Student Perspectives: Matt Johnson's students

• Otis Bewear v. the Banneker Student Government Association (SGA)
• Sloan v. District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
• Working in a group
• Role-playing as the Justices
• Participating in the simulation
• Matt Johnson's teaching style
• Textbook use
• Lessons learned
• Course value

The students whose interview comments are excerpted below were seniors enrolled in an honors-level constitutional law course taught by Matt Johnson at Benjamin Banneker Senior High School, a small, college preparatory, public high school in Washington, D.C. The lesson engaged them in a simulation of a Supreme Court trial on a hypothetical case involving student rights. Students began the lesson by each preparing and presenting a brief on a case that they had previously studied, underscoring that this was a culminating activity for the semester. They then divided into groups of three (plus a group representing the Justices) and prepared to either appeal or respond to a specific hypothetical case. The lesson concluded with the decision of the Court and an ensuing discussion.