Teacher Resources: Lesson Plan

Gender and the United States Supreme Court

Overview

The purpose of the lesson is to introduce students to the landmark legislation involving gender and the female justices who have shaped the United States' highest court. Through primary source investigation and interactive discovery, students will understand the importance of equality and opportunity as a characteristic of modern America. Students will demonstrate content mastery through a self-reflective writing response. The topic of gender and equality could be used thematically with the topic of slavery and its long lasting impact on the American nation. The lesson is appropriate for students in grades 9-12.

National Curriculum Standards met by this lesson

For a list of standards that this unit addresses, click here.

Ties To Your Curriculum

This lesson ties into United States History when studying:

This lesson ties into United States Government/Civics when studying:

Time Required

This lesson will take three standard class periods (45-50 minutes) to complete; teachers with block scheduling should adjust accordingly.

Materials

The Lesson

Anticipatory Set

Prior to providing background information on for the lesson, focus the students by displaying the photos and have students briefly brainstorm and record their answers to the question "What do these photographs and the United States Supreme Court have in common?" Allow students 3-5 minutes to brainstorm and write their thoughts; follow this with a 2-3 minute discussion based on the student's findings (Individual answers may vary, but the underlying principle that the Supreme Court has played a pivotal role in struggle for gender equality).

Procedures

Day #1

  1. Present the material on the Supreme Court and Sandra Day O'Connor in a direct instruction format of your choice.(below, at end) (lecture, notes, PowerPoint, etc.)
  2. Introduce the gender theme by saying that some of the most important cases brought before the Supreme Court have centered on issues of gender and equality. Tomorrow students will investigate these landmark cases and become an expert on one in particular.

Day #2

Anticipatory Set

Focus class by asking guiding questions or displaying a photo or quotation that revisits the topic of gender.

Procedures

  1. Hand each student a copy of the Supreme Court Cases Involving Gender Worksheet (below).
  2. Discuss expectations for in-class work.
  3. Split the class up into 8 groups of 3-4 students.
  4. Hand each group a handout that focuses on a particular Supreme Court Case involving gender (see materials list, all overviews available on-line at http://www.oyez.org).
  5. Students should spend 10-15 minutes in their groups interacting with the document and answering the questions on the Excel spreadsheet.
  6. Thereafter, form 4 large groups, with a representative from each case. The students should then take turns reporting the findings on their individual cases, based on the information they have recorded on their handouts. Students should take turns discussing their cases until all 8 cases have been explored and the worksheet is completed while teacher monitors the groups.

Day #3

  1. Allow 20-25 minutes to review the chart with students.
  2. The teacher should approach this part of the lesson as an informal discussion. Possible questions include the following:

    3. Discussion Questions:

    • How has the United States Supreme Court shaped gender issues in the 20th and 21st centuries?
    • Does the current composition of the Supreme Court effectively represent the demographics of modern America?
    • Theoretically, what would the condition of gender relations be, without the advocacy of the United States Supreme Court?
    1. Following the informal discussion, introduce the students to their summative assessment, which is outlined below.
    2. Any time remaining in class could be devoted to the students beginning their assessment.

    Assessment

    Building upon the student's newfound knowledge on the topic of gender and the United States Supreme Court, the following assessment is provided as a tool to check for understanding and informational synthesis. Thus, by completing the interpersonal writing assignment, students will be applying the material they learned and simultaneously recognizing the impact the Supreme Court plays in the everyday life of all American citizens. The following prompt could be used as a formal writing prompt, or in an informal manner, such as a journal entry.

    Prompt:

    How has the Supreme Court affected gender relations in the United States of America? Has this led to an improvement or retardation in equality and opportunity? Use specific examples and cases to back up your claim.

    Overall Content

    Advanced

    4

    Proficient

    3

    Basic

    2

    Below Basic

    1

    Supreme Court References

    Advanced

    4

    Proficient

    3

    Basic

    2

    Below Basic

    1

    Grammar/

    Conventions

    Advanced

    4

    Proficient

    3

    Basic

    2

    Below Basic

    1

    Style

    Advanced

    4

    Proficient

    3

    Basic

    2

    Below Basic

    1

    Creativity

    Advanced

    4

    Proficient

    3

    Basic

    2

    Below Basic

    1

    Total _________/20

    Related Works

    Johnson, Allan. Privilege, Power, and Difference (Toronto: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2001).

    Bianco, William T. American Politics: Strategy and Choice ( New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2001).

    Interdisciplinary Links

    This lesson would be well connected to curricula in the Social Sciences, particularly sociology, or a thematic English unit that focuses on writings from the Civil Rights or Women's Rights movements. This lesson could also serve as warm-up for a student centered research project on specific Supreme Court Cases in either the English or Social Studies disciplines.

    What do these photographs and the United States Supreme Court have in common?

    Supreme Court Facts (most likely a quick review of prior lessons)

    1. Supreme Court established as part of Judiciary Act of 1789
    2. President Washington appoints the first justices, including the following:
      • John Jay, NY
      • John Rutledge, SC
      • John Blair, VA
    3. From 1789-1981, roughly 85 justices serve the court. Of these, none were women.
    4. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female justice was appointed by President Reagan on September 25, 1981.
    5. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed by President Clinton was the second female justice appointed August 10, 1993.
    6. Both justices have altered the face of the Supreme Court and provided future opportunities for female justices.

    Sandra Day O'Connor: Brief history

    1. Born March 26, 1930 in El Paso Texas
    2. Attended Stanford Law School
    3. Graduated 3rd in her class out of 102
    4. William H. Rehnquist graduated in same class
    5. Despite these accolades she still had trouble getting hired by a law firm.
    6. From 1957-1965, she was the administrator at Arizona State Hospital, while writing and grading bar exams for state of Arizona and volunteering at Salvation Army.
    7. Government posts:
      • 1965-1969 Arizona's assistant attorney general
      • 1970 elected to Arizona State Senate
      • 1972 Arizona Senate majority leader (first woman to hold this position in U.S.)
      • 1974 wins election and becomes judge on Maricopa County, Arizona Superior Court.
      • 1979, wins appointment to Arizona's Court of Appeals.
      • September 25, 1981 Appointed to United States Supreme Court.

    Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    1. Born March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York
    2. Grew up in a lower class neighborhood
    3. Mother instilled a sense of getting the most out of school for social advancement.
    4. Law School, Harvard, which in the 1950s was somewhat hostile towards female students. Regardless, she made law review and then she transferred to Columbia University, where she once again made law review.
    5. She became first woman to achieve this position at two major universities.
    6. She graduated from Columbia at the top of her class.
    7. Ginsburg's Career:
      • Joined faculty at Rutgers University Law School (1963)
      • Became first woman hired with tenure at Columbia (1972)
      • Served as a federal appeals judge form 1981-1993
      • August 10, 1993 appointed to Supreme Court by Bill Clinton
      • Has served as an advocate of women's rights throughout her career

    Supreme Court Cases Involving Gender Worksheet

    Supreme Court Case Case Background
    (briefly describe why the case was argued before the Supreme Court and the year of the case)    		 Decision
    (Summarize the decision of the Court providing specific examples of their concluding remarks)    		 Modern Implications
    has/will this case be of importance to you personally? Explain in detail.
    Roe v. Wade

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Mapp v. Ohio

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Griswold v. Connecticut

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Frontiero v. Richardson

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Miss. Univ. for Women v. Hogan

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    United States v. Virginia

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Faragher v. City of Boca Raton