Instructions: The Supreme Court plays a vital role in shaping the laws that govern society, but the majority of the citizenry does not always share the opinions of the court. Discuss the implications on society when the Supreme Court's rulings are at odds with public opinion.

The Supreme Court plays a vital role in shaping the laws that govern society, yet its decisions do not always align with public opinion. For this discussion, you will investigate a Supreme Court ruling that significantly diverged from public sentiment and consider how engaging with the experiences of people affected by the decision shapes your own thinking.

1. Choose a ruling. Select a recent or historic Supreme Court ruling that interests you. Briefly explain why you chose this case and what makes the decision significant to you.

2. Investigate the reasoning behind the decision. Consider reasons why the court's decision might not reflect the public view. What factors account for this divergence?

3. Identify a person or group affected by the decision.  Find an account of their experience to share—this could be a video, interview, social media post, online forum like Reddit, podcast, or other firsthand source that shares their perspective. Share the source with your classmates and describe one specific detail, idea, or passage that stood out to you. Explain why it caught your attention and what it helped you understand about the case or its consequences.

4. Reflect on your own perspective regarding the ruling. Do you believe the Court should align with public opinion? Why or why not? Discuss how engaging with the firsthand account you found influenced your thinking.

These changes did not completely AI-proof the assignment, but it made is stronger pedagogically and integrated principles known to deter academic dishonesty.

• Introduces an element of choice and personal relevance. Students are allowed to choose a course of interest to them, enhancing their intrinsic motivation.

• Adds an experiential/authentic element. Students must engage with an account from someone affected. By connecting to people's lived experiences, the assignment now has more emotional weight that drives interest

• Incorporates metacognition. Students are asked how the firsthand account they found reinforced, challenged, or complicated their existing perspective. This requires reflection on how their thinking developed as they engaged with the material

• Creates a more open-ended pathway for demonstrating learning. Students can choose different cases, perspectives, and sources while addressing the same underlying learning goals. This reduces the usefulness of a generic AI-generated answer because there isn't one predictable response path.