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Social Studies 5: The Supreme Team 22 Views
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Description:
Get ready to learn everything you ever wanted to know about the Supreme Court but were afraid to ask. For example, did you know that the original members of the Court were the first group of people to request the name "Justice League"? (Okay, that was a lie.)
Transcript
- 00:03
[Dino and Coop singing]
- 00:13
When it comes to studying the United States government, things can get boring pretty quickly. [Teacher pulls a funny face]
- 00:18
Seriously, we got bored just saying that sentence. [Students drooling]
- 00:20
But between the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches, The House of Representatives,
- 00:24
The Senate, and even the United States Constitution, things are bound to get a little dull. [All the organisations appearing]
Full Transcript
- 00:28
You wouldn't exactly whip out those topics at a party, would you?
- 00:31
…If you said yes, then you're going to have some pretty intellectual parties. [People talking about politics at a party]
- 00:34
Good for you.
- 00:35
But there's one aspect of the government that's anything but boring.
- 00:38
It's supreme!
- 00:39
It's extreme!
- 00:40
It's livin' a dream!
- 00:41
It's The Supreme Court! [Stage curtains reveal the supreme court]
- 00:43
…Okay, maybe we went a little overboard there.
- 00:46
But hey, supreme does sound pretty cool. [Singers appear]
- 00:48
Just ask these gals.
- 00:49
So what is this supreme court?
- 00:51
Is it where Steph Curry gets all his friends together to play pickup games and talk politics?
- 00:56
Unfortunately, no. [Stop sign appears]
- 00:57
They just do that in his backyard.
- 00:59
The supreme court is the highest court of law in the country and is made up of a team [Coop pointing at a blackboard]
- 01:03
of some of the best judges around.
- 01:05
So let's take a look at our Supreme Team... [Picture of the Supreme Court Judges]
- 01:07
It consists of one chief justice and eight associate justices.
- 01:11
They're appointed by the President, but must be approved by the Senate. [Dino pointing at a blackboard]
- 01:14
And if you think they look Supreme in their black robes, just wait until you see them
- 01:17
in their casual Friday robes! [Justices wearing formal robes]
- 01:19
…Seriously, guys?
- 01:20
That's no fun at all.
- 01:22
So what is it that these supreme court justices actually do? [Question mark]
- 01:25
Well, their main purpose is to uphold the Constitution, and ensure that legislative
- 01:28
and executive actions don't conflict with it.
- 01:31
This means determining if local, state and federal governments are acting within the [Supreme Court duties folder]
- 01:34
law...
- 01:35
…deciding if the President is acting within the law...
- 01:38
…and guaranteeing individual rights while upholding the Constitution.
- 01:41
The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction on cases between states or between a state [Arrows going between states and between a state and Washington]
- 01:46
and the federal government.
- 01:48
In other words, they're the ultimate law-deciders of the highest order, and every lower court [Chart of courts showing the Supreme Court at the top]
- 01:53
must listen to their rulings.
- 01:54
Oh, and if the Supreme Court makes a ruling, that's it.
- 01:57
It can't be appealed. [Court gavel is used]
- 01:59
As you have probably gathered, the Supreme Court really is supreme, because everyone
- 02:02
– even the President – has to follow their rulings. [The President in the Supreme Court]
- 02:05
So be sure to buy them lots of chocolates and flowers…you don't want to be on their
- 02:08
bad side.
- 02:10
Think of it this way – if the Supreme Court was a group of super-powered crime fighters, [Supreme Court Justices wearing masks]
- 02:14
then they would have gotten their powers from the magical Constitution. [The constitution appears]
- 02:17
Except instead of flying around the world punching out bad guys and shooting lasers [Supreme Court Judge shooting lasers out her eyes]
- 02:21
out of their eyes, they're reading long legal documents and carefully analyzing and enacting [Legal documents folder]
- 02:25
the Constitution as deemed appropriate.
- 02:27
…Yeah, fine, we'll admit they're not all that exciting. [Laser hits the paper the judge is reading and burns a hole in it]
- 02:30
But we can't all be Superman. [Man wearing superman shirt in the window]
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