Homeschool Court Student Worktext from Homeschool Court: A TOS Crew Review

 

Disclosure: I received this product free through the Homeschool Review Crew

Homeschool Court Student Worktext from Homeschool Court

It's fun to discover a new way to teach the basics of how our legal system works.  We've been exploring Homeschool Court Student Worktext from Homeschool Court.

This downloadable curriculum is great for grades 4-8th, and easily adaptable for grades 9-12th as well.  We were able to take a peek at the full course, including the Case Summaries.

The core components of this program include the Homeschool Court Student Worktext and the Homeschool Court Teacher Manual.  The goal of this program is to teach a Biblical worldview of the American Judicial System, and prepare students to either participate in a mock trial (as either judge, attorney, witness, bailiff and/or member of the jury), a debate, or to effectively communicate in a written essay.  

9 chapters cover the basics including, important vocabulary, learning who the participants in the court system are, as well as, what are the different courts and types of cases.   The steps in a trial are outlines and discussed.  Finally, students are taught how to argue persuasively and effectively.  The Teacher Manual includes suggestions on how to schedule in either 9-11 weeks, or over 17-19 weeks.  It also offers helpful tips for adapting this curriculum to different students and circumstances.

To accompany the reading, there are some fill-in-the-blank type exercises, and suggestions for additional "Digging Deeper" enrichment activities.  The Student Worktext is consumable, and each student will need their own printed copy. 

The Teacher Manual includes all of the Student Worktext, and additional teacher notes in a gray-scale - I love having it all in one place!  A full answer key is also included along with great teacher tips for making the material memorable with games and activities.

The Homeschool Court High School Supplement and Homeschool Court High School Supplement: Teacher Edition offer additional information and content to help challenge your high school students further and can be used to earn a 1/2 credit high school elective.

The Case Summaries are three different cases that will walk the students step-by-step through legal process as they are learning about the judicial system.

Student Case Summary: Dog Bite at the Dog Show & Teacher Case Summary: Dog Bite at the Dog Show

This case includes a summary of facts, sample witness statements, evidence (illustrations and documents), a discussion of applicable state statutes, jury instructions (explaining concepts such as negligence, burden of proof, and comparative negligence) and the verdict form.

Student Case Summary: Forging Mama's Signature? (contested will) & Teacher Case Summary: Forging Mama's Signature? (contested will)

This case involves a mock trial that argues the authenticity of a will. Included are a summary of the facts, an outline of the law (including a glossary and an explanation of how probate works), witness statements, jury instructions and handwriting evidence.

Student Case Summary: School Prayer & Teacher Case Summary: School Prayer

This case is an appeals case based upon a Supreme Court case. The student attorneys will be engaging in oral argument. It includes a summary of the facts, lower court decisions, and the elements of the law and prior case law. 

 

The Teacher Case Summaries give additional information to help adapt this to your situation, a summary of the evidence, and the outcome of the actual case you can share at the conclusion of your study.

After printing out the curriculum, we jumped right in with reading and discussing. This program is well-organized, and easy-to-use.  It offers a very complete and discussion-provoking way to explore our legal system with multiple ages.  I appreciated the solid Biblical basis and application.

Using this with just my children provided great discussions, and has sparked genuine interest in our legal system. I think it's a great addition to any government study and I would truly love to use this course in a Co-op setting because the hands-on experience of a mock trial would be a great teaching tool!

Find  Homeschool Court on Social Media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomeschoolCourt
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HomeschoolCourt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolcourt/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HomeschoolCourtDBurton/_created/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjXgvZzIUtMU4nZe-jFeisw

Hashtags: #hsreviews #homeschool, #homeschooling, #homeschoolcourt, #homeschoolmocktrial, #homeschoolcurriculum, #christianmocktrial

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The Hidden Message of the Great Seal from The Hidden Message, LLC: A TOS Crew Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way

The Hidden Message of the Great Seal How Foundational Truth From The Dawn Of Liberty May Rescue A Republic In Peril from The Hidden Message, LLC

The Hidden Message of the Great Seal How Foundational Truth From The Dawn Of Liberty May Rescue A Republic In Peril from The Hidden Message, LLC is a fascinating read!  Once I started, I had a hard time putting it down.

This beautiful 260 page softcover book will take you on an exploration of the allegory behind our National Seal.  The author, Michael Kanis has a BA in business and MBA in Finance and Operations.  He's a strong Christian with a varied background in business, technology and now as an author. He has devoted thousands of hours to researching this important subject.

First, this book is truly beauiful!  The photographs throughout are all full color, and the pages are thick and glossy. The 9x12 format makes a great coffee table book and is great for reading aloud together from. 

In the 24 chapters, Michael gives us a glimpse into our history by uncovering the symbolism and meaning behind our National Seal, probably one of our most widely reproduced - but, not completely understood symbols.

He consistently weaves Scripture throughout this book, showing us the faith of our Founding Fathers and the principles that guided them.  What a timely reminder for us at this time in history!

I was fascinated as he introduced me to characters in our American story that were new to me.  For instance, Charles Thomson - an important American that I had not had the privilege of learning about... until now.

Charles Thomson became the Keeper of the Seal.  No other single person in our history was more qualified to hold this position - he had been present at every important meeting as our country was being birthed, was a intimate friend of our founding fathers, an expert in Greek and Latin, and most importantly - a man of Faith in God. It was his job to "cast the character and image of the American people in the form of the Great Seal". I loved being introduced to this important person in our history that is often overlooked! Michael Kanis storytelling style is very easy to read, and the information is truly deep and thought provoking.  

This book is filled with these types of gems. The information is quite in-depth as the author ties a panorama of world history into our American heritage.  I feel like it would make a great addition not only to your upper level history studies - but, also as a great read for your government and economics students as well.  

Throughout the book, the author uses sidebars and bullet points to summarize information.  The book is filled with primary source quotes, as well as, beautiful images.  It's very nicely done.

I enjoyed this book immensely.  I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to truly understand the foundation of our American history. 

The author has given us a special discount - good until May 30, 2020 - "The book can be found on Amazon for $29.95, but I have included a coupon code for 50% off the cover price for any of your readers/viewers who wish to purchase the book from our web site, thehiddenmessoage.org. As always, shipping is free. To receive the discount, your readers only need to apply the coupon code: HOMESCHOOL at checkout."

Hashtags:

#hsreviews #thehiddenmessage #nationalseal

Want to know more?  Check out an interview between Michael Kanis and Eric Metaxas -

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