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Before Week 1 (before January 14th)
Complete this deliverable by visiting Before We Begin. These deliverables must be completed even if you join the course after the first day of class.
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Complete the “Introduce Yourself” post in the Teams’ Introduction channel
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Complete the “Learning Contract” post in the Teams’ Learning Contract channel
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Register for access to your SHU Adobe Creative Cloud
- Review Use of Artificial Intelligence and GenAI policy
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Register for access to OpenAI
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Register for access to Perplexity
- Access the AT Project WordPress example
Week 1, Class 1 | Introduction To The Course
Before Class (Wednesday):
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Review the entire Syllabus, including Review This First, Deliverables, Schedule, calendar, and Course Policies
During Class (Wednesday):
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Introduction to the course
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Review current events
Week 2, Class 2 | AT Projects
During Class (Wednesday):
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Discuss AT Project requirements
Week 3, Classes 3 & 4 | Prompt Engineering, Adobe Express & WordPress
Before Class (Monday)
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
During Class (Monday)
- Overview of Generative AI, Prompt Engineering, Ethics, and Use of Generative AI
Before Class (Wednesday):
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Watch the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion, and you can use these sources throughout the course
During Class (Wednesday):
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Introduction to Adobe Express
Week 4, Class 5 | Judicial Power and the Role of the Supreme Court
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
- Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 1: The Constitution’s Big Picture (transcript)
- Supreme Court (Wikipedia)
- Judicial Review (Wikipedia)
- Marbury v. Madison (1803) Oyez | Wikipedia: Establishing judicial review
- Cooper v. Aaron (1958) (Justia | Wikipedia): Reinforcing the supremacy of the Court’s decisions
During Class
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Discuss
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The Supreme Court’s creation, structure, and constitutional foundations
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The establishment of judicial review and the Court’s role in maintaining the balance of power in the federal government
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The evolution of the Court’s authority and legitimacy in the American constitutional system, judicial review, separation of powers, and the Court’s role in the constitutional system
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Review current events
Deliverable(s):
- ATP Phase 1 Due Before Sunday at 10:42p
Week 4, Class 6 | Theories of Constitutional Interpretation
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
- Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 1: The Constitution’s Big Picture (transcript)
- Originalism: Interpreting the Constitution as understood at the time of enactment
- Living Constitution: Adapting the Constitution to contemporary societal needs
- Textualism: Focusing on the plain meaning of the Constitution’s text
- Structuralism: Deriving principles from the structure and relationships within the Constitution
- District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Oyez | Wikipedia: Originalism vs. Living Constitution
During Class
- Discuss competing approaches to understanding and applying the Constitution
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Review current events
Deliverable(s):
- Prompt Engineering Exercise Due Before Saturday at 8:41p
Week 5, Class 7 | Federalism and States’ Rights
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
- Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 2: The Supremacy Clause and Preemption (transcript)
During Class
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- Discuss the balance of power between federal and state governments
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Review current events
Deliverable(s)
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Case Simulation #1 Materials Available Before Sunday at 1p
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Case Simulation #1, Phase 1 Memo Due Before Friday at 11a; Submit Using Teams DM
Week 5, Class 8 | Commerce Clause and Economic Regulation
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
- Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 3: The Commerce Clause and Contracts Clause (transcript)
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Article 1, Section 8 Commerce Clause (Wikipedia)
During Class
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- Discuss the Commerce Clause and Economic Regulation
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Review current events
Week 6, Classes 9 & 10 | Case Simulation
During Class
Case Simulation #1
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Monday: Phase 1, discuss case simulation memos
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Wednesday: Phase 2, team Q&A
Week 7, Class 11 | Civil Rights and Discrimination
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
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Civil And Political Rights (Wikipedia)
- History Of Civil Rights In The United States (Wikipedia)
- Civil Rights Acts (United States) (1866-pres) (Wikipedia)
- Gender Inequality In The United States (Wikipedia)
- Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Justia | Wikipedia: African Americans were not US citizens and had no constitutional rights, effectively protecting slavery
- Cooper v. Aaron (1958) Justia | Wikipedia: Reaffirmed that states must comply with Supreme Court decisions on civil rights and cannot nullify federal court orders
- Loving v. Virginia (1967) Justia | Wikipedia: Struck down laws banning interracial marriage as unconstitutional
During Class
- Discuss racial equality, gender equality, and protections against discrimination.
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Review current events
Deliverable(s)
- ATP Phase 2 Due Before Monday at 1:12a
Week 7, Class 12 | Voting Rights and Representation
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
During Class
- Discuss equal representation, disenfranchisement, and gerrymandering.
