Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School Law and Justice: Unit 1
Introduction to the Legal System
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Bell Ringer 10 minutes: Answer the following questions in your
spiral notebook. Remember to write in complete sentences. 1. Why do
Southeast Raleigh and Wake County Schools have policy and
procedures? 2. In your own opinion, list the 3 most important rules
that exist at Southeast Raleigh. Why are each of these important?
3. In your own opinion, list the 3 least important rules at
Southeast. Why are these not important to our school?
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Think Pair Share: 15 minutes TASK: Your job is to create 3 new
rules at Southeast Rule with your desk groups (rules that dont
already exist). You must agree on the 3 new rules. Choose one
person to write them down on colored paper provided. Think about
the following for discussion later: 1.Why did you create this
particular rule? 2.Was it difficult for your groups to agree on the
new rules? Why or why not? 3.What could be difficult about
enforcing these rules?
Slide 4
Answer the following in complete sentences in your spiral.
Think, Pair, Share with your small groups to come up with
standardized answers for your notes. (15 min) 1. What is
government? 2. Why is government important in a society? 3. Explain
what the federal, state and local governments manage? 4. Which
branch of the government makes the laws? 5. Which branch of
government enforces the laws? 6. THINK: Why do civilizations,
nations, countries decline or fall apart? List 3 reasons as your
answer, using history of nations as your guide.
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STOP HERE FOR DAY ONE
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Bell Work 1/8/13: Get an article from the front of the room
Read the following article and answer the following: who, what,
when, and why. Do you believe the inmates have a valid argument?
How far should companies go in taking responsibility for others
actions while using that product?
Slide 7
1/9/13 Bell Work: 1. What is a value? Explain several ideas
that you value. 2. How do you know a law is fair and equal to all?
List 5 laws that you believe are fair and equal to everyone in
society. List 5 laws that you believe are unfair to all. Once you
have listed answered these study for your vocabulary quiz, we will
take it in 10 minutes!
Slide 8
Bell Work: 7/30 Look over your vocabulary terms: you have 7
minutes before your quiz. Once you are finished with your quiz pick
up the Need for laws handout
Slide 9
Bell Work 7/31 use your textbook or vocabulary to answer: 12
minutes 1. What is the difference between a criminal and civil
case? Within each case what is the prosecution trying to find? 2.
How do you know that a law is fair to all the citizens? 3. Name 5
laws that you believe are fair and just to all Americans. 4. Name 5
laws that your believe are unfair to some Americans if not all of
them.
Slide 10
Bell Work: 8-1 Use textbook pages 19- 28 1. How is the
legislative branch divided? What type of laws does the federal
government make? State government? 2. How is a bill drafted? What
are several questions that are asked when drafting a bill? 3. What
are government agencies? Provide examples How are these agencies
affected by laws created by congress? 4. How is international
lawmaking different from law created in a country? What is the
largest international law making body? What are other advocacy
groups within the United Nations?
Slide 11
Bell Work: 8/2 Within your groups you will have 15 minutes to
complete the following handout. Use chapter 1 from your textbook.
Work quickly to answer the questions. Be ready to turn in a sheet
per person.
Slide 12
8/3 Bell Work: Use your textbook I will collect bell work in 15
minutes 1. What is Advocacy? How does this influence law making?
What would be several interest you would become an advocate for? 2.
Explain the purpose of Lobbying within the law making process. Why
do lobbyist have so many critics in the United States? 3. Explain
the processes behind the initiative, recall and referendum. Define
each. How does this give more power to the people?
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8/6 Bell Work
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Discussion: What do you know about this image? Why do we need
laws? What purpose do laws serve?
Slide 16
Writing Activity: You will have 20 minutes of free writing:
Prompt: Wish I could have been there, use the top ten list from
today. After looking at your top ten list, take a particular event
in American history and tell which one you wish you could have seen
or witnessed, been a fly on the wall. Explain: What was the event?
Provide factual information about the event, who was involved? Why
was it important to American history? Explain why you personally
would have wanted to witness this landmark time in Americas past?
Describe what you would have seen?
Slide 17
Role of the Government Lockes beliefs: The government was
created by the people. People give up absolute freedom in exchange
for safety. We call this concept consent of the governed. This is
the social contract. If the government violates the social
contract, citizens have the right to remove the government, because
they created it. We call this notion the right to rebel. These 3
concepts are the basic philosophical foundations of this
nation.
Slide 18
What are laws? Rules and regulations made and enforced by the
government. Why do we have them? Laws regulate peoples actions and
conduct. Jurisprudence: the study of law and legal philosophy.
Every society/country has recognized the need for laws and
rulesthese standards make them a society!
Slide 19
Laws reflect a societys values. Take a few minutes to explain
this in your own words.
Slide 20
Values Laws reflect a societys values. Moral valueswhat we
think is right or wrong. (Just because something is immoral doesnt
make it illegal. Economic valueshow citizens accumulate,
distribute, and preserve wealth. Political valuesthe relationship
between the government and the individual citizens. Social
valuesissues that are of importance to a society. Most of the time,
laws reflect a variety of values.
