Procedures

• STEP 1:

  As a class, view the following videos and engage in class discussion to establish an understanding the background of the case.

  HANDOUT: Griswold v. Connecticut (Google Doc)

• VIDEO CLIP: The Legal Background of Griswold v. Connecticut (3:02)

  • Explain the Connecticut law that the Griswold v. Connecticut case centered around.
  • How did other previous cases impact the ruling the Griswold case?

• VIDEO CLIP: Griswold v. Connecticut as a Test Case for Birth Control Laws (4:52)

  • What role did Planned Parenthood play in Griswold v. Connecticut?
  • Why was the clinic set up in Connecticut?
  • What arguments do Dr. Lee Buxton and Estelle Griswold make?

• VIDEO CLIP: Societal Factors in Griswold v. Connecticut (2:11)

  • What were the arguments for the Connecticut birth control ban?
  • How were these arguments representative of the culture at the time? Birth Control, Abortion, Prosecution, Morality, Contraception,

• STEP 2:

  View this collection of videos to learn about the Constitutional arguments, ruling and opinions in this case.

• VIDEO CLIP: Constitutional Arguments in Griswold v. Connecticut (4:30)

  • Explain the Constitutional arguments that Fowler Harper makes?
  • What is the rational basis test?
  • Why was it important for Griswold's argument for the court to interpret the right to privacy as a "fundamental right?"
  • How does this case relate to the balance between individuals' right to privacy and a state's power to make laws that govern health, safety, welfare and morals?

• VIDEO CLIP: The Decision in Griswold v. Connecticut (4:55)

  • How did the Supreme Court rule in Griswold v. Connecticut?
  • Explain how this case extended the right to privacy.
  • What are other examples of rights that are not explicitly listed in the Constitution?

• VIDEO CLIP: The Dissenting Opinion and Arguments Against Griswold v. Connecticut (2:54)

  • Explain Justice Black's dissenting opinion in the Griswold v. Connecticut case.
  • What does Ms. Rebouché mean by "without adhering to the text of the Constitution, the court becomes a day-to-day constitutional convention?"
  • What are Judge Robert Bork's objections to the ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut?

• VIDEO CLIP: Griswold v. Connecticut's Impact on other Supreme Court Cases (3:41)

  • Explain how the expansion of Constitutional rights in Griswold impacted other Supreme Court cases.
  • How were these cases similar?

• VIDEO CLIP: The Importance of Griswold v. Connecticut (2:30)

  • Explain the importance of Griswold v. Connecticut.
  • How do conservatives and liberals generally view the ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut?

• EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  Comparing Supreme Court Cases- Compare and contrast the Constitutional arguments that are made in Plessy v. Ferguson to those in the following Supreme Court Cases.

  • Landmark Supreme Court Case: Lochner v New York

  • Landmark Supreme Court Case: Roe v Wade

• EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  Additional Writing Prompts-

  • How did Griswold v. Connecticut help create the foundation for the Roe v. Wade ruling?

  • How did the ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut reshape judicial interpretation of rights found in the Constitution?

  • Explain how Griswold v. Connecticut impacted Constitutional rights not specifically found in the Constitution?

  • Similar to the right to privacy, what other rights do you think are guaranteed but not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution?

  • Evaluate the ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut. Was this the correct interpretation of Constitutional rights?