The Supreme Court and the Right to Marry

Civics Lesson

GRADE LEVEL: High School

What Were the Multiple Perspectives of the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court Based on During the Repeal of DOMA?

According to the Supreme Court Decision, Who Has the Right to Marry?

What Assurances Do We Have that the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are Able to Be Non-partisan and Avoid Bias When Deciding a Case?

The Judicial branch of the U.S. government is headed by the Supreme Court. This court analyzes and judges cases that impact the entire nation. Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate which allows the Justices to focus on cases, rather than on campaigning to get elected. It is a life-time appointment and Justices are expected to serve until retirement, death or they are found to be unfit for the position. Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are expected to be non-partisan even though they are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Understanding how the Supreme Court reacts to and judges cases is key to understanding many of the laws that the U.S. has today.

About the Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). They will do this by reading the multiple perspectives found on the Supreme Court of the United States and by analyzing the history of DOMA and marriage equality in the United States.

Standard(s):

• D2.Civ.12.9-12
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.3

Objective(s):

• Understand how the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court engage in discourse to decide cases and interpret the law.
• Analyze the multiple perspectives of the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Create a timeline of DOMA and its repeal.
• Explain who has the right to marry according to the Supreme Court of the United States.