THE JUDICIAL BRANCH 

Chapter 18 in Magruder’s American Government

Chapter 10 in Civics Participating in Government 

Name_______________________________  Due Date__________  Your Score_____100/max.

Unit 7 (assignments with an * are REQURIED and will be done as a class) 

C layer.  Maximum 65 points in this section.

1.   Listen to the lecture and take notes.  5 pts./day 

      1_____________ 2_____________  3_____________ 4_____________5_____________

2. Make flash cards using the vocabulary terms on the board.  Learn them.  20 pts.
3. Read Chapter 18, section 3 in Magruder’s text. Be able to answer the section review questions 1-5 and/or Bringing a case to Court sheet.  5 pts. per sheet.
4. Write a song describing the federal court system.  Include 10 facts in the song.  Perform it for me or 3 classmates.  15 pts.
5. Watch the entire video “Your Court System and You”  and write 5-7 things you learned from it.  10 pts.
6. Read the packet titled “The Federal Court System” and complete the review.  Be prepared to answer the questions on the review.  10 pts.
7. On poster board, make a full color poster illustrating how the state and federal court systems are set up.  15 pts.
8. Make a collage consisting of pictures and/or headlines from magazines or newspapers that illustrate our federal court system at work.  15 pts.
9. Read a newspaper/magazine article on one issue involving our federal court system, summarize the important points.  Be prepared to discuss it with me.  10 pts.
10. Design and illustrate a children’s book on our federal court system.  15 pts.
11. In a group of four, plan a debate on one issue from the U. S. Supreme Court.  Use at least 3 sources of information for your point and document it.   Be prepared to debate on day 5.  15 pts.
12. Construct a board game teaching our federal court system.  The game must teach all parts.  Have 2 classmates play the game.  20 pts.
13. Read the chapter in Civics and take the publisher made test.  10 pts.
14. Do the worksheet Federal and State Court Systems.  15 pts.
15. Make a mobile of all the U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justices.  Include years of service and the President who appointed them. Be prepared to answer these questions:  How does a President influence the Supreme Court?  How many Presidents have appointed a Chief Justice? (hint:  check out the website supremecourt.gov) 15 pts.
16. Create a series of drawings to show the process of how the Supreme Court does its work.  The drawings may be in strip cartoon form or a series of separate illustrations.  Be sure to include labels to explain your drawings.  20 pts.  (hint:  check out the website supremecourt.gov)
17. *Five case studies as a class, then quiz. 20 pts.  Cases are:  Marbury v. Madison; McCulloch v. Maryland; Dred Scott V. Sanford; Plessy v. Ferguson; and Brown v. Board of Education.
18. Read an  article or articles for 30 minutes on one of the following Core Democratic Values:   rule of law, truth, checks & balances, separation of powers, or civilian control of the military.  You must tell me before you begin what topic you are reading on.  After reading, you will discuss your miscellaneous reading with me.  10 pts.

 

B layer-ONLY choose one   15 pts.

1. Write a story using vocabulary terms from the board.
2. Create a puppet show teaching the job of the U. S. Supreme Court.
3. If you were a federal judge, would you consider yourself a judicial activist judge or a judicial restraint judge?  Explain.
4. Create a power point presentation on three (in your opinion) of the most important U. S. Supreme Court cases in the history of our country.
5. Prepare a help-wanted advertisement for a U. S. Federal Judge.
6. Make something edible demonstrating how our federal court system functions.

 

A layer.  Choose one.  Use an “A” level assignment sheet.  20 pts.

1.  Should U. S. Supreme Court Justices continue to serve lifelong terms?

2.  Should we change our jury system?

3.  Should we elect our Supreme Court Justices or continue to have the President appoint them?

4.  Should a law be enacted that federal judges cannot implement judicial activism? 

*Attendance Bonus:  No tardies, working on assignments in class, and present at all unit days. ____/5 

94-100 = A  93-86 = A-  85-82 = B+  81-75 = B  74-71 = B-  70-67 = C+  66-60 =C  59-56 = C-

                                                  55-52 = D+  51-45 = D  44-40 = D- 
 
 
 
 

____________________________________________________  _________________

    Parent signature/date         contact phone #

(parent signature and date worth 5 pts. in the C layer)