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Marian Kirk Donald Lanier |
 LRE Welcome | LRE National News | LRE State News | Teacher's Corner | LRE Programs | Community Works | Elementary Mock Trial | Foundations of Democracy | High School Mock Trial | LawForKids.org | Middle School Mock Trial | Project Citizen | Street Law | We the People | Youth Court Welcome to the 10th edition of LRE News! We hope this newsletter continues to be a useful tool to you. It was created to provide information on LRE news, programs and events for those involved with LRE programs. Suggestions and feedback are always welcome. LRE is a “one-stop” shop for teachers, SROs, pre-service teachers and attorneys. Professional development trainings are provided throughout the year on programs such as:
Project Citizen Summer Institutes This week-long professional development institute is provided at no cost to 40 participating teachers throughout the country through the generosity of the Center for Civic Education in Calabasas, California. Participating teachers will receive ALL of the following:
Comments from Project Citizen Institute Attendees: “Incredibly worthwhile adventure and training. Most informative and organized training I have taken in years!” “I came into this opportunity with eyes, ears and mind wide open. I have never done this form of class activities program before and now believe I can and will do it! Wow!” “I loved and learned so much from this institute. This re-enforced why I love social studies. It reflects our real lives. Thanks.” Themes, Location and Dates of Each Institute Offered:
Go to www.civiced.org/PCinstitutes to apply for an institute. This year, instead of rolling admissions, there will be two application deadlines. The first deadline, March 1, 2011, is for "early decision." Those who apply before this deadline will be given priority consideration and early notification. The final deadline is April 8, 2011. National History Day Celebrated in South Carolina Archives and History has coordinated the event in South Carolina since the late 1990s, with the support of many dedicated individuals and organizations. Several thousand students participate and 300 reach the state contest held each April at the S.C. Archives and History Center in Columbia. According to Johnson, “The quality of student research is impressive. For example, some students track down inventors or politicians and interview them. Equally impressive are the technical and creative skills used to create the entries.” Each year the Bar presents an Award for the Best Entry on the History of Legal Justice. “We are delighted to have the Bar involved with National History Day in South Carolina,” said Johnson, “and the financial support of the award can help the recipient attend the national contest held at the University of Maryland each June.” For more information: The Legacy of John Adams, From Boston to Guantanamo
The 2011 Law Day theme provides us with an opportunity to assess and celebrate the legacy of John Adams, explore the historical and contemporary role of lawyers in defending the rights of the accused, and renew our understanding of and appreciation for the fundamental principle of the rule of law. The National Conference of State Legislatures has put together ample information for teachers to become involved with the America’s Legislators Back to School Program. Visit www.ncsl.org/public/backsch.htm to learn about the ample resources available for teachers. Marketing and resource materials available include:
Website for Researching Primary Sources Mix It Up Grants Do Something Seed Grants 60-Second Civics 2011 Training Catalog LRE Awards and Recognitions High school seniors who have participated in mock trial or either of the We the People programs have the opportunity to apply for a one-time $500 scholarship to assist with higher education costs. An award is also provided to the LRE Citizen of the Year selected based on their commitment to LRE programs and goals and this recipient will receive $500 to use as they wish. LRE also recognizes one LRE Attorney of the Year that is recognized in front of his/her peers at the annual House of Delegates meeting. The winner of the statewide High School Mock Trial Competition and the We the People competition receives some financial assistance to compete in the national competitions. The winner of the statewide Project Citizen showcase has its portfolio displayed at the National Conference of State Legislators and is awarded a recognition of excellence. All applications are to be post marked no later than March 18, 2011. For applications, click here. Middle School Mock Trial – Results and BIG Thank You Congratulations and many thanks are extended to the following dedicated teachers and attorneys coaches below who generously gave their time and energy to mentor students that participated in the 2010 Middle School Mock Trial program.
We the People: Project Citizen
High School Mock Trial
Description: Looking for a curriculum that teaches communication and problem solving skills? Community Works is a program targeting middle and high school students that can be implemented in the classroom, after school or in most any other setting. It provides students with a practical understanding of crime and crime prevention that is useful in their everyday lives. It can function as a stand-alone program, or it can be incorporated into a classroom curriculum. The curriculum includes 31 highly interactive session, involves community resource people and includes a service learning/action project component, if desired. This curriculum not only teaches teens to be resources for each other, but to interact positively with community members. What's New: A two-day training is scheduled for February 2011. Click here to learn more.
