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Indiana Courts: How Do They Work?
Students identify the branches of Indiana's judicial system and determine the differences between the different courts and different types of cases. Students create a flow chart showing how a court case works its way through the legal...
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Due Process Freedoms
Students participate in a simulation of the voir dire portion of a trial. There are student lawyers assigned for the prosecution and the defense. They must review and question all prospective jurors to obtain a fair and impartial jury.
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Science in the Court Room
Share their opinions on the use of DNA databases in criminal investigations. After reading an article, they evaluate the pros and cons of the databases and work in groups to answer discussion questions. They write a letter to a state...
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Crime
Crime and punishment! Learners discuss the law, civics, and crime in the UK. They brainstorm lists of crimes and possible punishments, complete activities on a website, role-play a Juvenile Court scenario, and try to think of ways they...
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Hodgson v. Minnesota
Students investigate the role of and develop opinions of the court in weighing competing interests in making decisions. They examine the power of the courts and legislature to regulate constitutional rights.
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Justice
Students discuss strengths and weaknesses of the court system in providing equal justice for all. They identify factors that cause these weaknesses and recommend solutions.
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Consequences
Students identify and describe what consequences are and how they affect others. Then they play the "Kids' Court" game as a class as outlined in the lesson. Students also identify how consequences and their actions are linked using their...
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Symbolic Speech
Ninth graders consider the right of freedom of speech as it is outlined in the U.S. Constitution. They receive background information for the US Supreme Court, the Bill of Rights, and free speech. They discuss a series of actual cases...
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Laws...Who Needs Them?
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...
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Role Playing Free Speech
Pupils conduct research into looking at a free-speech issue. They role play the events surrounding a court case. The lesson includes guiding questions to help create context and determine areas of further study. The presentation includes...
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Digital Forensics
Students examine a crime scene and photograph evidence. In this forensics digital photography lesson, students recognize the correct procedures for filming a crime scene. Students document evidence and keep a log of the necessary...
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Public Trust and Confidence
Students analyze the judiciary system. In this government lesson, students participate in a class discussion on methods to prevent unfairness in the Judicial courts.
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Judge and Jury
Students participate in activities in which they focus on the uses of numbers. In this numerology instructional activity, students measure distances using standard and non-standard units and record their measurements in various tables....
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On Trial - Juvenile or Adult?
Students compare and contrast juvenile and adult courts in the United States. In this judicial system lesson, students read and discuss articles and statistics in order to determine why juveniles may be tried as adults and examine the...
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Deadlock on Verdict
Learners read a text about a murder trial. They review related vocabulary, complete a matching exercise and take a quiz. Afterward, they play a game called 'alibi' where the group with the weakest alibi is found guilty.
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Black Skin, White Justice: Race Matters in the Criminal Justice System
Learners examine the effects of race in the criminal justice system. As a class, they brainstorm a list of instances when the offender has been an African American and he is not treated fairly in court based on his race. They analyze...
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You and the Law -- Beating the Odds
Students examine the rate of institutional racism in the United States. Individually, they write in their journals about how they can make better choices and increase their self-esteem. Using historical documents, they identify the...
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Understanding Criminal Justice
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...
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Judges in the Classroom
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.
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The Jury's Still Out
Students examine the trials and executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. In groups, they use the internet to research the impact of the executions in the shape of political cartoons and writings. They discuss an article to...
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Mock Trial
Students rewrite a traditional fairy tale to represent the viewpoint of the villain. They participate in a mock trial of that villain in which all regular court participants (judge, jury, defendant, witnesses, plaintiff, etc) play roles.
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Crime and Justice
Students investigate what happens when someone is arrested. They engage in a mock trial role play about a burglary. They engage in the process of the Criminal Justice System from arrest to sentencing.
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Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 9
Learners 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.
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Adult Criminal Justice System
Twelfth graders examine the procedures and protections involved in processing an accused person through the criminal justice system. They view a Powerpoint presentation, conduct research, and write a paper describing a crime they have...