Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties

In the activities contained within this media gallery, students will examine the text of the Fourth Amendment and its protections against unreasonable searches and seizures and explore where these protections are not always granted.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Form conclusions regarding how individual rights frequently clash with the need for law enforcement to collect evidence and punish individuals who have violated the law.
• Identify the ways in which social mores and attitudes regarding interpretation of law and the Constitution change over time.

About the Author: 

Greg Timmons has been a social studies teacher for more than 30 years. He has written lessons for and serves as an educational consultant to various PBS programs including Frontline, the NewsHour, and WashingtonWeek. He resides in Washington state and Montana.