Judicial Learning Center
The Constitution and Rights
What's the right way to teach young historians about the Bill of Rights? Many an instructor has asked this question when pondering lesson plans over the US Constitution. The Constitution and Rights is a nifty resource that provides a...
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Judges in the Classroom
Students study the court process by participating in a mock trial. They demonstrate an understanding of the tort concept of host liability for injuries to third parties.
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THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
High schoolers create a series of drawings to show the process of how the Supreme Court does its work. The drawings may be in strip cartoon form or a series of separate illustrations.
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Understanding the Significance of the Nationalization of the Bill of Rights
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...
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I Didn't Do It! (Is Anyone guilty Anymore?)
Pupils explore the concept of "reasonable doubt" in our criminal court system and compare it to "preponderance of the evidence" in the civil court system. They discuss the trials of OJ Simpson and other historical criminal defendants.
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Forensic Detectives: Who Did It?
Middle schoolers explore forensic science and its uses in criminal investigations. They solve a fictional crime by identifying and analyzing the fingerprints, strand of hair, and thread samples for evidence. After completing charts for...
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Writing Police Reports
Students discover police procedures by filling out crime reports. In this government lesson plan, students discuss the benefits of historical reports pertaining to criminals and victims. Students listen to an officer of the law speak...
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Bill of Rights and Lawmaking
Ninth graders consider how the Bill of Rights impacts the lawmaking process in the United States. In this Bill of Rights lesson, 9th graders discuss the amendments and their limitations. Students research the role of the Legislative...
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Who Are We? An Introduction to the Life Within Our Bodies
Students examine cell structure, cell division, and the basic structure of DNA. They read and discuss a case study of DNA research, answer discussion questions, role-play the process of mitosis, and complete a DNA Fact or Fiction worksheet.
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Laws
Students discuss laws and their importance. They discuss silly or unique laws and explore the process that must be followed to make a law.
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DNA Fingerprinting with Gel Electrophoresis
Learners use DNA fingerprinting to demonstrate the concept that DNA fingerprinting can be used to identify individuals and solve problems. They use gel electrophoresis to analyze the DNA of a suspected criminal to prove innocence or guilt.
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Building a Model Courtroom
Students construct a model of the Supreme Court's courtroom. They design the courtroom in such a way so that the architecture and furnishings in the courtroom represent the neutrality and power of the court.
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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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Why a Mock Trial?
Students participate in a mock trial. They discover how U.S. courts resolve conflicts.
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Moot Court Preparation
Twelfth graders prepare themselves for a mock moot court. In groups, they are presented with an overview of each activity and research appellate cases related to the topic given to them. They identify regions of the country that have...
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Affirmative Action
Students explore policies concerning affirmative action. After reading affirmative action handouts, students use the internet and other resources to research information about affirmative action laws, court cases, and arguments. They...
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Civil liberties: Other freedoms
Students expore civil liberties. They identify and define legal rights. Students consider the impact of applying rights in criminal matters. They identify Canadians' political rights and suggest why they are essential to a democracy....
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Polymerase Chain Reaction and DNA Profiling
Young scholars examine DNA fingerprinting and polymerase chain reaction and how they are used in everyday life and for criminal investigations. They discover how these techniques can also be used to answer ecological and evolutionary...
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The Legal Challenge of Human Rights Protection
Students identify the types and extent of human rights violations that occurred in El Salvador . They will also analyze the various laws and statutes that dictate the processes to protect and punish war crimes and human rights...
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"The Five Orange Pips" Lesson
Seventh graders read sections of a Sherlock Holmes novel. They identify references to hate groups that are the criminals in the story. They discuss the symbols found in the story.
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Independent Courts: How Important Are They?
Students investigate the importance of judicial independence and how it is exercised while conducting research to gather information using different resources. The teacher discusses the importance of Law Day. They also read the handout...
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Double Jeopardy Clause: A Fifth Amendment Constitution Trivia Game
Here is a wonderful way to introduce your learners to the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. There are 16 questions designed to generate thinking and discussion questions about the Fifth Amendment. This lesson is extremely...
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Glory, God and Gold: Voyages and Adventures - America 1500
By providing an in-depth and interesting overview of European exploration in the New World, this presentation would be a wonderful complement to a unit on this topic. The 17 slide presentation is both thought-provoking and informative....
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Fly Forensics
Freddy's Friendly Fruit Market is under attack by fruit flies, and it is up to your aspiring biologists to solve the crime! By reading and analyzing the phenotypes, detectives determine which fly is responsible. This memorable assignment...