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Overview of Justice by the People

From Unit Plan: Justice by the People

This program will help you to teach students why the right to trial by jury, granted by the Sixth and Seventh Amendments, is fundamental to our country’s judicial process. The lessons and resources on this Web site use interactive and cooperative learning that will help you engage students in the material.

The lessons in Justice by the People will:

Develop problem-solving and decision-making skills
Place the history of resolving legal conflicts in context of jury system
Highlight jury service as an important civic duty
Outline the basic terms and procedures used in courtrooms

This course culminates with the Make Your Case online trial simulation. Students will be able to play the role of lawyer in a movie-like trial, questioning witnesses and making objections.

Integrating Justice by the People into the Middle School Curriculum

Justice by the People has been designed for use as either a stand-alone introduction to the jury system or an integral part of the middle school social studies and language arts curriculum. Students will gain exposure to themes that are both timeless and universal:

Decision making
Conflict resolution
Guilt and innocence
Law and order
Rights and responsibilities of citizens
Equal justice for all

National Standards and Benchmarks Chart (PDF)

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Download the entire Justice by the People site here.

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