Keeping Up with SCOTUS

by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist

With the pending confirmation vote in the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and emerging issues related to voting and elections working their way through the court system, keeping up with the courts while navigating a challenging school year can be difficult for #CivicsIntheMiddle educators.

To help teachers follow the evolving court docket, identify essential questions that reflect current and societal issues and topics for moot court simulations, The American Bar Association Division for Public Education is joining with UIC Professor of Law Steven D. Schwinn (@sschwinn) to provide accessible insight into the Supreme Court — from the impact of the election to the cases before the Justices and the drama at oral argument. Classrooms can join these conversations on the ABA Public Education's Twitter for streaming videos (@abapubliced) or visit the ABA Division for Public Education’s YouTube channel. Each installment is less than 30 minutes in length. Current offerings include: For those looking to take a deeper dive into election-related issues before the court, Dr. Schwinn recommends following: Dr. Schwinn is a frequent guest for our IllinoisCivics.org after school Webinars. He will be joining us again on November 11th for a Post Election Analysis of the Impact of the Elections on the Courts and on December 9th to explore the essential question, “Is it time to reset the system of checks and balances?” Visit the IllinoisCivics.org Professional Development Calendar to register for these and other professional development opportunities aligned with the middle and high school civics course requirements. Visit our Webinar Archives to view past webinars about the judicial branch with Dr. Schwinn with links to the classroom resources shared.

What are you doing to help your students engage with the judicial branch? Please comment below. Together, we can prepare all students for college, career, and civic life in tradition, remote and hybrid classrooms.

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