Procedures

• STEP 1.

  As a class, view the following videos and answer the questions below to lay the foundation for students to understand this case:

  VIDEO CLIP: Background Clip 1 (1:30)

  VIDEO CLIP: Background Clip 2 (5:00)

  • Describe the atmosphere in the United States in the 1850s regarding slavery.

  • Explain why the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Dred Scott.

  • Describe the structure of the justices on the Supreme Court at the time and its significance leading up to the Dred Scott v Sandford case.

  • Explain the breakdown of the justices’ decision in this case.

  • Explain the circumstances of the Court the first time this case was heard.

  • How did Dred Scott acquire his attorneys?

  • Explain the conflict involving George Curtis being involved with this case.

  • Explain the circumstances of the Scott family while the case was being heard in Washington, DC.

• STEP 2.

  Students can either work independently or in groups to view the following video clips. They should take notes using the handout below:

  HANDOUT: Supreme Court Case: Dred Scott v. Sandford (Google Doc)

• VIDEO CLIP: Timeline (9:06)

  • Where did Dred Scott take his first case to court? Describe the elements to the initial case. What was the result?

  • Describe the scene and key factors of the cases heard in the Old Courthouse in St. Louis.

  • Explain the timeline of Dred Scott’s legal challenge in the lower courts. What were the important aspects of these cases?

  • Why did the Scott’s wait as long as they did to bring their freedom suit?

  • What was the result of the second trial? Why did the case not end there?

• VIDEO CLIP: 4 Central Questions (3:31)

  • Explain the four questions the justices considered upon review of this case.

• VIDEO CLIP: Chief Justice Taney's Opinion (2:45)

  • Explain Chief Justice Taney’s opinion in this case.

  • What were the implications?

• VIDEO CLIP: Legacy (1:36)

  • Describe how the Dred Scott case is connected to the Marbury v. Madison decision?

  • Explain why the decision is “viewed as one of the worst the Court ever made” by critics.

• STEP 3.

  As a class, discuss the significance of this case, the precedent it set, and its legacy.

• STEP 4.

  Choose an activity from C-SPAN Classroom's Deliberations site to engage in a structured student-centered analysis of the case.