Learning Activity

Aired August 20, 2003

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has pledged to defy a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state's judicial building. CNN's Bruce Burkhardt reports that this is not the first time that the state of Alabama has confronted federal authority.

For discussion questions on this story see http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2003/fyi/news/08/19/discussion.alabama.conflict.

Refer students to the Web sites below to learn more about the federal court ruling to have Alabama Chief Justice remove a monument depicting the Ten Commandments from a state judicial building. Hold a class discussion about the arguments presented by both Judge Moore and those who support him, and the federal court ruling and those who defend it. List the arguments for both sides on the board.

Then provide groups of students with a copies of the U.S. Constitution. Challenge them to find anything in the Constitution that they think relates to the federal court ruling and Chief Justice Moore's refusal to adhere to it. To help focus their search, you may want to suggest that they look for sections that address state vs. federal powers or the separation of church and state. Have students present their findings to the class and reach a consensus on the most applicable articles, sections, clauses or amendments.

While still in their small groups, students should determine which side--the federal court or Judge Moore--has a stronger Constitutional argument. Encourage each group to decide whom they think should win this battle and why.

To extend the activity, have students discuss the reporter's question of why Alabama gets involved in these kinds of federal-state showdowns. Have student groups select one of the historical events mentioned in the story in which Alabama defended states' rights over federal powers. Events can include the vote to secede from the Union during the Civil War, the bus boycott of 1955, the freedom rides of 1961, Gov. George Wallace's refusal to integrate Alabama schools and any other events the students find in their research. Groups should research the event to determine the issue, Alabama's reason for defying a federal order and the final outcome. As each group presents to the class, discuss how the events have been captured in history. Have students react to journalist Randall Williams' final comment, "Well, someone has to make history and maybe we're the lucky ones to do it." Ask students: Do you think this case is about making history? Why or why not?

Standards

This learning activity is correlated to the following national standards:

National Council for the Social Studies Standards

VI. Power, Authority and Governance

Students will develop an understanding of how groups and nations attempt to resolve conflicts and seek to establish order and security.

X. Civics Ideals and Practices

Students will understand that civic ideals and practices of citizenship is critical to full participation in society.

The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/) are published by the National Council for Social Studies (http://ncss.org/).

The National Standards for History

Era 10: Contemporary United States

STANDARD 1

Recent developments in foreign policy and domestic politics.

Standard 1B

The student understands domestic politics in contemporary society.

Standard 2: Economic, social, and cultural developments in contemporary United States.

Standard 2E

The student understands how a democratic polity debates social issues and mediates between individual or group rights and the common good.

The National Standards for History (http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/) are published by the National Center for History in the Schools (http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/).

The National Standards for Civics and Government

III. How does the government established by the Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy? A. How are power and responsibility distributed, shared, and limited in the government established by the United States Constitution?

1. Distributing, sharing, and limiting powers of the national government. Students should be able to explain how the powers of the national government are distributed, shared, and limited.

The National Standards for Civics and Governmenthttp://www.civiced.org/912erica.htm are published by the Center for Civic Education (http://www.civiced.org/index.html)

Related Links

CNN.com: Alabama legal officials rebel from Ten Commandments chief justice (http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/15/ten.commandments.ap/index.html)

Glassroth vs. Moore (http://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/religion/glsrthmre80503jdgmt.pdf)

Americans United for Separation of Church and State (http://www.au.org/press/pr030815.htm)

Reclaiming America (http://www.reclaimamerica.org/PAGES/10Commandments/MooreTime.asp)

U.S. Constitution (http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html)

Alabama Department of Archives and History (http://www.archives.state.al.us/index.html)

Keywords

spectacle, defiantly, sovereign, Judge Roy Moore, Southern Poverty Law Center, demagoguery, secede, bus boycott, freedom rides, judicial tyranny, mandated, George Wallace