Lesson Plan

Taking Ownership of the Law

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Taking Ownership of the Law lesson plan also includes:

The work of building and maintaining a democracy is, in the words of Justice William Hastie, "never finished." To better understand what Hastie sees as an ongoing building process, class members listen to a seven-minute podcast about two former Massachusetts slaves who used the law, successfully suing to gain their freedom.

1 Collection 4 Views 1 Download
CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Create a listening guide for the seven-minute podcast to sharpen listening skills and help keep learners focused on the discussion
  • Pause the audio frequently to check for understanding and to permit listeners to ask questions
Classroom Considerations
  • The fifth of eight lessons from the "What Makes Democracy Work?" in the Election 2020 collection
  • May be used for remote or in-person learning
Pros
  • Extensions permit learners to deepen their study of the Freeman and Walker cases, as well as of other times people have used the law to gain greater rights
Cons
  • None