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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 eighth 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:
National Law Day Award Any individual or group who implemented a Law Day program is eligible to apply for the award. Criteria to consider when applying for the award includes whether the activity: highlights the 2010 Law Day theme, engages targeted audiences, creates partnerships with members of the legal community at large, projects quality and innovation, uses the media, and extends beyond Law Day. The application for the National Law Day Award may be downloaded at Celebrate Constitution Day – September 17th
Through participation in Constitution Day, students will increase their basic skills of listening, speaking, writing, reading, problem analysis and many more attributes, to include awareness of how the Constitution is applicable to their daily lives. Read the Federal Register establishing Constitution Day at www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2005-2/052405b.html. Constitution Day Resources: Mix It Up Grants Do Something Seed Grants 60-Second Civics LRE Summer and Fall Trainings Are Now Available—Apply Today! Awards & Recognition
High School Mock Trial Scholarship Winners ($500 each): We the People Scholarship Winners ($500 each): Want to get in on the recognition? Click here to learn how to apply for these awards next year. Competition Dates for 2010/11 We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution We the People: Project Citizen High School Mock Trial The spotlight has stopped on…
Yvonne Rhodes graduated cum laude with a BS in Political Science from Francis Marion University. She went on to get her Masters of Learning Accommodations at Francis Marion University and her Masters Plus 30 in social studies. She is married and has three children. Upon graduating from college, Rhodes became a teacher at Wilson High School in Florence, teaching history. She received the Teacher of the Year Award at Wilson in 1995. In 1996, she started teaching American Government and economics in the school’s new International Baccalaureate program. In 2007, she began teaching Advanced Placement U.S. History and has implemented many law related studies in her classes. In 2008, she earned the LRE High School Teacher of the Year Award. And, just this year Rhodes was recognized as the Veteran Teacher of the Year by Francis Marion University’s Education Department. Yvonne Rhodes has implemented the We the People: Citizen and the Constitution in her classroom and competed in the state We the People congressional hearings for nine years. Her dedication of many hours to her students has earned her classes four state titles (one this year!) and three first runner-up titles. As state champions, her teams represented South Carolina in the national We the People competitions in Washington, DC. With so much knowledge and experience with We the People, Rhodes was asked to share her experiences and teach sections of the program in LRE’s We the People trainings for new teachers and to serve as South Carolina’s We the People Congressional District Six Coordinator. She has served in this capacity for the last four years. The LRE Division is appreciative and proud of the contributions and accomplishments Yvonne Rhodes has made through her efforts to make a difference in the lives of others. She has served as a mentor to her fellow teachers and motivator to her students to excel. Her passion and excitement for teaching is infectious.
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 has been scheduled for June 16-17, 2010, in Columbia. Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for 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:Teams readily prepared to compete at their local regional competitions on February 27 and state competition March 12-13. Bob Jones Academy students won its fifth state high school mock trial competition on March 13. Teachers helping the team were Michael Murphy, Ben Adams and Nancy Adams. Attorney coaches were Allen Fretwell and Jon Gregory. The team also had a former mock trial student volunteer, Jennifer Olinger. The team represented South Carolina at the national high school mock trial competition May 6-9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Congratulations to Wando High School for placing first runner-up. A huge thank you is extended to everyone who made the high school mock trial competition a success! Maybe it will be your school taking home the traveling Westbrook Award to display in your school’s trophy case for the 2010/11 school year! Would you like to take it to the next level and represent South Carolina at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Phoenix, Arizona in May 2011? If so, make sure you are not left out of this wonderful program. Congratulations and many, many thanks to the following dedicated teachers who generously gave their time and energy to mentor students that participated in the 2010 High School Mock Trial program. Free trainings will be offered July 27 and September 14 for teachers interested in implementing this program. 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.
“It [mock trial] is absolutely one of the best things offered at the middle and high school level. My students who have participated over the years have gone on and done amazing things, and I know it is a direct result of the confidence and knowledge that was built from their participation in the mock trial program!” —Brenda Kidd, North Myrtle Beach Middle School 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:If you thought that mock trial was only for high school, then you thought wrong! Forestbrook Middle School of Myrtle Beach won its first state championship title in December 2009; the first runner-up was North Myrtle Beach. Free trainings will be offered July 27 and September 14 for teachers interested in implementing this program. Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for dates and registration information, or to register for a free training.
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. What’s New:The Project Citizen Showcase took place at the SC Bar on April 15, 2010. The in-school hearings leading up to the state showcase allowed students the opportunity to learn about public policy and make change in their school and/or communities. Congratulations to York One Academy for winning the Showcase at the middle school level. The school’s project will represent South Carolina at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Project Citizen annual showcase event in August. The students proposed “Texting By Hand Can Wreck Your Life,” addressing the proposed bill banning texting while driving. Congratulations are also extended to Bluffton High School students for winning the Showcase at the high school level. The students proposed “Animal Abuse Exposed,” addressing the need for breeders and those who are adopting/purchasing pets to go through a required background check to reduce the increasing number of animal abuse incidences. LRE is proud of all the students and teachers that participated in the Project Citizen program. 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. Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for dates and registration information for trainings and the summer institute.
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: A Street Law training for teacher and SRO teams is scheduled for May 18-19, 2010. Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for registration information.
“Thanks for putting together such a great competition … we enjoyed ourselves very much.” —JJ Iagulli, Carolina Forest High School 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:Wilson High School was the state winner of the 2010 We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Mock Congressional Hearing. This was the fourth state title earned by Wilson High School, led by teacher coach Yvonne Rhodes. Wilson High School represented South Carolina at the national championship in Washington, DC, April 23-26. Congratulations to Carolina Forest High School for placing first runner-up and to all the teams that participated in the competition, as these students not only learned about the Constitution but gained skills that will take them through life. A huge thank you is extended to everyone who made the competition a success! Great News! The middle school level competition has returned to South Carolina. If you have been trained in We the People at the middle school level, please contact Donald Lanier at dlanier@scbar.org to find out more about competing on January 6, 2011. To learn more or register for FREE trainings on We the People, click here for dates and registration information.
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 S.C. Youth Court Association, the 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 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. |
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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