During the 2004 National Online Youth Summit, students, as potential future lawmakers, developed informed opinions about capital punishment by learning about court decisions and the philosophical and political arguments about the death penalty in the United States and throughout the world. To that end, students examined the historical background of the Eighth Amendment and its underlying legal and social values; basic conditions identified by the U.S. Supreme Court under which punishment, generally, and the death penalty, in particular, are considered to be cruel and unusual; the role of juries in capital cases; the application of the death penalty in particular situations (e.g., cases involving juveniles or the mentally ill); issues of deterrence, cost, ineffective assistance of counsel, wrongful conviction, and race; and international perspectives and their implications for United States foreign policy.

You can use the resources and information on these pages in your own class. Click on the links below to navigate the site. You can also purchase the Resource Guide (pictured at right) for your use.

Learning Links and Readings
Materials for Summit Teachers
Participants
Evaluating Web Resources: Resources for Teachers & Students
Teaching with Technology: Online Teaching Strategies

Summit Background/Planning Information

Guidelines and Requirements
Advice and Ideas from Teachers
Project- and Inquiry-Based Learning
Applicable National Standards

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About the National Online Youth Summit

A program of the American Bar Association Division for Public Education, the National Online Youth Summit is supported by Award No. 2003-MU-FX-K015 from the office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.