WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
A Comparison of Two Cases
Learning Objective(s): The student will
Compare and contrast two cases dealing with drug testing of students. Materials Needed: Cut out copies of case circles and copies of the student version of the case study for the 2003 Gratz and Grutter United States Supreme Court cases. Provide for each pair of students one transparency of combined circles to use for the review.
Teaching Strategy:
1. Divide the class into pairs and give each pair a case transparency. Divide the case transparencies so that the same number of pairs is working on each of the two cases so at the end of the activity, groups of four students will be comparing and contrasting the two cases.
1. Have the pairs of students read their case study summary and fill in the facts of the case, the issue and the decision. This should take around ten minutes.
2. Next have two students join another set of two other students with a different case circle. Putting their circles together will create a Venn Diagram. Ask the students to share the facts, issues and decision in their cases and list similarities between the cases in the intersection of the Venn Diagram.
3. Using a transparency of the linked circle, ask each group of four students to report one item about their individual case and then one similarity between the two cases. Record answers on the transparency. Ask each group to share their circle’s information until the class feels that all possibilities have been explored.
4. Ask the students if they agree or disagree with the Supreme Court decisions in the two cases. What seems to be the common factor when dealing with student searches?
5. At this point you might want to review the 1978 case, University of California v. Bakke, and discuss similarities and differences between Bakke and Grutz and Grutter.