Marbury v. Madison Landmark Supreme Court Case Article & Review

This Marbury v. Madison Landmark Supreme Court Case Article & Review introduces students to the Supreme Court case that defined the power of judicial review. Students learn about Article III of the United States Constitution and how the Supreme Court gained the power of judicial review through Marbury v. Madison in this two-page article. A comprehension checktests student understanding of the reading passage’s key points. This resource is perfect for middle and high school students studying the Judicial Branch in Civics, American Government, or American History! 

Compatible with the following Florida State Standards for Middle School Civics:

• SS.7.CG.3.9: Explain the structure, functions and processes of the judicial branch of government. 
• SS.7.CG.3.11: Analyze the effects of landmark Supreme Court decisions on law, liberty and the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. 

This Marbury v. Madison Landmark Supreme Court Case Article & Review includes:

✯ Marbury v. Madison Landmark Supreme Court Case Article. With this engaging reading passage, students are introduced to Marbury v. Madison in digestible, interesting, easy-to-understand language. They should walk away from the article with a firm understanding of the power of judicial review and how the Supreme Court gained this power through Marshall’s ruling in Marbury.

• This two-page article explains the powers of the Supreme Court, the role of the Judiciary Act of 1789 in structuring the federal court system, and tells the story behind Marbury v. Madison and how the Supreme Court gained the power of judicial review. 
• Primary source quotes from the United States Constitution and John Marshall’s opinion in Marbury are included.
• Vocabulary includes:
  • original jurisdiction
  • appellate jurisdiction
  • the Judiciary Act of 1789
  • judicial review

✯ A one-page comprehension check is also included! This review worksheet checks student comprehension on the article’s main ideas with several short-answer written response prompts. 

Questions include:

• Describe the impact of Marbury v. Madison in relation to the power of the Supreme Court and Judicial Branch.
• What law passed by Congress set up the federal court system?
• In Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall claimed the Judiciary 
  Act of 1789 violated the Constitution. What was his reasoning?

Consider pairing this resource with my Marbury v. Madison Comic Strip One-Pager! Students can use what they have learned from the article to fill out this creative one-pager, showcasing both their creativity and their understanding of Marbury v. Madison and its impact!

This resource comes as a non-editable PDF and includes Answer Keys. There is also a digital version available through TPT Easel, which can be assigned directly to Google Classroom or shared with your students via a link!

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