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Review current events
Week 8, No Classes | Spring Break
Week 9, Class 13 | The First Amendment: Free Speech, Religion, and the Press
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
- Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 4: The First Amendment Freedoms (transcript)
- US Constitution: First Amendment | Wikipedia
- First Amendment: Establishment Clause | Wikipedia
- First Amendment: Free Exercise Clause | Wikipedia
- First Amendment: Freedom of Speech | Wikipedia
- First Amendment: Freedom of the Press | Wikipedia
- First Amendment: Freedom of Assembly | Wikipedia
- First Amendment: Right to Petition | Wikipedia
- The Spirit of Liberty, Judge Learned Hand
- Schenck v. United States (1919) Justia | Wikipedia: Free speech limits (clear and present danger)
- New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) Justia | Wikipedia: Freedom of the press and libel law; created the “actual malice” standard for defamation cases involving public figures
- Engel v. Vitale (1962) Justia | Wikipedia: Prohibition of state-sponsored school prayer
- Murthy v. Missouri (2024) Justia | Wikipedia: government influence over social media content moderation
- Moody v. NetChoice, LLC (2024) Justia | Wikipedia
- Regulations Targeting Large Language Models Warrant Strict Scrutiny Under the First Amendment (2024)
- The First Amendment Is Out of Control (2024)
During Class
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Discuss Protections For Speech, Religious Freedoms, And Press Rights.
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Review current events
Week 9, Class 14 | Equal Protection Under the Fourteenth Amendment
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion
- Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 7: The Fourteenth Amendment—Equal Protection and Due Process (transcript)
- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Justia | Wikipedia: Established the “separate but equal” doctrine, legitimizing racial segregation for nearly 60 years
- Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Justia | Wikipedia: Equal educational opportunity
- Romer v. Evans (1996) Justia | Wikipedia: Protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation
During Class
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Discuss Expanding Rights And Protections Through The Equal Protection Clause.
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Review current events
Week 10, Classes 15 & 16 | Due Process and Substantive Rights
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
During Class
- Discuss privacy, liberty, and the extension of constitutional protections.
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Review current events
Deliverable(s)
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Case Simulation #2 Materials Available Before Sunday at 1p
- Case Simulation #2, Phase 1 Memo Due Before Thursday at 11p; Submit Using Teams DM
Week 11, Classes 17 & 18 | Case Simulation
During Class
Case Simulation #2
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Monday: Phase 1, discuss case simulation memos
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Wednesday: Phase 2, team Q&A
Week 12, Class 19 | Criminal Procedure and the Rights of the Accused
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
During Class
- Discuss expanding protections for defendants under the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments.
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Review current events
Deliverable(s)
- ATP Phase 3 Due Before Sunday at 3:49p
Week 12, Class 20 | Executive Power and Separation of Powers
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
During Class
- Discuss presidential authority, checks and balances, and wartime powers.
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Review current events
Week 13, Classes 21 & 22 | Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
During Class
- Discuss balancing national security and individual rights.
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Review current events
Week 14, Classes 23 & 24 | The Supreme Court’s Legacy and Contemporary Issues
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
- Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 8: The First Fifteen Amendments—Building the Framework of Rights (transcript)
- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) Justia | Wikipedia: Political spending constitutes protected speech
- Janus v. AFSCME (2018) Justia | Wikipedia: Union fees and free speech
- Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) Justia | Wikipedia: Overturning Roe v. Wade
- Loper Bright v. Raimondo (2024) Justia | Wikipedia: overturns Chevron deference
- Noem, Et Al. v. Abrego Garcia, Et Al. (2025) Justia | Wikipedia: Deportations of Abrego Garcia et al.
- We Should All Be Very, Very Afraid (2025) New York Times
- The Confrontation Between Trump and the Supreme Court Has Arrived (2025), The Atlantic
During Class
- Discuss evolving interpretations of the Constitution and modern challenges.
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Review current events
Deliverable(s)
- Final ATPs due before Sunday at 4:47a
Week 15, Class 26
Monday: No Class, Easter Monday
Before Class (Wednesday)
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
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TBD
During Class (Wednesday)
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Discuss TBD
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Review current events
Week 16, Classes 27 & 28
Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
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AT Projects Discussions
During Class
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Each AT Project Team will select a Monday and Wednesday session Team Lead; the Teams Leads will facilitate their respective discussion session.
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Review current events
Week 17, Class 29
Course Wrap