Most young scholars are aware of the criminal courts system, but the United States Constitution allows for a much broader role. What other roles do courts play in settling other questions? A case study and WebQuest-style activities challenge class members by asking them to classify whether a case belongs in federal or state court and whether it is a criminal or civil dispute. 

Concepts

civil law, the criminal justice system, courts, crime, crime and punishment, the united states constitution

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use case studies to have learners evaluate what constitutes a criminal case and a civil case
• Ask pupils to apply and reinforce knowledge using online interactive games 

Classroom Considerations

• First of three lessons in the Organization of the Federal Courts series
• While classified as a middle school activity, the ready level is more suited to high school-level reading

Pros

• Lesson plan offers a variety of activities, making it easy to adapt to classroom needs
• Interactive nature of the lesson keeps students interested

Cons

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.3 RH.6-8.10 RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.3 RH.9-10.10 RH.11-12.1 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.3 RH.11-12.10