Maps101 Looks at Laws - Both Social and Scientific

Dear Educator,

Civilizations require rules of law. From Hammurabi’s Code to the U.S. Constitution, laws provide the guidelines for what will not be tolerated in the community and how to deal with those who break the laws. In this way, laws appear immutable. Laws in science and math also guide human understanding of our world. Live Science explains, “In general, a scientific law is the description of an observed phenomenon. It doesn't explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. The explanation of a phenomenon is called a scientific theory.” From Newton’s Laws to mathematical theorems, we are bound to the rules of the natural world. But are all laws immutable? The U.S. Constitution can be amended. The Supreme Court interprets the Constitution differently, depending on the make-up of the Court at any given time. Even laws and principles in science bend when evaluated at high levels. In today’s climate, Supreme Court cases and precedents are being questioned. Cultures change. These are thought-provoking questions with which to engage your students. Here at Maps101, we want to help students make connections with their changing world through our enriching content!

The executive branch is responsible for implementing the decisions of the Supreme Court. The president is also entrusted to nominate candidates for the Court when there is a vacancy. As discussed above, the make-up of the Court thus affects the decisions they make. Similarly, the politics of the president and president’s party affect who is nominated. This GNN article further explores how the interpretation of the Court affects the laws and the culture by looking at decisions Justice John Roberts made.

Social studies is not the only area where laws help guide us. Science and math are full of laws, theorems, and principles that form the foundation of our understanding of the world. In this GeoInquiry, students will use a map with layers to explore Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry.

Matter and the states of matter—solids, liquids, and gases—is a foundational principle in science. This Field Trip explores what matter is and the states of matter, particles, plasma, Bose-Einstein Condensate, Newton’s Laws, and more.