The Scout Report -- Volume 26, Number 39

Home to "the largest public collection of modern poetry in the world," the National Poetry Library is an invaluable resource for poetry readers and writers. Poets T.S. Eliot and Herbet Read opened the library in 1953 with support from the Arts Council, and it has been a resource for creativity ever since. Though the building is currently closed due to COVID-19, the robust online poetry collection allows readers to enjoy prose from afar. The Online Poetry page (found via the menu bar) facilitates browsing access. The Poems section (found by following the "see all poems" link on the home page) contains more than 70 pages of poetry, sortable by format (e.g. "text" or "audio") or topic (e.g. "arts and sciences" or "human experience"). On the Search the catalogue page, readers can download poetry anthologies in ebook formats (readers should note that this requires signing up for a free membership, which is only available to UK users). Members also gain access to audiobooks, and, for readers with visual impairments, Braille materials delivered by mail. The rest of the website has many other resources to explore. For example, those interested in writing poetry may want to check out the Advice for Emerging Poets section of the Write & Publish page. [EMB]

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Educators facilitating in-person courses will want to check out this Early Learning in Math and Science (ELMS) undergraduate curriculum (and those teaching online will want to save it for the future). Developed through a collaboration between the National Science Foundation, the University of California Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science, and Los Medanos Community College, ELMS helps "college instructors to prepare pre-service early childhood educators to teach science and math to young children." This comprehensive and adaptable curriculum includes 17 lesson plans (designed for 2.5 hours per session) and provides everything an instructor needs. Before committing to the content, educators should review the checklist found on the Teaching the Course Overview page. These requirements help users determine if it is a good fit. Next, educators should check out the Pre-Course Preparation section (also found under Teaching the Course) for planning instructions. On the General Course Docs page, instructors can view and download preliminary materials, including a sample syllabus and materials list. Then, each session is neatly organized on its own page found under the Sessions tab. For each session, educators will find instructions, multimedia materials, and printables to make planning a breeze. Finally, the Assessing Students page provides suggested assignments and rubrics to assist in the grading process. The curriculum was developed by Ellen Blinderman, Ashley Barajas Montano, and Pamela Perfumo, with input from other colleagues and advisors. [EMB]

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Black in Appalachia's work takes many forms, including digital archives, documentaries, oral histories, and the Black in Appalachia podcast. These different mediums all advance the same mission: "to raise the visibility and contributions of the Black communities of the Mountain South." The Podcast, which has its own page on the site, is co-hosted by Dr. Enkeshi El-Amin (a researcher and lecturer) and Angela Dennis (a journalist and activist). The show shares "historical and contemporary stories of people, places and experiences," from the region. Though only a few episodes have been released as of this write-up, readers should check back periodically for new content. In the meantime, enjoy the other resources found on the Projects page. For example, the Community History Digital Archive highlights historical documents and images from East Tennessee, and the 8th of August: Tennessee's Celebration of Emancipation video (produced by PBS) details an often unknown history of the Emancipation Proclamation. To learn more about Black in Appalachia's work, check out the Outreach and Engagement and About Us sections of the More page, or follow their various social media channels linked on the site. [EMB]

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As the school year is well underway, it is time to check in with teachers. Educators struggling with increased technological classroom components may find guidance from the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. The journal's focus on "promot[ing] research and scholarship on the integration of technology in tertiary education," means it is packed with articles exploring the intersection of classrooms and computers. For example, Volume 36 Issue 3 (published in June 2020) includes research on crowdsourcing educational technology tools and assessing learning management systems for students in arts disciplines. To browse this and other recent content, check out the Current tab. To explore past pieces, from the first issue in 1985 to present, visit the Archives tab. Additional content is available on the Early Release tab (meaning the piece has been peer-reviewed and accepted, but was released before the next "full issue publication"). Those interested in publishing with the journal will find information about submitting on the Call for Special Issues tab. To keep abreast of the journal's latest happenings, consider following them on Twitter, @AJET_eds. The journal is published by the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education and is led by editors Eva Heinrich (Massey University, New Zealand), Michael Henderson (Monash University, Australia), and Petrea Redmond (University of Southern Queensland, Australia). [EMB]

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Created by Natasha Moura (an independent writer, art curator, and educator), Women'n Art is "committed to the role of women in the arts and culture." This involves highlighting women artists and depictions of women in art. For example, a July 29, 2020 post discusses Maria Izquierdo, a painter who was the first Mexican woman to have a solo exhibition of her work in the United States in 1930. Other recent posts include "Sirens and Mermaids" (published June 17, 2020), which looks into depictions of women as mythological creatures, from 540 B.C. up to the 21st Century. The blog also features reviews of books such as Whitney Chadwick's Women, Art, and Society (covered in an August 5, 2020 post), or of museum exhibitions, for example the May 6, 2020 post listing exhibitors of women artists cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic. Visitors can filter posts by month or conduct keyword searches using the query bar. The site also includes a list of official artist websites and museums linked along the right-hand side of the site. [DS]

