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Law related education involves teaching students about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. It provides students K-12 with active learning opportunities that foster their understanding of the role of law in a democratic society. Students learn about laws and the legal system and how it affects their lives. LRE also stresses the use of outside resource people and the application of LRE to real life situations. What are the benefits of law-related education?
Legal Expo: an annual day-long showcase of legal topics of interest to students sponsored by the Hennepin County Bar Association -- http://www.hcba.org/Legal-services/schools.htm High School Mock Trial Program: gives 9-12th graders an insider’s look at the court system by having them act as witnesses and lawyers in actual courtroom settings. The winner of the annual statewide competition goes to the national competition held annually in early May – www.nationalmocktrial.org Project Citizen: motivates and enables young people to enjoy the rights and accept the responsibilities of citizenship. Project Citizen helps middle school students learn how to express their opinions, how to decide which level of government and which agency is most appropriate for dealing with problems they identify, and how to influence policy decisions at that level. http://civicallyspeaking.org/citizen.html Teens, Crime and the Community: a nationally recognized program to help teens understand how crime affects them, their families, friends, and community and what they can do to keep from becoming a victim of crime and violence. Administered in Minnesota by The Center for Community Legal Education, TCC is an engaging restorative justice program for middle and high school youth, it couples an interactive curriculum with service learning projects. Topics covered include teens and crime prevention, violent crime, vandalism, juvenile justice system, child abuse, acquaintance rape, substance abuse, drunk driving, shoplifting, and others. www.civicallyspeaking.org We the People: promotes civic competence and responsibility among the nation's elementary and secondary students. It includes a free instructional component that enhances students' understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy and helps them discover the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The curriculum is available in three levels: upper elementary, junior high, high school. As a culminating activity, the students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in a simulated congressional hearing. Students from each of Minnesota's congressional districts compete as teams in a mock congressional hearing competition, with the top-rated team participating in the national We the People competition in Washington each spring. www.civicallyspeaking.org Where can I find
law-related education resources and materials available for
students?
American Bar Association: Student Central; nationwide online youth summits; and mini-quizzes on law-related topics. – www.abanet.org U.S. Department of Justice: Justice for Kids and Youth is broken down into two categories (K-5th grade and 6-12th grade). The information, which is a combination of fun and serious, includes on Internet dos and don’ts, the truth about drugs, fun and games from the FBI, and a section on famous cases. Kids can also sit through a criminal trial, where they’ll learn about the role lawyers play and the rights of those involved. http://www.usdoj.gov/kidspage/index.html Legal Stuff: FAQs about coming of age in Minnesota, produced by the Hennepin County Bar Association: http://www.hcba.org/Legal-services/schools.htm Legal Careers: - American Bar Association -- http://www.abanet.org/publiced/legalcareers.html - Law Schools:
What is Law Day? Law Day, celebrated annually on May 1, is a special day focusing on our heritage of liberty under law. This national day of celebration was officially designated by joint resolution of Congress in 1961. Every year, the American Bar Association is joined by national organizations, state and local bars, businesses, and schools, in conducting thousands of programs on the rule of law in a constitutional democracy. For more information about Law Day, visit the ABA at www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday. Where can I find
law-related education curriculum materials/resources for teachers?
American Bar Association: directories of K-12 law-related education projects and college legal studies programs. Teaching tools include mock trials for all grades, Laws, Rights & Responsibilities (an elementary teaching unit) and the award-winning magazine Insights on Law & Society. --http://www.abanet.org/publiced/youth/home.html Center for Civic Education: a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational corporation dedicated to fostering the development of informed, responsible participation in civic life by citizens committed to values and principles fundamental to American constitutional democracy. The Center specializes in civic/citizenship education, law-related education, and international educational exchange programs for developing democracies. Programs focus on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights; American political traditions and institutions at the federal, state, and local levels; constitutionalism; civic participation; and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. – www.civiced.org Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (human rights education): offers (1) human rights education curriculum (“Rights Around MN, the U.S. and the World”); (2) the Human Rights Education Program, which introduces international human rights and responsibilities to K-12 students using the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child to help students understand and appreciate common human values, encourages them to apply international standards to their own lives, and supports positive student action to remedy human rights violations in their own communities; and (3) in partnership with the MN Global, Peace and Human Rights Education Network, an annual series of professional development workshops for teachers. For more information, visit www.mnadvocates.org Minnesota Center for Community Legal Education: promotes the development of civic and legal competence through citizenship and law-related education programs for youth in schools and community organizations. Through education of teachers and community resource people, curriculum development and a lending library, technical assistance, and youth program sponsorship, young people throughout Minnesota are building the knowledge and skills needed to be effective and responsible citizens. – www.civicallyspeaking.org Minnesota State Court System: Lesson Plans for teachers -- http://www.courts.state.mn.us/page/?pageID=141 Mock Trials National Constitution Center: this non-profit organization established by Congress is dedicated to increasing understanding about the Constitution through a museum in Philadelphia (opened in 2003) plus outreach programs. Their website contains a section for educators designed to help teachers teach the Constitution and other civic-related topics to students of all ages. They offer lesson plans that meet the Center for Civic Education’s National Standards for Civics and Government and offer elementary grades K-4, middle grades 5-8, and high school grades 9-12 teachers a selection of classroom activities, readings and Web resources. Each month their website features a new lesson plan highlighting recent Constitutional issues as well as historical events such as the Constitutional Convention. The National Constitution Center lesson plan inventory also includes the Bill of Rights Institute lesson plans addressing the foundations of democracy and founding principles. Complete with bibliographies, related links and suggested assessment activities, the Bill of Rights Institute plans are designed to integrate easily into existing curriculum and generate lively classroom discussion. Visit http://www.constitutioncenter.org U.S. Department of Justice: Justice for Kids and Youth is broken down into two categories (K-5th grade and 6-12th grade). The information, which is a combination of fun and serious, includes on Internet dos and don’ts, the truth about drugs, fun and games from the FBI, and a section on famous cases. Kids can also sit through a criminal trial, where they’ll learn about the role lawyers play and the rights of those involved. http://www.usdoj.gov/kidspage/index.html U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Activities & lesson
plans for schools -- www.epa.gov
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Hamline
University School of Law