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