Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Court Proceedings Civil Cases Lesson PlanCourt Proceedings Civil Cases Lesson Plan
Publisher
School Improvement in Maryland
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
9th - 12th
Subjects
Social Studies & History
3 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr
Instructional Strategies
Direct Instruction
1 more...
Technology
Internet Access
Lesson Plan

Court Proceedings Civil Cases

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Court Proceedings Civil Cases lesson plan also includes:
  • Government Glossary
  • Bookmarks to Useful Sites
  • Critical Thinking Strategies
  • Social Studies Rubric
  • Join to access all included materials

What's the difference between civil and criminal law? How do the court proceedings differ in these two types of trials? How do the standards of proof differ? Why do these differences exist? As part of their examination of the US court system, class members investigate US court proceedings.

117 Views 105 Downloads

Concepts

the criminal justice system, civil law, constitutional law

Additional Tags

social studies

Instructional Ideas

  • Rather than using a lecture lesson format, have groups research civil and criminal proceedings and present their findings

Classroom Considerations

  • The ninth in a series of 19 resources that examine aspects of the US government

Pros

  • The five-page resource includes a brief plan and teacher resource sheets that detail the court proceedings for civil and criminal cases

Cons

  • Provides no scaffolding for the research portion of the activity

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Civil War to Civil Rights: From Pea Ridge to Central High

National Park Service
Explore how the Civil War impacted the Civil Rights Movement. Class members complete a series of projects for a unit that uses a layered curriculum approach to learning. 
4th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

Types of Court Cases

Judicial Learning Center
How can one court acquit someone of a crime, while another convicts the person of the same one? It's all because of the differences between civil and criminal trials. An informative resource provides scholars in the field of criminology...
6th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

Levels of the Federal Courts

Judicial Learning Center
The Supreme Court gets all the glory, but very few federal cases make it to the highest court. An interesting lesson explores the structure of the lower levels of the federal court system. In addition to outlining the organization of...
6th - 12th Social Studies & History
Website

Wnet: Thirteen: Supreme Court: Expanding Our Civil Rights: Gideon v. Wainwright

PBS
This is a synopsis of the landmark Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright, which ruled that states must provide defense attorneys to any indigent criminal defendant charged with a felony. The decision was written by Justice Hugo Black.
9th - 10th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

In the Courts

Curated OER
High schoolers explore desegregation in the courts. In this civil rights lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on Supreme Court cases Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson. High schoolers...
9th - 12th Social Studies & History
Activity

Differences Between Civil and Criminal Law in the Usa

Other
This website provides a well-organized introduction to the differences between civil and criminal law. Addresses topics such as "punishment," "burden of proof," "protections for criminal defendants" and "ignorance of the law." Examples...
9th - 10th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

Indiana Courts: How Do They Work?

Curated OER
Students identify the branches of Indiana's judicial system and determine the differences between the different courts and different types of cases. Students create a flow chart showing how a court case works its way through the legal...
9th - 12th Social Studies & History
Interactive

Your Day in Court

Judicial Learning Center
Whether out of choice or necessity, people want to know what will happen on a typical day in court. A helpful lesson walks scholars in the field of criminology through the trial process from opening statements to the final verdict. 
6th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

State Courts vs. Federal Courts

Judicial Learning Center
Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...
6th - 12th Social Studies & History
Interactive

Civil Rights and Equal Protection

Judicial Learning Center
Almost every American is familiar with the Supreme Court case of Brown vs. Board of Education. Far fewer understand the constitutional reasoning or the wide-ranging consequences of the ruling in the field of criminology. The interesting...
6th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use