Parental Accountability and Public Policy

Pupils review the differences between criminal and civil law. In groups, they examine high-profile cases and identify any act of negligence. They create a list of the elements of negligence and answer discussion questions as they watch a...

Students are introduced to the concept of intentional torts. In groups, they compare and contrast civil and criminal wrongs committed by people. They are given case studies and use the elements of torts to apply to them. They share their...

Students investigate the difference between rules and laws. In this justice system lesson plan, students discuss the presence of rules of their lives and compare them the "Code of the West."

Students examine laws that relate to parental accountability for minors. Students debate these laws and identify their own personal opinions regarding parental civil and criminal liability. Students draft legislation that reflects their...

Pupils explore the push/pull factors experienced by immigrant families. They interview a parent and an American about their family's immigration history. Students write a summary of the interview and compare the push/pull factors of the...

How has the American Bill of Rights influenced the rest of the world? An interactive web activity helps individuals see the similarities between countries' bills of rights. A text-to-text tool compares the American Bill of Rights to...

After reading an interesting article comparing the disputed presidential election of 1877 to a similar event in the year 2000, kids blog a response. They read the article, check out the embedded links, then respond to four related...

After reflecting on jobs people perform in the present day, scholars discuss what they believe jobs would have been like in Colonial Virginia during the American Revolution. Small groups then perform a jigsaw using informational packets....

Students examine the general concept of representative democracy, and compare/contrast the American representative democracy to the monarchical system. They research the role of legislative bodies in serving the government, particularly...

Students compare/contrast the features of three different types of credit cards. They discuss the pros and cons of credit cards, answer discussion questions, and complete a worksheet evaluating three credit cards.