Week of October 6

Law and Personal Relationships

Skill Development: More Independent Searching

Skill Reading: "Evaluating Internet Resources,"http://library.albany.edu/internet/evaluate.html and "Evaluating Internet Resources," http://www.mlb.ilstu.edu/ressubj/subject/intrnt/evaluate.htm

Discussion Content: Law and Personal Relationships

Search and Reading Assignment: Below is a list of questions that can be answered by surfing the Internet. You have until Tuesday, October 8^th at 6P.M. to e-mail us your responses. In your answers, you must properly cite your web source.

1. Find the1878 Supreme Court case dealing with the question of polygamy. In 2-3 sentences, what did the Court decide, what is the case citation, and what is the Internet source citation?

2. Find the 1967 Supreme Court case dealing with interracial marriage. In 2-3 sentences, what did the Court decide, what is the case citation, and what is the Internet source citation?

3. Find the 1986 Supreme Court case dealing with homosexual relations. In 2-3 sentences, what did the Court decide, what is the case citation, and what is the Internet source citation?

4. Briefly, what is the current legal status of same sex marriage? Are such marriages legal anywhere in the United States?

Writing Assignment: Law governs our most intimate relationships, everything from the sexual act to the dissolution of love once promised until death. Read the complete texts of the cases you found above. According to the law, is there such a thing as a "traditional" love relationship? Does the law now seem to favor liberty or order in personal relationships? Write a 2-3 page essay discussing these questions. You may append your essay to the answers submitted above. E-mail responses due by Tuesday, October 8^th at 6P.M.

WebChat: See assignment on WebChat, Week of October 7. Your WebChat contribution must be submitted by Saturday, October 12^th at midnight.

Cross-Campus Research: By now, you should be in agreement on your research topic. Begin constructing a thesis statement. This should be a 2-5 paragraph essay discussing the content of your research, why it is important, and how it will address one or more of the course themes (ubiquity, ambiguity, conflict). Appended to your thesis statement should be a list of potential web sources (a bibliography) for your topic (no fewer than 5). Each source should be accompanied by its complete address and a 1-2 sentence explanation of why this source is relevant and instrumental to researching your topic. Submit your joint thesis statement and bibliography to both instructors by Friday, October 11^th. All group members should be included on the mailing.

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Last Updated: 10/02/02