Question

Read the scenarios below and write which court you think should hear the case.

Two neighbors argue over property boundaries.

A citizen believes their First Amendment rights were violated.

A person appeals a decision made by a federal district court.

Two states argue over water rights.

Student Response
Students write which court they think should hear the case and why.

Teacher introduces the key idea:

Jurisdiction = the authority of a court to hear and decide a case.

Mini Lesson / Guided Notes (15 minutes)
Types of Courts
State Courts

Handle most legal cases

Examples:

Criminal cases

Family law

Traffic violations

Property disputes

Federal District Courts

Trial courts of the federal system

Hear cases involving:

Federal laws

Constitutional issues

Disputes between citizens of different states

Cases involving federal officials

U.S. Courts of Appeals

Review decisions made by federal district courts

Supreme Court
The highest court in the United States.

The Supreme Court of the United States has two types of jurisdiction:

Original Jurisdiction

The Court hears the case first

Example: disputes between states

Appellate Jurisdiction

The Court reviews decisions made by lower courts

Activity (45 minutes)
Court Case Sorting Activity
Students receive a list of case scenarios and must determine:

Which court should hear the case

Whether the case involves original or appellate jurisdiction

Case Scenarios
A divorce dispute between two citizens in Georgia

A citizen claims their constitutional rights were violated

A robbery trial involving two residents of the same state

A business from Texas sues a company from Florida for $2 million

A federal law is challenged as unconstitutional

A person appeals a decision made in federal district court

Two states argue over water rights

A traffic violation

A citizen appeals a state supreme court decision to the highest court

A case involving a foreign ambassador

Student Task
Students create a three-column chart

Case Court Responsible Jurisdiction Type
Students must also write 1–2 sentences explaining their reasoning for three cases.

Check for Understanding (10 minutes)
Students answer the following questions:

What does jurisdiction mean?

What is the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction?

Which court is the highest court in the United States?

What types of cases do state courts usually hear?

What types of cases do federal courts hear?

Teacher reviews responses to ensure students understand the concept.

Exit Ticket (10 minutes)
Students respond to the following:

Identify one case that would be heard in state court.

Identify one case that would be heard in federal court.

Explain why jurisdiction is important to the judicial system.

Students should respond in 3–4 sentences total.

Optional Extension (If Time Allows)
Students draw a diagram of the U.S. court system including:

State Courts

Federal District Courts

Courts of Appeals

Supreme Court

Students label where original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction occur.
shorts answers for all

Answer 1

Here are short answers (court responsible, jurisdiction type, one-line reason) for each scenario.

Initial four:
- Two neighbors argue over property boundaries — State court; Original jurisdiction. Property disputes are handled by state trial courts.
- A citizen believes their First Amendment rights were violated — Federal district court; Original jurisdiction. Constitutional claims are heard in federal trial courts.
- A person appeals a decision made by a federal district court — U.S. Court of Appeals; Appellate jurisdiction. Appeals from federal district courts are reviewed by the federal circuit courts.
- Two states argue over water rights — U.S. Supreme Court; Original jurisdiction. The Constitution gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction over disputes between states.

Activity case scenarios:
- A divorce dispute between two citizens in Georgia — State court; Original jurisdiction. Family law (divorce) is handled by state courts.
- A citizen claims their constitutional rights were violated — Federal district court; Original jurisdiction. Federal courts hear constitutional claims.
- A robbery trial involving two residents of the same state — State criminal court; Original jurisdiction. State courts prosecute state crimes.
- A business from Texas sues a company from Florida for $2 million — Federal district court; Original jurisdiction (diversity jurisdiction). Federal courts hear civil cases between citizens of different states when the amount exceeds the statutory threshold.
- A federal law is challenged as unconstitutional — Federal district court (initially); Original jurisdiction. Challenges to federal statutes typically start in federal trial courts (and can be appealed up to the Supreme Court).
- A person appeals a decision made in federal district court — U.S. Court of Appeals; Appellate jurisdiction. Appeals from federal trials go to the appropriate federal circuit court.
- Two states argue over water rights — U.S. Supreme Court; Original jurisdiction. (Same as above — interstate disputes go directly to the Supreme Court.)
- A traffic violation — State/municipal court; Original jurisdiction. Traffic infractions are handled by local or state courts.
- A citizen appeals a state supreme court decision to the highest court — U.S. Supreme Court (appellate), but only if a federal question is involved; Appellate jurisdiction. The Supreme Court reviews state-court decisions that raise federal constitutional or federal law issues.
- A case involving a foreign ambassador — U.S. Supreme Court; Original jurisdiction. The Constitution gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction over cases involving ambassadors and public ministers.