Congress has declared that September 17 is National Constitution and Citizenship Day. All schools that receive federal funding are to integrate activities that day or week to help students understand the benefits and importance of the U.S. Constitution.

Many current controversies are directly affected by the Bill of Rights of the Constitution: gun control and the shooting spree at Virginia Tech; the Patriot Act and the right to privacy from search and seizure; the battle to overturn Roe v. Wade; and government financial support for religious schools and charities, among other issues.

Each involves continuing debates among citizen groups who have credible arguments for their causes. The Constitution gives the power to decide to uphold or change the laws in question to the Supreme Court.

Activity: The Supreme Court is charged with interpreting the Constitution as it applies to new or recurring issues arising from local, state, and federal laws. The Supreme Court's decisions have varied remarkably over time, especially on civil rights for African Americans. Here are some examples from different eras. Click the Topics tab to view the listing or resources that follow:

• Reconstruction > Constitutional Amendments During Reconstruction
• Progressive Era > Supreme Court and Progressivism; and Progressive Era Constitutional Amendments
• The Great Depression > Constitutional Amendments; and The Supreme Courts and the New Deal
• Eisenhower Era > 23rd Amendment: Voting in Washington, D.C.
• African-American Civil Rights Movement > Brown v. Board of Education
• Turbulent '60s > The Warren Court; and the 25th and 26th Amendments
• Turbulent '60s > The Disputed 2000 Election
• The Seventies > Roe v. Wade

Students should be assigned one of these eras and subtopics to research. Each student should prepare a two- to three-minute PowerPoint or an oral report with note cards. Each report should focus on answering the following Essential Questions for Critical Thinking:

• How did the Supreme Court ruling change or validate existing laws?
• Was this change good for America or not and why?
• Who were the parties involved and what were their arguments?
• Was this ruling popular with the American people -- why or why not?
• How does the philosophy of the majority of the justices affect the balance between individual and societal rights?