Criminal Law Teacher Resources

Focusing on the judicial branch of government, the fourth lesson in this series explores the structure of the US courts system. Beginning with an engaging activity based on the short story The Lady or the Tiger, students go on...

What's the difference between civil and criminal law? How do the court proceedings differ in these two types of trials? How do the standards of proof differ? Why do these differences exist? As part of their examination of the...

Students examine the law and the Miranda rights. They role play members of law enforcement and ones being arrested.

Young lawyers put Goldilocks on trial as they develop an understanding of the legal system in the final lesson of this five-part series. After learning about key terms relating to litigation, students are assigned roles and reading...

Students study the concept of negligence. They recognize the difference between civil and criminal law and examine the factors that courts consider when considering if there is a duty and whether it has been breached. They argue either...

Who needs laws? Junior high schoolers sure do! Provide your 7th-9th graders with an understandng about why laws are important and how they are used to create a functioning society. Learners use a series of handouts and readings to build...

Students examine and compare/contrast the steps of criminal and civil cases. They define key vocabulary terms, develop an outline of a criminal and civil trial, and analyze the differences in standards of proof in legal cases.

Pupils explore the different degrees and types of rape as defined in the state of Washington. They role-play as prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges, with one of each in different groups. The attorneys present their cases and the...

Students use Nursery rhymes in a discussion of crimes and criminals in order to study how criminal law has developed and changed to maintain an organized society. They decide on the identity of criminals, the crime, and the name of the...

Eleventh graders study the impact of the Nationalization of the Bill of Rights upon criminal law. They analyze opposition to expansionist viewpoints that could possibly create more checks and balances on the state courts and analyze...

Students define criminal and tort law and explain how they are different.

With so many different types of law, it can be difficult for learners to discern which is which! Use a newspaper to give tangible examples of various types of law, including criminal, civil, consumer, family, local, state, federal and...

Students identify 4 branches of law-criminal, civil, consumer, and family. using a newspaper, they locate examples of how laws affect citizens on a daily basis.

How would the Pied Piper recover his damages from the deceptive citizens of Hamelin if the story took place today? Explore one of the Pied Piper's options with a short play that depicts a court case in which he sues the city of Hamelin...

What better day to celebrate the US Constitution than on Constitution Day! After reading a short passage about the different understandings of habeas corpus and ex post facto, sixth graders respond to 10 multiple choice and short...

A child lawyer is exactly what people need ... not! With the novel study for John Grisham's Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, pupils use their imaginations to create their own examples of sarcasm. They also research a chosen famous lawyer and...

Students examine the legal issues involved when there is a dispute over lunch money at school. They read the case study, discuss the two points of view, and illustrate a picture of how they would solve the problem.

Your class might be clear on how the federal government relates to states, but what about how states relate to each other? Challenge your students with this worksheet, which could function as a review activity or as a quiz. Questions...

Students examine goals of two major theories of punishment, Utilitarian Theory and Retributive Theory, develop opinions about ethics and effectiveness of both theories, define legal duties of prosecutors and public defenders, and discuss...

High schoolers debate both positions on the controversial topic of racial profiling with support for each and then develop a consensus position on how racial profiling as a law enforcement tool should be used.

Students realize that clear values are a resource of behavior in clarifying needs and wants. They clarify feelings and wants and verbalize ways in which they give up freedom and control in their lives by relinquishing decisions to...

Students define the legal meaning of juvenile and identify various ways to treat young offenders. They identify the current philosophy of the Utah juvenile justice system using a true/false worksheet and discussion format.

Students explore the issue of human rights in Canada and compare and contrast the Bill of Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They debate whether Canadians are giving up certain democratic rights in exchange for the greater good.

Learners explore the different techniques used in forensic science. In this chemistry lesson, students investigate a fictional crime and identify the culprit. They create a brochure or collage career bulletin.