Activity Overview
Students will read a scenario that raises search and seizure questions. They will take the role of a judge hearing the case and write a persuasive essay to explain their "judgment" concerning the search and seizure issue.
Before the Activity
See the attached Activity PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity.
Print the appropriate pages from the Activity for your class.
Install the LearningCheck(tm) App on the students' graphing calculators following the attached instructions.
Distribute copies of Student Work Sheet, Has There Been A Violation of Due Process Rights?, to the students. This work sheet contains the same instructions and scenario that are presented in the LearningCheck(tm) resource file, but using the work sheet as a reference may be valuable while explaining the assignment.
During the Activity
Distribute the appropriate pages from the Activity to your class
Distribute the LearningCheck(tm) file(s) to your class using TI Connect(tm) and the appropriate TI Connectivity cable
Follow the procedures outlined in the Activity
Students will:
Identify, analyze, interpret, and evaluate sources and examples of citizens' rights and responsibilities.
Evaluate United States Supreme Court cases to determine the meanings of search, seizure, probable cause, and the warrant requirement.
Examine persistent issues involving the rights, roles, and status of the individual in relation to the general welfare.
Participate in a Socratic Seminar in which the implications of the Fourth Amendment are assessed. For purposes of this lesson, a Socratic Seminar is a group discussion where the instructor provides broad discussion questions to stimulate student thinking. The class is to have a discussion of the important topic by integrating any primary and secondary material utilized by the instructor.
Write a persuasive essay in which the student takes on the role of a judge and utilizes previous case law to reach a decision.
After the Activity
When the persuasive essays are completed and submitted, have the students prepare for a "substantive conversation" by using the cases that were supplied in class. This preparation can be a homework assignment so that the students will be prepared for the discussion. If your school uses a "block" format for classes (and your class period is double the more common 50-60 minute period), then allow the students 5-10 minutes to review the prior cases in this lesson before beginning the discussion.