Slide 21
Values in our society: list-group-label In your group: 1. Make
a list of 25 things that are considered a crime or law in the
United States. 2. Place those 25 crimes/laws into categories:
moral, political, economic, social:
Slide 22
Answer the following questions with your group: Create a list
of 25 crimes within our country 1. After looking at these crimes
what would you say is important to our society? 2. Do you think the
same offenses would be considered crimes in other countries?
Why/why not? 3. Do you think other countries consider something a
crime that the U.S. may find legal? Why/why not? 4. Laws can vary
from state to state and city to city. Why do you think that is? 5.
Are punishments always the same? Why/why not?
What is Law? Laws and Values Laws have been seen within every
society. Society is based on the Rule of Law Laws regulate peoples
actions and conduct. Jurisprudence: the study of law and legal
philosophy. Every society/country has recognized the need for laws
and rulesthese standards make them a society! Legal system should
(1) protecting basic human rights (2) promote fairness (3) resolve
conflict (4) promote social order (5) promote desirable (6)
Represent the will of the majority (7) protect the minority What is
the difference between a law and a value? Describe an example of
each. What are certain rights that every human should be
granted?
Slide 26
Kinds of Laws Criminal Law: regulate public conduct Divided
into felonies and misdemeanors What is the difference between a
felony and misdemeanor? List several criminal laws. Civil Laws:
regulate relations between individuals or groups. Defendant: person
accused of a crime Plaintiff: in civil cases: person or company
harmed-against the defendant Provide an example of both a defendant
and plaintiff.
Slide 27
Kinds of Law: The courts have different responsibilities in a
Civil and Criminal Case: Beyond a reasonable doubt: must vote not
to convict. Preponderance of the evidence: judge (jury) needs only
to decide if it is more likely than not that the plaintiff's
complaint is true. What is the major differences between Criminal
and Civil laws?
Slide 28
Our First Government After the United States won its
independence from Great Britain we established our first National
Government under the Articles of Confederation. Why were the
Articles of Confederation eventually thrown away in favor of the
Constitution?
Slide 29
Federalist vs. Anti-federalist Federalist were those
politicians who wanted to ratify the Constitution Anti-Federalist
did not support the ratifying of the Constitution Why were the
Anti-Federalist against ratifying the Constitution?
Slide 30
Bill of Rights 1 st : freedom of religion, speech, press
assembly, and petition. 2 nd : right to keep, and bear arms 3 rd :
lodging troops in private homes 4 Th : search, seizures, proper
warrants 5 Th : criminal proceedings, due process, eminent 6 Th :
criminal proceedings, speedy and public trial 7 Th : jury trials in
civil cases 8 Th : bail; cruel unusual punishment 9 th : enumerated
rights to the people 10 th : powers reserved to the states
Slide 31
Judiciary Act of 1789 The Constitution established the three
branches of government (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.) It
did not however go into detail on each! What was the primary
purpose of the Judiciary Act of 1789?
Slide 32
Our First President George Washington George Washington was the
unanimous decision to become the first President He would serve 2
terms (8-years) and was never opposed Every thing Washington did as
President was setting a precedent. What is a precedent? What major
precedents did Washington establish?
Slide 33
Washingtons Cabinet First Secretary of State-Thomas Jefferson
First Secretary of the Treasury- Alexander Hamilton First Secretary
of War-Henry Knox First Attorney General-Edmund Randolph What does
the Cabinet do? Who out of this group did Washington tend to side
with on debated issues?
Slide 34
Hamiltons Economic Plan Sec. of the Treasury was given the task
of getting the upstart nations economy running His plan consisted
of three parts: 1. Assumption (Take over all the states debts from
the Revolutionary War) 2. Raise Money- excise tax (Whiskey Tax) and
Tariff (taxes on imported goods) 3. Create a National Bank
Slide 35
Debate over the Economic Plan Hamiltons Plan was very
controversial for several reasons Southern States did not like the
idea of Assumption-Why was this the case? What was done to make
them agree to sign up? Jefferson and his followers hated the idea
of the National Bank. What was Jeffersons argument against the
bank?
Slide 36
The Debate Grows and Grows The Economic Plan brought up issues
for the new government What is strict vs. loose interpretation of
the Constitution? Who held each view? What did this argument lead
to?
Slide 37
Federalists & Democratic-Republicans FEDERALISTS: organized
during ratification of Constitution debate as individuals who
favored a strong national government & led by Alexander
Hamilton; believed in loose interpretation of constitution,
supported tariffs to encourage growth of industry, favored gov t.
by the best people, and supported neutrality over involvement in
Europe s problems DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS: founded during Washington
s presidency to oppose Hamilton s plans; believed in strict
interpretation, supported of agriculture over industry, wanted
power concentrated in states &, thus, close to the people,
favored support for France in the wars in Europe
Slide 38
Bill of Rights Links
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_2nd.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_hCJgeQ9a4 : Rap and first
Amendment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_hCJgeQ9a4
http://bcove.me/x7a93fp2
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Differences Remedies: right the wrong Burden of proof: party
asserting the matter Balance of probability Parties: Smith v Jones
Penalty: punish the offender Burden of proof: lies with the
prosecution Beyond reasonable doubt Parties: R v Smith
CivilCriminal 41