Description: Elementary Mock Trial is an excellent way to begin to introduce the concepts of justice and the judiciary through fairy tale trials. We all know the stories of Goldilocks, Paul Bunyan, The Three Little Pigs and others. Through materials from the American Bar Association supplied to elementary teachers by the South Carolina Bar LRE Division, upper elementary students can learn about the courts in an interactive fashion. For the majority of the trials, there are even puppets available for checkout from the S.C. Bar LRE Division. What’s New: The LRE Division has added many new puppets and cases to choose from when implementing Elementary Mock Trial. The Division will also come to schools that implement the program to videotape the students presenting the mock trial cases. For more information about the program, to review cases and choose puppets, click here.
Description: Foundations of Democracy is a character education curriculum created by the Center for Civic Education. The curriculum is available for grades K-12 and addresses authority, responsibility, privacy and justice. The Center for Civic Education's mission is "to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry, committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries." Students in South Carolina can benefit from this mission by becoming enlightened and active, responsible citizens while impacting the state through the implementation of this program. Through participation in this program, students will increase their basic skills of listening, speaking, writing, reading, problem analysis and awareness of the Constitution and how it is applicable to their daily lives. What’s New: A two-day training is planned for Spring 2011. Click here for dates and registration information.
Description: The High School Mock Trial Program is a hands-on exercise in learning about due process. It is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity but can also be incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes. What’s New:High School Mock Trial competitions are right around the corner. There will be a total of 55 teams competing in four of the regional competitions (Charleston, Columbia, Conway and Greenville) with 10 teams advancing to the state competition in Columbia on March 11-12, 2011. The team that wins the state championship round will represent South Carolina at the National High School Mock Trial competition scheduled May 5-8, 2011, in Phoenix, Arizona. Competition Dates for 2011:
If anyone is interested in starting a mock trial team at their school, two FREE trainings will be available in summer 2011 and September 2011. Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for dates and registration information.
Do your students have questions? Do they need answers? Don’t let the students go through life without knowing about this fabulous online program for kids. LawForKids.org is a Web site dedicated to teaching children about the law. It was created with the specific goal of educating South Carolina’s youth, parents, communities and schools about the law and to encourage lawful behavior. The site includes an interactive forum through which students may anonymously ask questions about the law and receive correct, factual information from volunteer attorneys. Access to the Web site is free and adapted for South Carolina youth. There are quizzes, interactive games, cartoons, comics, law documents, links to other law related education Web sites and a searchable database on South Carolina law and how it affects young people. Students will find the Web site helpful for research projects and homework assignments, but can also use the site to play games and hear first-hand from their peers about law related incidents and how to best handle various situations. To access the Web site, visit www.LawForKids.org. Click “other states” in the top right corner of the home page, and then select South Carolina on the U.S. map. Users will then have the option of making the South Carolina site their permanent home page.
Description: The Middle School Mock Trial Program is a hands-on exercise in learning about due process. It is a team activity program that is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity, but can also be incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes. What’s New: Just want the students wanted…. Middle School Mock Trial Summer Day Camp. The South Carolina Bar’s Law Related Education Division is sponsoring the first Middle School Mock Trial Summer Day Camp to be held on Saturday, June 18, 2011! This year’s camp plans to include general sessions and breakout sessions for the beginner mock trial students and the experienced mock trial students. It is planned for students to have an opportunity to work with affidavits, role play, analyze video segments, examine rules of evidence, learning courtroom layout and etiquette, making and handling objections, review openings, closings, directs and crosses, and get mock trial tips. The goal for all in attendance is to gain mock trial experiences and skills in a fun learning environment. For more information on the camp and to register by May 2, 2011, click here. If you thought that mock trial was only for high school, then you thought wrong! The 2010 Middle School Mock Trial season just came to a close with a total of 36 schools participating. Forestbrook Middle won their second state mock trial competition on Saturday, December 4, 2010. Participating students included Jake Ammons, Kasey Anderson, McKenzie Blackburn, Jessica Cox, Calie Glasgow, Andrew Godfrey, Kaitlyn Justice, Robby Meese, Erin Murray, Alexis Oliver, Vanessa Romo-Perez, Zachary Pieterse, Mary Hanna Prock, Michael Riga, Riana Rush, Laura Sudowski, Peyton Sutley, James Vitale, Kaitlyn Ward and Cinithia Zavala Ramos. Teacher coaches were Joseph Boswell, Linda Brubaker, Stephanie Necessary, and Tess Vega. Attorney coaches were Gene P. Vaught, III, Candice Lively, and Scott Hucks.Crayton Middle School was the runner-up. Participating students from Crayton Middle included Rion Campbell, Bridget Cowen, Bailey Davis, Taylor Doggett, Parker Dwyer, Dillon Keel, Katherine Kristinik, William Lott, Stephen McKenney, Paige Parmley, Walker Shaffer, Allie Stubbs, and Emma Woolbright. Their teacher coach was Elizabeth “Betty” Hopkins. Attorney coaches were Dr. Deborah Laufersweiler-Dwyer and Lawrence D. Kristinik, III.
