SUMMARY

On Friday, June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a trio of major decisions. The justices upheld a law making it a crime for unhoused people to camp in public areas like parks, sidewalks and plazas, narrowed the scope of a law being used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters and weakened the rule-making powers of regulatory agencies.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. What is the Chevron deference?
2. Where did the conservative majority uphold an ordinance that criminalized behaviors associated with homelessness?
3. How many defendants are charged for the riot and the attack on the U.S. Capitol?
4. Who is Shaun Donovan?
5. Why does Donovan say that criminalizing homelessness doesn’t work?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

The Supreme Court’s decision on Grants Pass v. Johnson will allow more aggressive sweeps of homeless encampments by law enforcement. While some argue that the decision will improve public safety, others emphasize that it criminalizes homelessness for basic biological functions like sleeping and does little to improve local communities.

What do you think and feel about the Supreme Court decision on encampments of unhoused communities? What responsibilities do you think governments have for its unhoused community members?

Media literacy: Who would you want to hear more about as a response to the Supreme Court’s decision on Grants Pass v. Johnson? For a perspective from the homeless community, read this statement from the National Union of the Homeless.

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?

FOR MORE

What students can do: Watch this PBS interview on the causes of homelessness. Then, discuss:

1. What do you think are some important causes of housing crises and homelessness?
2. What do you think are the best ways for the government and communities to address homelessness?

This post was written by Stacey Zhang, a junior at Amherst College, and an intern with PBS NewsHour Classroom, and edited by NewsHour's Vic Pasquantonio.

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