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How would a perfectly-scripted answer to a question posed by the Supreme Court sound? Oral Argument 2.0 has some suggestions. Using cases from the October 2019 Term (argued throughout 2019 and 2020), Oral Argument 2.0 highlights key questions and then provides context, commentary, and suggested answers. Featured cases are highlighted on the Home page with a general content label (for example, "employment law" or "criminal procedure"). Clicking on a case, readers will find background information (including case facts and issues), as well as some "key questions from oral argument," accompanied by a contributor's answer. For example, in Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants Inc., a case about First Amendment rights and automated debt collector calls, Justice Kagan presents a hypothetical. Eugene Volokh, Professor of Law at UCLA with a focus on First Amendment law, writes his suggested reply, relying on some key case law from his area of expertise. Not only do these questions and answers provide legal insights, but they also display good advocacy techniques that can apply in broader contexts. Many law professors, students, and practitioners contribute to the project, and it receives further support from Cornell Law's Legal Information Institute (LII), Justia, and the Oyez Project. [EMB]

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Founded in 1997, the Tribal Court Clearinghouse hosts an abundance of resources on tribal courts and laws. As the resource notes, "tribes have always had, and continue to retain, the sovereign authority to establish and operate their own tribal justice systems." The Clearinghouse's Tribal Law hub provides ten topical sections to understand tribal court systems. The Tribal Courts section, the first option listed, is a great place to start. It begins with some background information on the establishment of sovereign authority under the Indian Reorganization Act. Additionally, this section lists all United States' Tribal Courts (cataloged by state). The remaining nine sections cover Tribal constitutions, codes, and case law, pertinent research articles, and other key actors (including federal, state, and law enforcement officials). Those looking for further information on tribal court systems will want to explore the other information hubs highlighted at the top of the site: Federal Law, State Law, Topics, Program Resources, and Native Resources. The Tribal Law and Policy Institute publishes the Tribal Court Clearinghouse, and links to other resources from the organization are provided on the right-hand panel of the website's home page. [EMB]

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What would a court system be without its cases? Promising "free legal research for anyone, anytime, anywhere," AnyLaw is the perfect platform for introducing aspiring legal scholars and researchers to case law. Entrepreneur Steve Tover launched this startup, and it fills a unique need. While many legal databases come with steep fees, AnyLaw makes a wealth of case law available to all. For readers with a case in mind, the search bar on the landing page provides easy access. Those needing more direction will find several tools to tailor search results. The "Select Courts" button allows readers to narrow by a state court or federal circuit, and the menu in the top-right corner provides additional browsing features. For example, visitors can search by topic, including: "administrative rulings," "civil rights," and "health care law." After finding a case, the dropdown boxes at the top of the page note related cases. This way, users can quickly find other relevant cases and research materials. Readers with a free account can click the star icon in the top-left corner to save cases for future browsing. The button just below lets users download, save, and print the documents as a PDF. [EMB]

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Providing impartial coverage on "all cases heard on the merits at the Supreme Court and all significant petitions for certiorari," SCOTUSblog produces reliable and enjoyable content for the legal community. Novice legal scholars may want to begin on the Resources page, where they will find useful background information including Justices' biographies and a glossary of key terms. Then, return to the Home page to dive into the content. With daily "round up" posts (flagging news stories related to the Supreme Court and its cases) and other in-depth features, the blog is timely and comprehensive. In addition to case coverage, readers may want to spend some time perusing the rest of the site's offerings. Data enthusiasts will delight in the Statistics section, and the Courtroom Access project (linked on the Special Features page) that takes an in-depth, investigative look at people's journeys to "get a seat inside the courtroom." Visitors may also wish to check out the Podcast page, which houses SCOTUStalk, where blog contributors discuss "events and topics relating to the Supreme Court." [EMB]

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Regular readers are no stranger to EDSITEment's work, and perhaps have used one of their previously featured lesson plans in their classroom (the latest in the 04-03-2020 Scout Report). As the name suggests, EDSITEMENT lesson "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!: Simulating the Supreme Court" focuses on the "Constitutional responsibilities and powers of the Supreme Court." Created in 2019 by Kathryn Milschewski, this lesson plan is particularly relevant to high school civics and history teachers. The curriculum is designed to introduce students to the Supreme Court's role in context with the other branches of government and includes guiding questions, four classroom activities, handouts, and reference materials. The first activity introduces students to the Court's purpose and function, while the second and third activities focus on analyzing and arguing court cases (with an emphasis on freedom of speech). Finally, the fourth activity provides materials for a "Supreme Court simulation," where students take on the roles of justices, attorneys, clerks, and more. Teachers looking to create an entire Supreme Court unit may enjoy some of the "related" lesson plans highlighted at the bottom of the page, including "John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, and Judicial Review." [EMB]

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Landmark Cases continues to be a wonderful resource for educators and history buffs. Plus, since its last feature in the 05-06-2016 Scout Report, the series released a second season with even more legal commentary to enjoy.

These special programs, recorded from their original production on C-SPAN, bring to life the drama that accompanied some of the most important Supreme Court decisions in American history. Two seasons are available, each with 12 episodes. Each episode, which is 90-minutes long, provides an in-depth discussion of an influential, but often under-studied, court case. Nearly everyone has heard of Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade, but many other landmark cases receive less attention. For instance, the 1905 case Lochner v. New York, which overturned a New York law that limited the number of hours a baker could work each week, had major implications on future labor laws. Landmark Cases also unearths the controversies surrounding the decisions in Marbury v. Madison (1803), Scott v. Sandford (1857), and Baker v. Carr (1962), among others. Educators looking for ways to liven up their civics lessons will find much to appreciate in these well produced episodes, in which C-SPAN journalists interview historians and other experts in the field of Supreme Court law. [CNH] [EMB]

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