By way of example, a civics lesson plan focused on due process might begin with students reading through the modules What Is Due Process?, Criminal Cases, and Equal Protection. The What Is Due Process? module explains due process, providing contextual examples for each principle; the Criminal Cases module applies due process principles to criminal trials; and the Equal Protection module discusses how due process requirements must be the same for all people regardless of race, gender, religion, or even the state in which a person resides. Depending on the teacher’s objective, certain parts of these storylines can be emphasized to achieve different goals. For instance, a teacher might ask upper- grade students to prepare a paper on how Title IX relates to the case Brown v. the Board of Education and the curfew storyline highlighted in the What Is Due Process? module. If the teacher provides a hint—no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness without due process of law—the students will be oriented to due process concepts and the exercise will help students understand the scope of due process and its importance in our democratic system.
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