From Classroom to Courtroom: The Childhood of Supreme Court Justices

Civics

Standard 11

The Student:

Understands the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values, political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society

Benchmark 7

The Student:

• Knows why it is important to the individual and society that Americans understand and act on their shared political values and principles

Civics Standard 18

The Student:

Understands the role and importance of law in the American constitutional system and issues regarding the judicial protection of individual rights

Benchmark 3

The Student:

• Knows principal varieties of law (e.g., constitutional, criminal, civil), and understands how the principal varieties of law protect individual rights and promote the common good

Benchmark 4

The Student:

• Understands criteria for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a rule or law by determining if it is understandable (i.e., clearly written with explicit requirements), possible to follow (i.e., does not demand the impossible), fair, well designed to achieve its purposes, and designed to protect individual rights and to promote the common good

Standard 29

The student:

Understands the importance of political leadership, public service, and a knowledgeable citizenry in American constitutional democracy

Benchmark 7

The Student:

• Understands why becoming knowledgeable about public affairs and the values and principles of American constitutional democracy and communicating that knowledge to others is an important form of participation, and understands the argument that constitutional democracy requires the participation of an attentive, knowledgeable, and competent citizenry