Resource Pack: Teaching About Gun Laws and the Second Amendment

Firearm regulation in the United States is once again at the forefront of public debate, with students, elected officials, and interest groups all playing active roles in the national conversation.

Street Law has compiled two Supreme Court case summaries and two lesson plans to help teachers tackle this subject in an interactive and balanced way.

Street Law Case Summaries

• D.C. v. Heller (2008): Do D.C. provisions violate the rights of private citizens who wish to keep handguns and other firearms for private use?
• McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010): Does the right “to keep and bear arms” apply to state and local governments and thus limit Chicago’s ability to regulate guns?

Street Law Lesson Plans

• The Second Amendment and Firearm Regulation: This lesson provides students with historical background on the Second Amendment and D.C. v. Heller and helps them view the current debate on gun control from a constitutional perspective.
•  Gun Laws: What Are They? What Should They Be?: In this lesson, students will explore basic gun laws, including differences between federal and state laws. After a careful reading of a text, students will evaluate proposals to change gun laws. Then they will engage in a civil deliberation about whether gun laws should be stricter or not. Finally, students will express their own views on gun laws.