Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to Law

For Teachers 11th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction To Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
1
1
School Improvement in Maryland

Court Proceedings Civil Cases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
NPR

The History of America’s Weed Laws

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Teaching Tolerance

Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Explore the impact of the war on drugs in a thought-provoking lesson for high school academics. Young historians delve into the world of the criminal justice system and the racial disparity that occurs in the US. The resource provides...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Skin, White Justice: Race Matters in the Criminal Justice System

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 9

For Teachers 7th - 10th
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.
Lesson Plan
1
1
Constitutional Rights Foundation

Arizona v. United States — States and Immigration Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
As part of a study of immigration law, class members read a summary of the Supreme Court case, Arizona v. United States. They then examine a series of examples and acting as federal court judges, must determine if the scenarios...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living to Avoid The Criminal Justice System

For Teachers K - 12th
Students brainstorm a list of negative stereotypes in the African-American society. In groups, they develop ways to decrease the chance of them living in poverty and being in trouble with the law. They develop ways to solve problems...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Law in the Future

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students develop a legal system. In this justice system instructional activity, students examine case law in the Untied States and draw on that experience to create a legal system for a "moon colony" which integrates the legal systems on...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Teaching Tolerance

Introducing 'The New Jim Crow'

For Teachers 9th - 12th
When Jim Crow Laws ended, the intent behind them did not. Academics read "The New Jim Crow Laws" and an interview from the author to understand how racism has not ended, but rather changed over time. The lesson explains how prejudices in...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Teaching Tolerance

The War on Drugs—Mechanisms and Effects

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The war on drugs doesn't have definite results. An interesting lesson examines the social, political, and economic effect of the war on drugs. Academics learn how the war on drugs has led to mass incarcerations and negatively affected...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You and the Law -- Beating the Odds

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Civil Action

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the roles of law enforcement officials, the news media, and civilians in crime prevention and criminal apprehension. They envision ways to build and strengthen community partnerships to address concerns about crime.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting the Point!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore the American cattle industry history. In this United States history and reading comprehension cross curriculum lesson, students read an article about the history of longhorn cattle, then answer comprehension questions on...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Teaching Tolerance

Parallels Between Mass Incarceration and Jim Crow

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Is history repeating itself? A riveting lesson examines the parallels between mass incarceration in the U.S. and the Jim Crow Laws of the past. Academics review Jim Crow Laws and compare them to mass incarcerations of African Americans....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Death Penalty

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine how people are punished in the American justice system. In groups, they identify the four different theories of punishment and how it is used in the justice system. They use the internet to read arguments for and against...
Lesson Plan
Utah State Courts

Judges in the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Class members explore the process of a disposition hearing for juveniles, particularly looking at how the judge decides what sentence the juvenile offender should receive. Task your pupils with evaluating different sample cases provided...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Minority Teenage Fathers: Rights and Responsibilities

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students examine current laws and use problem solving activities designed to develop in students the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate situations they may/ be confronted with as potential teen-aged fathers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plea Bargaining

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore plea bargaining and list the advantages and disadvantages of it.
Lesson Plan
Deliberating in a Democracy

Violent Video Games

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine violence in video games. In this American history instructional activity, students read an article on the link between video games and violence. High schoolers respond to discussion questions and debate the topic.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ongoing Debate: Crime Control v. Due Process Protection

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Learners investigate the Exclusionary Rule and other ways of to enforce the protections found in the Bill of Rights. They study how effective criminal control and public safety is carried out while citizens Constitutional rights are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: The U.S. Westward Movement

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Students research the U.S. Westward movement. For this U.S. history lesson, students research the topic, complete a creative writing activity for the lesson, and a design activity for the lesson.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Using Primary Sources: The Rogue's Gallery

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What would be in your life's scrapbook? Scholars use short video clips, primary and secondary documents, and photos to investigate a 1909 scrapbook. They analyze and uncover what the Rogue Book tells them about the past in Western...