Name:	HR/IG: 	

Date: __________________________________________________________________

Dear fifth graders,
Today, you will prepare one of your position papers for our Mock Constitutional Convention.  Our topic today will be judicial power.  As you write, think about the following questions:
•	Should courts have the power to overrule laws passed by Congress?
•	Should the president be able to choose judges all by himself?
Please think carefully about these issues and choose one as a focus for your position paper.  Complete the t-chart and other activities on the reverse of this paper; they will be collected at the end of class.  To help you, I have included a sample below.  I look forward to hearing your ideas next time we meet.

Take care,
Mr. jeda

Part I: Choose topic focus
Topic Focus: 	
Should courts have the power to overrule laws passed by Congress?	

Part II: List pros and cons (i.e. good points and bad points)
Pros	
Cons	

•	The courts could stop Congress from making unfair laws.
•	The courts could force Congress to pass laws that obey the Constitution.	
•	The courts could make decisions that are unfair.
•	The courts could ignore the will of the people and choose to do whatever they like.	

Part III: Explain how your delegate might feel about this issue
My delegate is George Washington of Virginia.  He probably would have 	

wanted the courts to be able to overrule Congress’ laws if necessary.  George	

Washington did not trust the government to always follow the rules and he	

wanted someone keeping an eye on lawmakers.	

	

Part IV: Outline my main points
George Washington would have wanted the courts to be able to overrule 	

Congress’ laws for the following reasons:	

•	Congress’ power has to be checked by another branch of government	

•	Courts can make sure that the government obeys the Constitution	

	

Part I: Choose topic focus
Topic Focus: 		

Part II: List pros and cons (i.e. good points and bad points)

Pros	Cons	

		

Part III: Explain how your delegate might feel about this issue

	

	

Part IV: Outline my main points