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Scheduled To Die / Educator's Guide
October 3, 2002
Web posted at: 10:11 PM EDT (0211 GMT)
Program Overview
(Teachers: This program focuses on a controversial topic, the death penalty. The program contains scenes and accounts that some individuals may find disturbing. Please preview the program to determine whether it is appropriate for your students.)
Huntsville is a quiet, prosperous town in Texas that has attracted worldwide attention. It is home to the Texas death chamber, which has executed more people in the past 20 years than any other such facility in the U.S. In Scheduled to Die, CNN's Christiane Amanpour looks at the pending execution of a young man convicted of murder from several perspectives, including that of the accused, the victim's family, the defense and prosecuting attorneys, a local reporter, and the townspeople of Huntsville.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject Areas: Civics/Government, Criminal Justice, Current Events, Sociology, U.S. History, World History
Objectives
This CNN Presents Classroom Edition: Scheduled to Die and its corresponding lessons
challenge students to:
Review the different roles within the American criminal justice system
Identify terms commonly used within the justice system
Examine capital punishment from different perspectives
Formulate their own opinions on capital punishment
Curriculum Connections
National History Standards
U.S. History Standards
Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation
(1754-1820s)
Standard 3B - Grade level 9-12
The student understands the guarantees of the Bill of Rights and continuing significance.
Therefore, the student is able to:
Analyze issues addressed in recent court cases involving the Bill of Rights to assess their continuing significance today. [Identify relevant historical antecedents]
Historical Thinking Standard 5
Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making - Grade Level 9-12
The student engages in historical issues-analysis and decision-making.
Therefore, the student is able to:
D. Evaluate alternative courses of action, keeping in mind the information available at the time, in terms of ethical considerations, the interests of those affected by the decision, and the long- and short-term consequences of each.
E. Formulate a position or course of action on an issue by identifying the nature of the problem, analyzing the underlying factors contributing to the problem, and choosing a plausible solution from a choice of carefully evaluated options.
F. Evaluate the implementation of a decision by analyzing the interests it served; estimating the position, power, and priority of each player involved; assessing the ethical dimensions of the decision; and evaluating its costs and benefits from a variety of perspectives.
Era 9 - Postwar United States
1945 to Early 1970s
Standard 4C - Grades 9-12
The student understands the Warren Court's role in addressing civil liberties and equal rights.
The student is able to:
Analyze the expansion of due process rights in such cases as Gideon v. Wainwright and Miranda v. Arizona and evaluate criticism of the extension of these rights for the accused. [Interrogate historical data]
Era 10 - Contemporary United States
1968- Present
Standard 2E - Grades 9-12
The student understands how a democratic polity debates social issues and mediates between individual or group rights and the common good.
Therefore, the student is able to:
Evaluate the continuing struggle for e pluribus unum amid debates over national vs. group identity, group rights vs. individual rights, multiculturalism, and bilingual education. [Consider multiple perspectives]
World History Across the Eras
Standard 1
Long-term changes and recurring patterns in world history
Grades 9-12
Therefore, the student is able to:
Analyze how ideals and institutions of freedom, equality, justice, and citizenship have changed over time and from one society to another.
National Standards for Civics and Government
Grades 9-12 Content Standards
I. How does the government established by the Constitution embody the purposes, values, and principles of American Democracy?
D. What is the place of law in the American constitutional system?
1. The place of law in American society. Students should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions on the role and importance of law in the American political system.
2. Judicial protection of the rights of individuals. Students should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions on current issues regarding the judicial protection of individual rights.
Background
BEFORE showing students CNN Presents: Classroom Edition Scheduled to Die, you may want to refer students to their texts and Web sites (see Resources) to provide them with information on capital punishment. Topics may include the judicial branch of government, American criminal justice, civil liberties, the Bill of Rights, law enforcement, and the history of crime and punishment.
Focus Questions
Pose the following questions for class discussion to students prior to watching Scheduled to Die. If necessary, have students research the answers and share their information with the class.
What is meant by the term "capital punishment"?
How many U.S. states deliver capital punishment sentences? Is the death penalty a sentencing option in your state?
Generally speaking, what crimes are punishable by death?
What is the function of the U.S. Supreme Court? What function does the High Court have regarding capital punishment in the U.S.?
What is the focus of the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? What do you think the framers of the Constitution meant by the term "cruel and unusual punishment"? Do you think the death penalty constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment"? Explain.
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