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ERIC Number: ED393713
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1995
Pages: 33
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-1-57073-133-0
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Diversity and the Law. Lawyers in the Classroom Series.
Mertz, Gayle
Providing legal perspectives on multiculturalism, this curriculum guide assists lawyers making classroom presentations and teachers at all levels. This booklet contains lesson plans and ancillary materials on the topic of "Diversity and the Law," for three different levels of students: elementary grades 4-6 (Level A), middle school grades 6-8 (Level B), and high school grades 9-12 (Level C). The level is identified near the page number. Additionally, each grade level contains pages for the lawyer (marked by the scales of justice), the teacher (an apple), and the student (a pencil). At the beginning of each level a chart of materials is provided, along with photocopying instructions. Overhead transparencies can be made of the main activity pages (marked by all three icons). The elementary school curriculum provides students with a working knowledge of the concepts of majority and minority status and the application of this knowledge to legal issues. Students learn that majority status changes with different situations and that individuals sometimes become members of a group by choice and sometimes by circumstance. The lesson thus introduces the concept of diversity. After students name groups of people they think should be legally protected, the lesson outlines groups that are protected by law and the protections they are given. Finally, students discuss the importance of protecting minority rights. The secondary school curriculum focuses on attempts to desegregate U.S. society, specifically in public education, as well as efforts to segregate schools to benefit certain groups. Students first examine the increasing diversity of the U.S. population and the development of governmental acknowledgment of diversity. They then examine U.S. Supreme Court decisions and legislative acts defining the constitutionality of classifying students in public schools. They conclude by evaluating proposals to segregate students to "benefit" certain groups ("group-exclusive public schools"). In addition to lesson plans, the booklet contains transparency masters, instructions for a student forum, suggested activities for teachers after the lawyer's visit, puzzles, and other exercises for students. (LH)
American Bar Association, Youth Education for Citizenship, 541 North Fairbanks Court, Chicago, IL 60611-3314 ($10).
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Learner; Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Students; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquent Prevention (Dept. of Justice), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: American Bar Association, Chicago, IL. Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship.
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: United States Constitution
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A