- Understanding Rules
- In small groups, children list rules that they have at home. Discuss
which rules they approve and disapprove of and why. Suggest reasons why
these home rules could be necessary.
Discuss findings as a class, list under headings 'Approve' and 'Disapprove'.
Analyse why we disapprove of some rules. Compare. For instance, are
there gender or cultural differences in responses?
- Follow the same procedure and look at school rules. Mind
map the results.
- What if?
Revisit previous lists. What are the benefits of these rules? What would happen
if there were no rules?
View the video: The Lawless Day or No Laws Today (available
from Police
Education Officer).
Discuss:
- What happened as a result of having no laws?
- What rules were broken?
- Did you see any examples of unfairness? What were they?
- How did this day affect others?
- Why was a lawless day dangerous?
Make a what if chart
- Inquiry: How people make rules and laws
What is the difference between a rule and a law?
Children brainstorm what they
think. Keep ideas as a "before views" so comparisons can be made at the end
of the unit.
Using Big 6 Problem
Solving Approach, come up with key questions to focus the inquiry.
Finding
Discuss where they could find the answers. Use these
links.
Encourage children to fax the local
police station or law courts. Discuss procedures for faxing with
the children first.
Children record the difference between a law and a rule. Using a list
made by the children and/or the teacher, decide which is a law and which
is a rule.
Invite the school principal in to explain how rules are made within the
school. What are the consequences of breaking a school rule and breaking
a law in society?
Youth Law
- How laws are made - Assessment Activity 1
Read the Youth Aid sheet in small groups. Look
at each step and take notes using Big
Six Location and Access.
Children think about a law/laws they'd like to be made. List all of the
ideas on a chart board. In groups select one of these. Model the process
using a flow chart. Students
create two flow carts.
Flow chart 1
Using an example of a school rule to show how a rule is made. Give an example
of how that rule is enforced.
Flow Chart 2
Explain the steps involved in making a law, and show how it is enforced.
- Enforcing the Law
Brainstorm or mindmap who in society enforces the law.
Write a bullet point profile about one organisation that enforces the
law in New Zealand. Give examples to show how they implement and enforce
laws. Use email, fax and the Internet to gather
data. Collect data about the role of these groups, working in small groups.
Use Big
Six Location and Access. Focus on Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
Recording
Children record data for others to read on these agencies and the support
they give to the community.
If possible, visit a local
police station to discover more about the role of the police as
law enforcers. Before your visit, have students prepare questions to assist
their inquiry. After the visit, students write thank you letters.
- Different Systems
Is there a difference in rule and law-making in different cultures?
Draw on expertise from cultural groups within your class. Discover who
makes and enforces laws and rules in their communities. Invite parents to
help in this research, where feasible.
Make links to current events and nearby countries to investigate groups
involved in law making and enforcing. Look out for good newspaper stories
- be selective
and sensitive to students' families and communities.
Look closely at the traditions and rituals involved in law making and
investigate where these traditions originated. Children can work in small
groups to research one aspect of these ideas. Decide as a class how to present
these findings. Some ideas: comparison chart, web, role play.
- Consequences
Bus Stop!
Pictures are displayed around the room and questions or activities are prepared
to match the pictures. For example, What's happening? What might have happened
just before this? What could happen next? Is there any more information
you need before you make a decision about the event?
The children work in groups, each starting at a different activity. After
a pre-determined time, the teacher calls "Bus Stop!" and each group moves
to the next activity. The session ends with a sharing of ideas from each
activity.
Enforcing the law - discussion questions
Do law enforcers have to make decisions based on evidence? Record findings
on a chart. How do they gather evidence before making an arrest? Why is
it vital that they have accurate information before doing this? Look at
events in NZ history that show the implications of false evidence, eg. the
Arthur Allan Thomas case.
Role Play
Set up a crime scene in the classroom. Children carry out the role and help
create the evidence. The class visit the crime scene and make observations.
Leave clues to guide their inquiry, eg. clues that show who was there, fingerprints
left (how can you find out) articles disturbed, used. Use a newspaper or
booklet with data to assist them, such as guidelines made by teacher (see
below). At each stage stop and ask questions to prompt further ideas. Set
up photos or sketches.
Assessment Activity 2
Complete the chart -
why people make and implement rules and laws.
- Breaking the law
Children can look at
possible scenarios that lead to law breaking and the changes in society
that may contribute to problems. What crimes are most commonly committed?
- National
Crime Statistics
Teachers note: This file includes include statistics on sexual and violent
crimes. Please read the information before making decisions on how you
use it with your class.
Debate: Society is to blame for the crime rate, not families and
individuals.
- Court Room Visit
What happens when people break the law? Revisit the consequences of breaking
the law - see activity 7. Children read Going to Court (available from
the local
police station). Look at the court layout.
Discuss the roles of the people there and the sequences involved in a court
trial.
If possible, visit a court room and watch the processes involved in a case
(make sure you contact the court first).
Often local courts have petty crime cases on Mondays which are interesting
for the children to observe as they are short and usually of a minor
nature. Remember to be sensitive to family situations within your school and
community.
- Mock Court
At school set up a court scene. Use the Six
Thinking hats model to encourage children to explore a trial. Use
an offence committed at school, look in the newspapers for examples, or focus
on a local crime issue. Remind the children of the importance of accurate
evidence. Before holding a case give children time to gather their evidence
and witnesses. An alternative is to focus on nursery rhymes and fairytales
as cases to investigate:
- Was Tom the piper's son really a thief and what evidence have you to convict
him?
- Did the Maid of Hearts steal the tarts? How will you prove her innocence?
- Was Georgie Porgie really harrassing the girls?
- Did Goldilocks trespass in the Bears' house and commit vandalism?
Students make a flowchart of the steps involved in a court case, sequencing the
procedures. Include a summary and add speech bubbles to show the emotions
that might be expressed by the people involved.
Discuss the fairness and feelings of the role plays. Allow time for
the children to express how they felt about different aspects of the cases.
- How are Crimes Punished in Society?
During the unit, gather a selection of newspaper articles about sentencing.
List the crimes and the consequences.
Investigate school deterrents for offences. Do these fit the crime or do
children continue to re-offend? Involve others, such as the principal
and teachers in a discussion. Is it possible to break the cycle of re-offending?
Survey students to see what punishment would prevent them breaking a rule.
Use this
Social Decision Making Chart to explore the issue:
"The punishment should fit the crime". How can we make this happen?
- Making Changes
Round Up Discussion. Allow children time to discuss rules and laws that
they would like to change, or a relevant law that has recently been changed.
Ideas: school leaving age, drinking laws, driving age, smoking laws.
What is the idea behind the law change? Was it necessary, had it become out
dated? Children share their ideas, for and against.
How have school rules changed over the years?
Interview a past pupil or retired teacher still connected to the school to
discuss the changes.
What rules do need to be changed? Look at the procedures involved. Plan a
campaign to have the rule changed.
Select and adapt these learning activities to best meet the needs of your
students, and to fit the time available:
