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SSZ303: Street Law (2012-2013)

CURRICULUM PROGRAM: Social Studies
COURSE TITLE: Street Law
CALENDAR YEAR: 2012-2013
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
CODE: SSZ303
TYPE: GE
CREDITS: 0.50
COURSE LENGTH: 18 weeks

Major Concepts/Content: The street law course is an elective one-semester or yearlong course designed to provide students with knowledge about law that is of practical use in their everyday lives. Students will learn how every purchase, lease, contract, marriage, divorce, crime, or traffic violation places them face-to-face with the law. Depending on the length of the course, topics will include an introduction to law and the legal system, criminal law, torts, consumer law, family law, housing, and individual rights and responsibilities. Students will study some of the current issues and controversies relating to the law and legal system. Students will learn the different methods of solving legal problems, including negotiation, mediation, and the trial process. An effort will be made to make the course relevant to students in DoDEA schools by including special lessons that compare American and the host nation’s law and instruct students in the basics of the Code of Military Justice.

Major Instructional Activities: Instructional activities will be participatory and emphasize the development of higher-order thinking skills. They will include student analysis and discussion of actual legal cases and problems, role-playing of commonly encountered legal situations, analysis of legal documents, applications of legal principles using brief hypothetical fact patterns, and preparation and presentation of mock trials. Small group, cooperative work and community-based student projects will also be utilized. Where possible, students will visit military courts or courts and other components of the justice system in the host nation. Host-nation law-related resource persons-including military police officers, lawyers, and others-will visit classes to Provide students with their insights into the law in action.

Major Evaluative Techniques: Evaluation will be comprised of written tests, observation of student participation in discussions and role-playing, written and oral reports, and assessment of individual projects.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the street law course, students should be able to:

• Identify instances in their daily lives where law is involved.
• Recognize legal problems and explain a variety of appropriate methods that might be used to avoid or resolve them.
• Explain the fundamental principles and values that underlie our Constitution, laws, and legal system.
• Analyze law-related current issues and be able to state various positions taken on the issue.
• Explain the role of lawyers, judges, ordinary citizens, and others in the legal system.