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Supreme Court Decisions Research Paper: Home

Write a research paper on a landmark US Supreme Court case.

Research Project Overview

You are to research and report on a landmark US Supreme Court case. Your paper will receive a process grade and a final draft grade. 

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Assignment Details

Research Paper Assignment 

Your research should focus on the following:

  1. Define the dispute involved in the case. What issues and people were involved? How does the case balance the rights of the individual with the needs of society? Why did the case occur? Do you agree with the majority ruling? Why or why not?
  2. Describe the background to the case. Place the case in a historical context. When, where, and how did the case take place? Set the stage for your case; what is the zeitgeist from which your case arises?
  3. Describe the majority and dissenting opinions of the Supreme Court. What did the Court rule and why? Record and comment upon direct quotations from key justices involved with the case. This may be the most challenging part of the project for you; be sure to see Mr. Finn or Mrs. Pinard if you are having any trouble.
  4. What was/is the significance of the case for American society? How did the case alter and shape American culture? What was the next chapter? Develop the issues addressed above (in #1) especially the conflict between the rights of the individual and the needs of society.

Follow the guidelines described in the John Stark Style Sheet while researching and writing your paper. The various due dates involved in this process are listed below. The final paper should be 6-8 pages, double spaced, and include at least 5 sources (not all the same type - no Wikipedia) on your Works Cited page.

 

 

Noodle Tools

Remember - a bibliography is not a list of URLs. Use Noodle Tools to properly format your citations.

With a Noodle Tools account, once you create bibliographies you can easily organize your research with note cards, outline your papers, and integrate with Google docs. 

Users will log in via one of the following: 

  1. Clicking the G Suite NoodleTools button (under the Google "waffle" menu)
  2. Entering their Google email on the login screen (under "Access via G Suite")

Need more information on Citing Sources?

Find more information on creating a Works Cited page, click on the Research Tools tab above. then click on the Cite Your Sources tab.