U.S. Supreme Court Justices

Civics and Government - Social Studies

Part 1: Meet the Justices (10–12 minutes)

Directions: Use your notes, textbook, or prior knowledge to complete the chart.

Justice NameAppointed By (President)Year AppointedConsidered Liberal, Conservative, or ModerateOne Interesting Fact

John Roberts

Clarence Thomas

Samuel Alito

Sonia Sotomayor

Elena Kagan

Neil Gorsuch

Brett Kavanaugh

Amy Coney Barrett

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Part 2: Quick Understanding (5–7 minutes)

Directions: Answer in complete sentences.

  1. What is the role of the Supreme Court in the U.S. government?
  2. What does it mean when a justice is described as “liberal” or “conservative”?
  3. Who is the Chief Justice, and how is that role different from the other justices?
  4. Why do Supreme Court justices serve for life?

Part 3: Patterns & Observations (5–6 minutes)

Directions: Look at your completed chart and answer the questions.

  1. Which presidents appointed the most current justices?
  2. Do most justices lean liberal, conservative, or is the Court balanced? Explain.
  3. What trend do you notice about when most justices were appointed (recent vs. long ago)?
  4. Why might the timing of appointments matter for the country?

Part 4: Critical Thinking (8–10 minutes)

Directions: Answer each question in 2–4 sentences. Support your ideas.

  1. Why is it important that Supreme Court justices are independent from elections and political pressure?
  2. Do you think the Supreme Court should reflect the political views of the country? Why or why not?
  3. Should there be term limits for Supreme Court justices instead of lifetime appointments? Explain your reasoning.
  4. Imagine you are the president—what qualities would you look for when choosing a Supreme Court justice?
  5. Which do you think matters more: a justice’s personal beliefs or their interpretation of the Constitution? Defend your answer.

Extension (Optional / Early Finishers)

Option A: Rank the Importance
Rank the following from most important to least important when selecting a justice and explain your top choice:

  • Experience
  • Political beliefs
  • Age
  • Background/diversity
  • Judicial philosophy

Option B: Real-World Connection
Write 3–4 sentences explaining how Supreme Court decisions affect everyday life (school, rights, laws, etc.).

How birth order influences your personality

Reading - ESL

THE OLDEST CHILD

Firstborn children often have to look after their younger brothers and sisters, so they're usually sensible and responsible as adults.

They also tend to be ambitious, and they make good leaders. On the negative side, oldest children can be insecure and anxious. This is because -1-H. when the second child was born, they lost some of their parents' attention, and maybe they felt rejected

THE MIDDLE CHILD

Middle children are more relaxed than the oldest children, probably because -2- C. their parents were more relaxed themselves by the time the second child arrived. They're usually very sociable - the kind

of people who get on with everybody. They are also usually sensitive to what other people need, because -3-A. they grew up between older and younger brothers and sisters. For the same reason, they're often quite good at sorting out arguments, and they're always sympathetic to the ones on the losing side, or in general, to people who are having problems. On the other hand, middle children can sometimes be unambitious, and they can lack direction in life.

THE YOUNGEST CHILD

Youngest children are often very outgoing and charming. This is the way they try to get the attention of both their parents and their older brothers and sisters. They are often more rebellious, and this is probably because

-4-B. it's easier for them to break the rules - by the time they were born, their parents were more relaxed about discipline. They can also be immature and disorganized, and they often depend too much on other people, because -5-E. they have always been the baby of the family.

THE ONLY CHILD

Only children usually do very well at school, because they have a lot of contact with adults. They get a lot of love and attention from their parents, so they're typically self-confident. They're also independent, as they spend so much time by themselves. And because -6-F. they spend a lot of time with adults, they're often very organized. Only children can sometimes be spoilt, because -7-D. they are given everything they ask for by their parents. They can also be quite selfish and get impatient, especially when things go wrong. This is because -8-G. they've never had to sort out problems with other brothers and sisters.

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