Lesson 3: Shaw v. Reno anaylsis
Duration of Days: 2
Lesson Objective
Students should be able to:
Explain the facts of Shaw v. Reno : Understand the context of the case, including the North Carolina redistricting plan and the challenge to its constitutionality.
Identify the legal issue: Recognize that the case involved a challenge to the state's redistricting plan under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Summarize the Supreme Court's ruling: Understand that the Court held that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing electoral district lines and that such plans must be subject to strict scrutiny.
Analyze the impact of the decision: Discuss how Shaw v. Reno has influenced subsequent redistricting cases and the ongoing debate over racial gerrymandering.
Connect the case to other concepts: Relate the case to the Voting Rights Act, the Equal Protection Clause, and the concept of fairness in representation.
Evaluate the arguments for and against racial gerrymandering: Consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of drawing districts based on race, and the potential for racial discrimination.
Did the North Carolina residents' claim, that the State created a racially gerrymandered district, raise a valid constitutional issue under the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause?
CG.Civ.2.b. Analyze the role and effectiveness of the legislative branch in addressing constituent and
societal needs (e.g., Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, elections, political
polling, representation, constituent services).
CG.Civ.3.b. Analyze how federal and state court systems are articulated and maintained by
constitutions and laws in the United States (e.g., District Courts, Circuit Courts, Appellate
Court, Supreme Court).
CG.Civ.5.a. Evaluate the relationship between law-making, enforcement, and interpretation in balancing
the rights of the individual with the well being of society (e.g., Bill of Rights, Supreme Court
cases)
DOK 2
N/A
Students will be assessed based upon the accuracy of the FRQ comparing the foundational Supreme Court case to another.
google slides
notebooks
FRQ