RESEARCH LINKS
Issue 1: Supreme Court
supremecourt.gov: About the U.S. Supreme Court
Georgetown University: Supreme Court Nomination and Confirmation Process
Supreme Court Historical Society: How the Court Works
landmarkcases.org: Landmark Cases of the U.S. Supreme Court
NYT: “10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know”
CNN: “Where Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Stands on the Issues”
Issue 2: Bullying Laws
stopbullying.gov: List of State Laws on Bullying
Text of Pennsylvania State Rep. Frank Burns’ House Bill 2217
Bully Police USA: Watchdog Reporting on State Anti-Bullying Laws
Huffington Post OpEd: “Why Criminalizing Bullying Is the Wrong Approach”
Crisis Prevention Institute: 5 School Bullying Misperceptions
Psychology Today OpEd: “Anti-Bullying Laws Punish the Tax Payer”
cyberbullying.org: Cyberbullying Statistics
CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS
Issue 1: Supreme Court
- Do you think Supreme Court justices should take an active role in politics? Why or why not?
- What defines a “conservative” or “liberal” Supreme Court justice?
- What is a justice’s responsibility when their personal opinions are in conflict with the rule of law in a case?
- Should the people be allowed to approve Supreme Court appointments instead of, or in addition to, the U.S. Senate? Why or why not?
- Read the “10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know” article (link above) and explain how the Supreme Court affects your life personally?
Issue 2: Bullying Laws
- Do you think parents should be fined if their child bullies? Why or why not?
- What kind of interventions can young people use to prevent or stop bullying? List three things you could do to defuse a bullying situation.
- Do you think you’ve ever bullied someone? If so, why? What made you stop or continue to bully?
- Do you think bullying is a serious problem in your school? Why or why not?
- What can be done to make schools safer and more inclusive?