters, and news clippings add interest and help to break up the text into manageable chunks. Some of the activities are of dubious value ("Be a Court Stenographer"—court cases are now recorded, not typed), and others may be too time-consuming for many of today's standards-based, high-stakes-testing classrooms (electing a class Supreme Court and holding mock trials). All in all, though, this a solid work that makes a complex and important subject accessible to students.—Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School Library, CA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1556526075
• ISBN 13: 9781556526077
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208