A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Audience Approved by the PEP/JDRP for all social studies students, grades 5, 8, and 11, or those grades at which American history is taught.

Description Research has found that traditional teaching approaches have failed to improve students' knowledge of the processes of the U. S. legal/judicial system. The goals, therefore, of Law Related Education: Goals for American Leadership (LEGAL) are for greater attention to teacher training and implementation of specific and sequential approaches to law and civic education.

The first component of LEGAL's curriculum is the introductory unit that is taught in American history courses early in the school year. The unit consists of 10 lessons with teaching strategies that systematically and sequentially lead to the development of high level problem-solving skills. Teacher's manuals provide detailed lesson plans for this unit. The first four lessons enable students to discover that law affects their entire lives and that our Constitution and laws are based on societal and individual values. The fifth lesson presents situations to introduce the concept of legal values conflicts. The remaining lessons concentrate on the case method--analysis, formulation of issue and decision, and development of reasoning. The activities and examples are varied to meet the abilities of each grade level.

The second component is the bi-weekly lessons that teachers prepare to fit into existing state-mandated history course content. Each of these lessons reinforces the knowledge and problem-solving skills presented in the introductory units. Traditional curriculum content is therefore presented, but through LEGAL's teaching strategies.

Requirements The adopting district, or group of districts, should attend LEGAL's methods and materials. Adopting districts agree to infuse LEGAL into their existing American history curricula at the elementary and/or secondary levels through teaching the Introductory Unit and ten additional teacher-prepared infusion lessons during the remainder of the year. An administrator must be selected who will supervise training and act as local director throughout the implementation year.

Costs Generally, travel expenses for training sessions may be shared among the adopting districts, LEGAL's funding, and the State Facilitator's budget. Teacher's manuals, $5 each; student booklets, $1 each. Costs for training are to be negotiated.

Services Free awareness brochures are available. Awareness sessions, needs assessment surveys, three-day teacher training at the program or adoption site, follow-up technical assistance visits, pre- and posttests, and teacher and student materials at grades 5, 8, and 11 are supplied at various costs.

Contact

James J. Carroll, Ph.D., Director, Syracuse University, 316 Lyman Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244. (315) 443-4720.

Developmental Funding: USOE ESEA Title IV-C.
JDRP No. 81-39 (1/28/82)
Recertified (3/31/92)

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