Constitutional Controversies Persuasive Essay
This assignment is designed to expose students to the various persuasive techniques used by the greatest writers of our time and then gives them practice using these techniques, keeping their audience's, knowledge, attitudes, and needs in mind and using logos, ethos, and pathos in order to build a solid, logical argument.
Assignment Information
1. Essay Assignment
2. Essay topics and links to sources
3. Production calendar
4. Essay steps
5. Research Response assignment
6. Essay Rubric
7. Evaluating resources
8. Guidelines for writing a good thesis
9. Addressing the opposing argument: chem and bio weapons
10 Outline
11. Background info graphic organizer
Assignment Information
1. Essay Assignment
2. Essay topics and links to sources
3. Production calendar
4. Essay steps
5. Research Response assignment
6. Essay Rubric
7. Evaluating resources
8. Guidelines for writing a good thesis
9. Addressing the opposing argument: chem and bio weapons
10 Outline
11. Background info graphic organizer
Research Resources
Amendment Background Info
Essay topics
1st Amendment
2nd Amendment
4th Amendment (privacy)
14th amendment cases
Student Rights cases:
If this is a topic you would still like to explore, you can choose one of the lower court cases here to make a decision on as a Supreme Court justice, using the precedents we explored previously in class
- Glossary of terms
- About the Supreme Court
- Supreme court procedure
- general info about 1st Amendment: Illinois 1st am center; The First Amendment Center
- landmark cases
- legals precedents and concepts
- Constitutional accountability center
- Supreme Court Docket/Briefs
- Videos from Annenburg classroom
- Evaluation of online sources regarding the Constitution
Amendment Background Info
- 1st Amendment -- speech background
- 1st Amendment -- freedom of assembly background
- 1st Amendment -- Religion: separation church/state background
- 1st Amendment -- Religion: free exercise of religion background
- 2nd Amendment background
- 4th Amendment -- search/seizure background
- 4th Amendment -- privacy background
- 14th Amendment -- racial discriminations background
- 14th Amendment -- equal protection background
Essay topics
1st Amendment
- Should anti abortion protest signs with graphic images be protected speech? Scott v St Johns church
- Do corporations have the right to religious freedom? (case: a corporation wanted an exemption from providing contraception through Obamacare due to religious beliefs of the owners of the corp.) Sebelious v Hobby Lobby Article: Can Corporations Pray? See Citizens United Opinion see SCOTUSBLOG page for Citizens United
- Can Arizona business owners deny service to a gay customer because of their religious beliefs? See article Does Yick Wo v Hopkins apply here?
- Is it unconstitutional to pray before Town Board meetings?: Greece v Galloway
- Should Intelligent Design be taught in schools even though this theory puts forth the idea of a “creator”? See Livescience article to start See Wallace v Jaffree
- Is having a protest buffer zone outside of abortion clinics infringe upon a citizens right to peaceably assemble (protest)?-- McCullen and another article
- Should individuals and organizations be allowed to contribute as much money as they would like to political candidates as a form of speech? McCutchin v FEC ; another source; oyez link; pbs article
- Should bloggers receive the same 1st am protections as journalists? Can a blogger be sued for defamation? (Obsidian Finance Group v Cox) First Am Center article
2nd Amendment
- Should citizens be allowed to carry a concealed weapon? -- Parker V State of CA) and Drake v. Jerejian
4th Amendment (privacy)
- Warrentless searches -- Does the Fourth Amendment prohibit warrantless searches when the defendant has previously objected but is no longer present and the roommate says it's OK? Fernandez v California: article on this see Brigham City, Utah v. Stuart
- Do the police have the authority to search a suspect’s cell phone without a warrant? Riley v California
14th amendment cases
- Equal Rights Amendment guaranteeing women's equality and rights Should the ERA be ratified? Is it still necessary?
- Should same sex marriage be federally legalized?: Utah Case
- Affirmative action: Does an amendment to a state’s constitution to prohibit race- and sex-based discrimination and preferential treatment in public university admission decisions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment? Schuette case: See Brown v Board of Education; PBS article; interesting precedent case PIC Schools v Seattle SD
Student Rights cases:
If this is a topic you would still like to explore, you can choose one of the lower court cases here to make a decision on as a Supreme Court justice, using the precedents we explored previously in class
About addressing the opposing argument:
When opposing arguments or points of view must be addressed there are a variety of ways to argue against or refute them. They can be place almost anywhere in the text, however, the strength and power of the opposing arguments and how familiar your audience is with them should be your main considerations. Here are a couple of options:
When opposing arguments are less persuasive or, at best, equal to, rebuttals are best saved till last where the opposing argument will appear less credible in light of your own:
· Introduction
· Your argument and evidence
· Rebuttal of opposition claims
· Conclusion
When opposing arguments are particularly strong and readily accepted, discrediting them point-by-point may be the best strategy for convincing an audience to consider alternative points or support a different position.
· Introduction
· Rebut first opposing argument followed by first counter-argument
· Rebut next opposing arguments, followed by further counter-arguments as you go along
· Conclusion
When opposing arguments or points of view must be addressed there are a variety of ways to argue against or refute them. They can be place almost anywhere in the text, however, the strength and power of the opposing arguments and how familiar your audience is with them should be your main considerations. Here are a couple of options:
When opposing arguments are less persuasive or, at best, equal to, rebuttals are best saved till last where the opposing argument will appear less credible in light of your own:
· Introduction
· Your argument and evidence
· Rebuttal of opposition claims
· Conclusion
When opposing arguments are particularly strong and readily accepted, discrediting them point-by-point may be the best strategy for convincing an audience to consider alternative points or support a different position.
· Introduction
· Rebut first opposing argument followed by first counter-argument
· Rebut next opposing arguments, followed by further counter-arguments as you go along
· Conclusion