| Teacher's Corner: How to Use this Resource |
| Site Background |
| Site Acknowledgements |
The materials in this site are linked to the History-Social Science Standards and English-Language Arts Standards for Grades 3-5. They are intended to supplement classroom curriculum for those standards. To provide teachers with an “at-a-glance view” of the standards covered, the individual table of contents for each grade lists the corresponding History-Social Science and English-Language Arts standards covered by individual lessons. A standard format is used for each lesson that includes links to the standards, key words/terms, lesson overview, objectives, list of materials, lesson procedures, evaluation, extension activities, print and non-print supporting resources and links to the National Standards for Civics and Government. Worksheets needed for the lesson procedures and extension activities are also included and a number of lessons have additional supporting materials such as transparencies.
The print resources were checked for availability. Books that were no longer in print or hard to get were avoided. Efforts were made to insure that the reading level was appropriate for the grade level suggested, but some lessons include recommendations for books intended for teacher background. Efforts were also made to check the currency and appropriateness of websites, and all links were valid at the time this site was published; however, due to the constant changes associated with the Internet, we cannot guarantee that all listed websites are still accessible.
The remaining sections of the materials are intended to support all of the lessons. Section 2 - Court System Overview describes the judicial branches of California and the United States. Teachers may find it useful to refer to this section for background information about the courts as well as incorporate it into lessons as appropriate. Section 6 – Visiting the Courthouse includes appropriate courthouse activities by grade level linked to the standards. Teachers interested in a field trip to their local courthouse, will find this a helpful resource.
Finally, Section VII Additional Resources (of the complete California Judicial Education for Youth Project) includes a glossary of all the terms listed in the lessons. While these key words and terms can usually be found in a dictionary or other source, this section lists the definition related to the term as used in the lesson. This section also includes a list of websites particularly useful to the study of civics and law related education. The websites are grouped by category to minimize the amount of research needed to locate an appropriate resource.
Teachers with sufficient time, class ability and interest level, may choose to complete an entire lesson. Teachers with differing circumstances, such as a high number of students struggling with reading, may choose to use only part of a lesson. Teachers should also adapt the lessons and their use as they see fit. For example, if a lesson is considered too challenging for the regular classroom environment, it could be used for the GATE program. There are multiple ways to use the resources; the appropriate choice is based on class need.
The lessons are standalone; however, teachers may find it beneficial to link a particular lesson to their textbook. Originally, the project anticipated linking the lessons to the most widely available civics textbook in California for Grades 3-5, however, we were unable to identify a single civics textbook that was used for civics at these grade levels. Thus, in case teachers do not have a civics textbook to draw on, we wanted the lessons to be useful on their own.
The lessons are listed in the order of the History-Social Science Content Standards for ease of reference. As the standards are written in the order in which they are anticipated to be taught, it makes sense to use the lessons in this order. This is not a requirement, however, nor is it necessary that a teacher use all lessons in a section.
Some of the lessons would benefit from the assistance of a resource person, such as a county official, judge, lawyer, police officer, legislator or other legal professional. The education, skills and experience they possess can greatly enhance law related lessons. Some lessons indicate where a resource person would be helpful, but teachers should use their own judgment in determining when to request outside assistance.
Schools interested in this assistance should contact the local superior court in your county or the local bar association. Court websites and other contact information for California Superior Courts are available by county at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/trial/. The State Bar of California provides a simple means of accessing contact information for your local county bar association at http://www.calsb.org/rm/brelsch.htm. (Enter your county’s name in the search box).
To insure a positive experience working with an outside resource person, teachers are encouraged to provide their guest with specific information, such as:
Grade level and class size
Lesson topics to be covered, what assistance you would like provided
Date, time and length of class
Logistical details, including parking, visitor check-in etc.
A survey to California schools within our districts conducted at the beginning of the project indicated that 90 percent of respondents had access to the Internet. Although not all districts responded, this appeared to be a strong indicator that the Internet would be an available resource for most schools. Thus, we proceeded to incorporate web based research and activities into the lessons, to enhance lesson procedures and extension activities. To accommodate those classrooms that do not have access to the Internet or have only limited access, we also made every attempt to list alternative sources of the information.
As part of the standard lesson format, all Internet links are listed under Non-Print Resources in each lesson. When using a particular lesson, teachers may want to visit the recommended sites to become familiar with what is there and which sites are most appropriate for a particular group of students. It might also be advisable to post the selected sites on the classroom computers in the order that students should visit them while working on the lesson.
The Superior Courts of Butte, Glenn, Napa, San Bernardino and Tulare were awarded a Community Focused Court Planning grant by the Judicial Council of California. The courts were requested to collaborate on a project to develop a judicial education curriculum for youth that could eventually be used statewide. In order to give the courts sufficient latitude for creative and meaningful program development, curriculum specifics were left to the courts to determine.
The collaborative courts conducted extensive research to determine an appropriate project scope and focus. A major first step was obtaining information from the local school districts regarding the project. Many districts expressed concern regarding time spent on any educational efforts not directly related to the Content Standards. Respondents were also concerned about devoting time to development of materials, given the heavy demands already facing educators. These factors guided the development of the project plan.
