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Annenberg Classroom

441 resources available

Video

Right to Remain Silent: Miranda v. Arizona

This documentary explores the landmark Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona that said criminal suspects, at the time of their arrest but before any interrogation, must be told of their Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and Sixth Amendment right to an attorney.

Video

Presidential Signing Statements

Four short videos explain the significance of presidential signing statements: Separation of Powers, Non-Enforcement, the Unitary Theory and the President’s Intent. Hosted by Gwen Ifill, senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Video

One School’s Fight: The Making of a Law

This documentary tells the story of a tiny school in Yosemite National Park that tries to solve its funding problem by getting a bill passed in Congress and, in the process, learns many lessons about how federal laws are made.

Video

One Person, One Vote: Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims

In this documentary, Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Stephen G. Breyer and other experts discuss how the principle of one person, one vote emerged from a series of landmark decisions in the 1960s, including Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims.

Video

Korematsu and Civil Liberties

This documentary explores the landmark case Korematsu v. U.S. (1944) concerning the constitutionality of presidential executive order 9066 during World War II that gave the U.S. military the power to ban thousands of American citizens of Japanese ancestry from areas considered important to national security.

Video

Jury Selection: Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Company

This documentary tells how an African American construction worker’s personal-injury lawsuit against his employer evolved into a landmark jury selection case Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co. on the Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury.

Video

FAQs: Juries

Eleven short videos feature constitutional experts, lawyers and judges who discuss juries and jury service, including the American and English histories, the types of juries, how a trial works, and the perspective from the judge, defense and prosecution.

Video

Executive Branch: What Does a Mayor Do?

The video What Does a Mayor Do? explores the role and responsibilities of mayors in the United States. High school students interview the mayors of Orlando, Fla., and Houston, Texas, about their duties and follow them as they attend community events and preside over public meetings.

Video

A Call to Act: Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.

This documentary tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter and her U.S. Supreme Court case Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.. Ledbetter’s fight for equal pay for equal work eventually involved all three branches of government and resulted in the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

Book

Nineteenth Amendment (1920)

Throughout the nineteenth century, most women were excluded from voting and holding elective office. Beginning in 1848, women organize a suffrage movement to win the right to vote.

Book

Our Rights

This book uses historical case studies to explore the rights in the Constitution. Supreme Court cases are used to demonstrate how a right received its modern interpretation, how the right applies today, and how courts and other interpreters seek to balance this right with important societal concerns such as public safety.

Book

Websites and Text Credits

American Bar Association (ABA), Division for Public Education- www.abanet.org/publiced – The mission of the ABA Division for Public Education is to promote public understanding of law and its role in society.

Book

Further Reading

This resource provides a bibliography for those interested in learning more about individual and collective rights in the United States.

Book

Timeline

1215- English barons force King John to sign the Magna Carta (Great Charter) to guarantee their rights and privileges and to acknowledge that the monarch’s power is not absolute.