Criminal Justice & Law Handouts

This is a perfect resource to use as a study guide or for reference to help students learn about all 27 amendments. Includes amendment as well a brief, easy to understand summary of that amendment.

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This lesson will have students critically explore a contentious current event issue involving the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The lesson will invite students to examine the context and controversy that surrounds the two cases, although emphasis will be placed on the Eric Garner case. A thought-provoking Slide Presentation & accompanying handouts will prompt students to analyze a variety of news resources; all of which frame the issue in a particular way, and offer different explanations as to the underlying causal factors in Garner’s death.

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This lesson includes:

• One 18 Slide Presentation
• Detailed Lesson Plan
• Handouts:

1. Handout #1- Guided Notes
2. Handout #2- Current Events: America’s Criminal Justice System

Race, Criminal justice system, controversy, racism, Black Lives Matter, Colin Kaepernick

If you liked this lesson see other related 'Government' lessons here:

• Analyzing 'The Bill of Rights' (click here to open in new tab)
• Mock Trial: Truman and the Atomic Bomb (click here to open in new tab)
• Mock Trial: Class Preparation (click here to open in new tab)
• Analyzing The Declaration of Independence & the U.S. Constitution (click here to open in new tab)
• Our Constitutional Amendments: Analyzing Supreme Court Decisions (click here to open in new tab)
• Causes and Effect: Protest Movements of the 1960's
• The Affirmative Action Debate: Exploring Two Sides of the Issue

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Process: SS.7.C.3.9 How a Bill Becomes a Law The students work through a coloring activity that leads the from a bill to a law!

This resource will provide students with an introductory framework from which to understand the judiciary process. Students will delve into the fundamental aspects of a courtroom such as: the basic structure and lay-out of a courtroom, the function of different roles (judge, jury, defense, prosecutor), and the common procedures and language used in a courtroom environment. Students will also explore the importance of how to create an opening and closing statement, the legal grounds of when to object, and understand the dynamics of a direct and cross examination. This resource will be very useful for teachers who are searching for an engaging & informative way to introduce students to the concept of mock trials.

Materials:

• Teacher Reference Guide
• One 32 Slide Presentation & Guided Notes
• One 12 Slide Presentation & Guided Notes (Step by Step Application)
• Mock Trial Handouts

1. Jury Role Play
2. Opening Statement
3. Closing Statement
4. Objections
5. Debriefing

If you liked this lesson see other related 'Government' lessons here:

• The Debate on Affirmative Action: Exploring Two Sides of the Issue
• Controversy and the Criminal Justice System (Eric Garner Case)
• The 'Bill of Rights' Time Travel
• YOU Be the Judge: Analyzing Supreme Court Decisions
• Proposing a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
• Post Zombie Apocalypse: What Form of Government Would YOU Create?

Affirmative Action had been a contentious issue in the United States since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to reject race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities around the nation upended decades of law and the higher education landscape. This lesson will invite students to draw connections between the past and today, as they take a focused look at affirmative action as it applies to admission programs at universities. Students will be provided with an introductory framework from which to understand the historical roots of affirmative action and its' controversial application today through the analysis of primary sources, research, and student-led discussion forum activity.

Time Frame: 2-3 class periods (Based on 60 min class period)

Materials:

• Teacher Reference Guide
• 35 Slide Presentation
• Guided Notes
• Four Articles
• Four Corner Signs

If you liked this lesson see other related 'Government' lessons here:

• Controversy and the Criminal Justice System (Eric Garner Case)
• César Chavez: Analyzing Primary Sources
• The 'Bill of Rights' Time Travel
• Mock Trial: Class Preparation (MY BEST SELLER)!
• Analyzing The Declaration of Independence & the U.S. Constitution
• Post Zombie Apocalypse: What Form of Government Would YOU Create?