Many options were considered before concluding that resource materials should be developed for teachers at the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. The courts recognized that an education expert would be needed to assist with curriculum development to insure the following:
materials were linked to the appropriate History-Social Science and English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools
learning objectives and lesson content were consistent with grade level expectations
lesson procedures were easy to follow and provided time estimates for completion
lessons were well researched and included engaging and meaningful activities.
The courts were extremely fortunate in securing the advice and assistance of esteemed educator Dr. Diane L. Brooks, who supported the development of every lesson included in the materials to insure they met the project objectives listed above.
Researchers have identified some alarming statistics regarding the condition of civic education in the United States. A few examples follow:
Once very ten years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress conducts a national assessment of civic knowledge in the 4th, 8th and 12th grades. The most recent civics report card was issued in 1998. The study found that 75 percent of students had a basic or below basic understanding of civics. The study also found that the percentage of fourth graders taking social studies daily fell from 49 to 39%. This factor may be due to the higher priority given to subjects such as reading and math, where assessment testing is routinely conducted.
Civic knowledge is thought to promote civic participation, in activities such as voting. The National Association of Secretaries of State conducted a national survey in 1998 and found that voting among young adults 18-24 years old, decreased from its high of 50% in 1972 to 32% in 1996. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), youth voter turnout was only 21 percent in 1998. The presidential election in 2000 resulted in a higher turnout of this group: 42%, but still significantly lower than those over 25: 70%.
Jury service is another measure of civic participation similar to voting in that the public considers the right to a jury trial an important part of our democracy. In fact, an American Bar Association poll found that 69% of the public consider juries to be the most important part of our justice system. Despite this support for the jury system, many citizens do not report for jury service when summoned. The connection between the right to a jury trial and the corresponding obligation for citizens to serve is missing.
Other surveys have shown that young people view government as something that has little or no bearing on their lives. For example, a 1999 survey by Hart & Teeter found that 68% of 18-34 year olds are disengaged from government. A more recent study CIRCLE, found that 57% of 15-25 year olds are “completely disengaged from civic life.”
Although civic education has clearly not been given equal priority to other subjects in recent years, our nation’s founders considered it a central purpose of public education. For example, Thomas Jefferson identified several objectives for elementary education including the following:
“To understand his duties to his neighbors and country, and to discharge with competence the functions confided to him by either;To know his rights; to exercise with order and justice those he retains; to choose with discretion the fiduciary of those he delegates; and to notice their conduct with diligence, with candor, and judgment; “
U.S. Department of Education. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. National Center for Education Statistics. The NAEP 1998 Civics Report Card for the Nation. NCES 200-457, by A.D. Lutkus, A.R. Weiss, J.R. Campbell, J. Mazzeo, & S. Laser. Washington, DC: 1999.
National Association of Secretaries of State, New Millennium Survey: American Youth Attitudes on Politics, Citizenship, Government and Voting, http://www.stateofthevote.org/survey/sect1.htm, accessed 11/26/03.
CIRCLE, Youth Voting Quick Facts, http://www.civicyouth.org/quick/youth_voting.htm
American Bar Association, Perception of the U.S. Justice System (1998), http://www.abanet.org/media/perception/perceptions.pdf.
Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Government, Objectives in Elementary Schools, http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1370.htm, accessed 11/26/03.
The California Judicial Education for Youth Project has benefited from the extensive law related education efforts undertaken in other jurisdictions across the nation. Each lesson, where appropriate, includes specific acknowledgments to organizations and individuals for the permission to adapt their materials for this project. In this section, we acknowledge all of the programs for their efforts, without which we could not have produced this resource for California teachers.
Many programs willingly and enthusiastically gave permission for the project team to adapt their materials. We are grateful to each of these programs for their generous support of our efforts. These programs include:
Minnesota Center for Community Legal Education – for permission to adapt several of the exemplary CRADLE law related education lessons. Teachers who created the lessons are acknowledged within the lesson.
New York State Unified Court System - for permission to adapt portions of their superior Teaching Tools: NYS Unified Court System Elementary School Level program.
Pennsylvania Bar Association and LEAP-Kids, Inc. - for permission to adapt a number of their excellent Law Day lessons.
Texas Young Lawyers - for permission to adapt lessons from their outstanding Junior Judges: Helping Kids Make Smart Choices Curriculum Guide.
Utah Law-Related Education Project - for permission to adapt portions of the exceptional Your Day in Court 5th Edition A Manual for Teachers and Students Visiting the Utah State Court Facilities resource
Washington State Courts - for permission to adapt some of their highly regarded law related education lessons from the Judges in the Classroom Program.
The project also wishes to acknowledge the following organizations:
Cobblestone Magazine - for permission to reprint the article entitled Los Angeles: The City That Water Built.
California Geographic Alliance - for permission to include a copy of their map of California showing California Counties in the materials.
The project team also acknowledges the many fine materials and websites that were recommended as resources to enrich the lessons. The availability of information on the web and published print resources to enrich civics lessons is limitless. We are grateful to the developers of all of these resources for making it possible to provide teachers the information they need to access to outstanding reference materials.