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Alpha Stage
The Supremes
April 10, 2007





The USA Today is running an article entitled, "Roberts, Scalia Strike
Similar Chords on Court."

The article explains that United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John,
"Roberts often joins (Justice Antonin) Scalia — for two decades the
court's most feisty voice from the right — in pelting lawyers with
questions in staccato fashion, delivering well-timed wisecracks and often
overshadowing the other seven justices during public oral arguments."

The article states, "Occasionally, they launch into rapid, back-and-forth
dialogues that recall the routines of Abbott and Costello."

Read the Article!!


Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

  • Ask your students what a judge does. Do they think it would be
    fun to be a judge? Why/why not?
  • Students could create skits in which a judge has to make a
    decision about something.

  • What do your students think it means to be a good listener? Is it
    important to listen to other people? Why/why not? Is there a
    difference between listening to somebody and following directions
    that somebody gives you? Explain!!
  • Consider asking students to develop lessons, as teachers,
    in which they explain how to listen.

  • If somebody, driving a car, rams the car into another car on
    purpose, should the driver get in trouble? What should be the
    punishment? If a police officer runs her police car into another
    car to get it to stop during a chase should the police officer get in
    trouble? Why/why not? Can police officers ever get in trouble?
    Why/why not?
  • Consider putting this (first) driver on trial in your class.
    Why would the driver have done such a thing? Should the
    driver get in trouble? What kind of trouble?

  • Ask your students if they know what the word "fact" means. Ask
    them to state a fact. Could somebody be correct if she said, "In
    the United States of America no children go to school"? Why/why
    not? Could somebody be correct if she said, "I think that Saturday
    is the best day of the week"? Why/why not?
  • Ask students to write three facts about themselves.


Discussion-Starters for Older Students

  • Vocabulary terms to discuss: Conservative; Staccato; Skeptical;
    and, Liberal.

  • Ask your students what characteristics they think it is most
    important for judges to possess. Encourage them to explain their
    thoughts.
  • Consider asking students to develop character sketches of
    the ideal judge, in groups of two or three.

  • Do your students think that the White House should be allowed to
    have an Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives that
    seeks to help religious organizations win social service grants.
    Remember that the Constitution of the United States prohibits
    congress from making any law, "respecting an establishment of
    religion." Encourage your students to support their view points.
    Then ask them to support the opposite view point. What should
    such an office be allowed to do? What should the office not be
    allowed to do?
  • Consider putting this question on trial in your class. One
    group of students could argue against such an office while
    another group argued the opposite. Supreme Court
    decisions often take the middle ground. Therefore, a third
    group could explain under what conditions the office
    would be acceptable and under what conditions it would
    not be acceptable.

  • Ask your students to respond to the following statement: "The
    United States Supreme Court is an incredibly important institution.
    The court makes life and death decisions. It is completely
    inappropriate for justices Roberts and Scalia to make jokes from
    the bench. They should maintain a serious and dignified attitude at
    all times, while the court is in session." Encourage your students
    to support their opinions. If making jokes is acceptable, how
    much of it should be accepted?
  • This prompt might promote an interesting class discussion.
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