Teaching Resources: Fun Videos, Exercises, and Mock Supreme Court Cases

In Class Exercise on Examples of Bad Quantitative Inference

We use these examples in the Wire class. We have the students, in groups, try to figure out what might be problematic with them – selection bias, ignoring base rates, alternative explanations, selection on the DV etc. (ht to Jennifer Widner at Princeton for exposing me to something similar in grad school)

The examples

Notes — 1) The solution (in video form) to the item about the bomb dogs from the Ali G show is here. For another (perfect) example of “base rates” see the George Costanza clip about the Andrea Doria below. 2) Please send along other examples and I’ll add them to the exercise. 

Fake Cases For Constitutional Law Exams

Two I’ve used recently. If interested, I have others but don’t want to post them all since I may reuse the ideas when I run out. Both are “ripped from the headlines.”

Commerce clause, interstate rest stops, and sugary drink bans

Free exercise, gender discrimination, and office hours

 

 

Fun Videos I (and others) Use to Illustrate and/or Introduce Concepts in Class

Many of these may be out of date. Apologies.  I need to update this page!

 

Check back regularly for updates (and suggestions are very welcome)

Some of these have content some may find inappropriate for class so obviously watch first

 Bureaucracy

Behavior and Opinion Related

Congress, Presidency, and other Institutions

Law and Courts Related

General Social Science and Miscellaneous