Teaching Civics

Instructions including student handouts for the most often used engaging strategies in civics, government, and law education. Includes case study, mock trial, jigsaw, mock appellate Read More

the.News the.News online video reports for the.Gov provide middle and high school students with a valuable exercise in language arts and social studies with this Read More

This lesson from the LegalWays curriculum focuses on the most common questions regarding investigation and arrest including police stops, searches, probable cause, arrest, and the constitutional rights of the accused. Activities include a student reading with guiding questions, a “Police Role-play” activity that provides the students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge and for them to review and reflect with a police officer, and a final case study that asks students to apply their knowledge about interrogation and Miranda rights in a slightly different setting, the principal’s office in a school. This lesson uses basic information and does not include the many small exceptions and interpretations that exist in the law. Where appropriate, Minnesota law has been used. Lessons can be adapted to other states. Remind students they should not attempt to answer specific individual legal problems with the information provided.

Though jurors are sworn to uphold the law during their deliberation, they still have the power to decide that a defendant is innocent even when Read More

Freedom of religion has been a controversial, yet fundamental, tenet of the United States since even before the nation’s birth. In a instructional activity, the Read More

Expanding Voting Rights traces changes in voting rights through the early republic, African-American suffrage, women’s suffrage, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the 26th Amendment

This lesson examines more closely the issues surrounding search and seizure. The warrant requirement is explained and exceptions are described in a student reading with guiding questions. The students are asked to apply their knowledge and understanding to five hypothetical cases in the “What do you think?” activity. Defense lawyers would be very helpful in this lesson because the students are likely to have very specific questions that require knowledge of search law. Although this lesson reflects Minnesota law, it is generally applicable to all states and can be adapted.

This lesson from the LegalWays curriculum describes a process provided by Minnesota law that has the juvenile in both the juvenile system and adult system. It has been described as “a foot in each system.” How a juvenile becomes EJJ, what the court looks as in making its decision, and what happens if the juvenile does not complete the juvenile sentence are the topics of the lesson. The Questions guide the student through the information and the “You Decide” activities ask the students to apply what they have learned.

This lesson from LegalWays curriculum defines types of abuse, neglect, and endangerment and discusses mandated reporters and what happens when a report is made. Students use guiding questions and a matching activity to apply the law presented in a short student reading. The “You Decide” activity asks them to decide if a situation is neglect, endangerment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or an accident. Many of the cases are actual stories. This lesson uses Minnesota law but can be easily adapted.

In this lesson from LegalWays curriculum, Child Protection is explained, both the process and the people. The lesson also suggests what a parent involved in a child protection matter should do. Students use guiding questions to review the student reading. The two case studies ask the students to play the role of child protection worker and respond to the case, making recommendations and developing the case plan. They are also asked to take the perspective of a mother whose child is now under the services of child protection. This lesson applies Minnesota law but can be easily adapted.

In this lesson, students will be presented with a brief summary of the scope of the Fourth Amendment as it relates to the home. They will read the facts of the Supreme Court case California v. Greenwood and work in small groups to deliberate as the Supreme Court would. After reaching a decision in their groups, they will be provided with the Supreme Court’s reasoning and have an opportunity to compare their explanations with those of the Court. The lesson includes background information and relevant case summaries for the teacher.