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Lesson Library for K-12
When you request a visit, you will have the option to select one of the lessons below. If you are open to the judge deciding, simply describe the subject you'd like covered. After every visit, students will have a new or improved understanding of the three branches of government.
NOTE: If you are from a court, visit the Courts Connected for more these lessons with speaker notes and delivery suggestions.
No Animals Allowed
Our most popular lesson for elementary schools. In the course of an hour, the visiting judge will walk students through a "You Be the Judge" activity. Some of the scenarios may be omitted or replaced with your own. The scenarios test students to think like a judge. Available in Mandarin | Spanish.
K-5
Oath of Office
Have an Honor do the honor! Invite a judge to your school to administer the Oath of Office.
K-12
Riley v. California
Students will look at a 2009 warrantless search and seizure of the digital contents of David Leon Riley's cell phone when he was pulled over for expired tags. They'll learn how and why Riley's case was being argued at the U.S. Supreme Court six years later. This landmark case comes with a set of facts that will engage both students and teachers.
This lesson is a top pick for classrooms with an understanding of the three branches of government.
9-12
The Sleepy Lagoon "Zoot Suit" Trial
Invite a judge to examine the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial, where twenty-two young men were tried and twelve were convicted in a mass trial for murder in what is widely considered a travesty of justice and rush to judgment.
8-12
The Constitution: We Are All Equal
Have an expert give your students a close look at the U.S. Constitution. Students will be challenged to think critically about the challenges facing our Founding Fathers, and how they were able to create a 4-page document that has governed us for 200 years. They'll also learn about California's Constitution, founded on the same fundamental principles.
6-12
The First Amendment
Do students have free speech rights on campus? What if that speech is a symbol, or a social media post? Learn about some of the most high-profile cases that made their way to the U.S. Supreme Court asking these questions.
6-12
Mock Trial: Salem Witch Trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. This lesson requires students to experience the case by reading scripts to learn about the role of the court, a judge, and a jury.
5-8
Mock Trial: United States vs. Susan B. Anthony
Through assigned acting roles, students reenact a United States vs. Susan B. Anthony. This is a GREAT activity for drama clubs, or afterschool programs!
5-12
Si Se Puede! César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and the 1st Amendment
This lesson is rich with historical references tracking the many battles fought in the fields and in the courts by two of California's most notable civil rights icons recognized internationally.
5-12
Under Reconstruction: Voter Rights & the Constitution
The U.S. Constitution is a flexible, four-page document that has been amended twenty-seven times. This lesson explains the challenges around voting rights starting in the Reconstruction Era (1863-1877), and the fight for suffrage in the years that followed
5-12
No Vehicles Allowed
Students will receive news of a new law in the town of Beautifica, then be lead by the Volunteer through scenarios to demonstrate the work of the courts, and what it takes to think like a judge. Students with little to no knowledge of the three branches will benefit from this lesson.
5-12