Description: We the People: Project Citizen is a curricular program for elementary, middle and high school students as well as youth groups that promotes competent and responsible participation in local and state government. The program helps young people learn how to monitor and influence public policy (a school rule or state law). In the process, they develop support for democratic values and principles, tolerance and feelings of political efficacy. For those already implementing Project Citizen in their classroom, the Center for Civic Education recently unveiled a new portion of their website to include a Project Citizen portfolio and documentation binder that can be navigated from a computer. For example, if there is a two page narrative on the “Problem” board, students could zoom in and read the narrative. This fabulous new link can be found at www.civiced.org/digitalPortfolio/. What’s New:The 2011 showcase of all completed Project Citizen entries is scheduled for April 14, 2011. In-school presentation dates can be scheduled any time during the school leading up to the April 14th showcase. Judging of in-school presentations can be arranged with Cynthia H. Cothran at (803) 252-5139 or ccothran@scbar.org. Curicular materials are now available in audio or Braille formats. Grant Opportunities for Project Citizen Students: DoSomething.org aims to inspire, support, and celebrate youth taking action, so they offering a variety of grants, ranging from $500 to $1000, to young people seeking to make a positive impact in their community. Complete details can be found at http://www.dosomething.org/grants. If your students have worn out their Project Citizen books and you need a replacement set, e-mail Cynthia Cothran at ccothran@scbar.org to get a new FREE classroom set of 30 textbooks as well as a teacher’s guide. Competition Date for 2011:
Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here to learn more.
Description: Street Law is a course in practical law. It was designed to provide students with knowledge of what to do when confronted with a legal problem. Information is presented through student-centered activities that enable teens to develop as effective citizens. Most often, Street Law, is taught as a one-semester social studies elective or in place of a government course. The curriculum can also be used by teachers of a practical business law class. The curriculum is correlated to the state standards and is on the SC textbook adopted list. The curriculum includes a teacher's manual as well as test banks. What’s New: Two trainings will be held in Spring 2011. Click here to learn more.
Description: We the People is an in-depth study of American history with an emphasis on understanding the formation of the Constitution and its interpretation throughout history. Students compete in a mock congressional hearing and discuss critical issues regarding American government, the founding fathers and current events based on a constitutional perspective. What’s New:The 2011 Middle and High School competitions are scheduled for January 5-6, 2011, in Columbia. There will be a total of 10 teams competing in the competitions. The winner of the High School State Competition will represent S.C. at the national competition in Washington, DC April 30 – May 3, 2011. Curicular materials are now available in audio or Braille formats. For teachers interested in the program, there will be multiple training dates released for 2011. Competition Dates for 2011:
To register for FREE trainings on We the People, click here for dates and registration information. “Great workshop! I can’t wait to use this program in my classroom.” “Thanks for putting together such a great competition …
Description: Do you know what one of the fastest growing youth diversion programs in the nation is? The answer is Youth Court. There are 35 separate youth courts serving many different communities and schools throughout South Carolina. In communities, Youth Court is a juvenile diversion option intended to keep young people with no criminal record out of the juvenile justice system, allowing them a second chance to maintain their clean juvenile records. In schools, Youth Court can handle actual criminal offenses in which the school resource officer is involved, or it can be inserted into the discipline code to handle violations of school rules. Youth Court functions like a traditional court with all the key roles in place. The difference is that all of those roles are played by youth. What’s New: With the reinvigoration of the South Carolina Youth Court Association, the S.C. Bar now serves as a clearinghouse for information and a resource for reaching the S.C. Youth Court Association. For a list of Youth Court publications held by the S.C. Bar, please e-mail Donald Lanier at dlanier@scbar.org. Click here to learn more.
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LRE programs are made possible with the support of the South Carolina Bar Foundation's IOLTA grant and two program grants through the Center for Civic Education. |  |
South
Carolina Bar Law Related Education Division
950 Taylor Street •
P.O. Box 608 •
Columbia, SC 29202
Phone: (803) 252-5139 Fax: (803) 771-0419 E-mail: lre@scbar.org
www.scbar.org/lre