Honors Law & Justice

Course Expectations and Syllabus Ms. Sims- msims2@wcpss.net Msimslj.weebly.com Spring 2014
What is Law & Justice? This curriculum is going to provide practical information and problem-solving opportunities that develop in students the knowledge and skills necessary for survival in our law-saturated society. The curriculum includes case studies, mock trials, primary source analysis, small group exercises, and visual analysis activities. Throughout the semester, students will be exposed to guest speakers who work with the justice system in some capacity and will also watch films that relate to the curriculum. What I expect from you: Law & Justice is a difficult topic. People spend years studying the law and we are going to try to get an overview of the system in just a semester! This being said I am going to need you to work hard and keep up with your work. This is an honors class and you will be doing honors level work. We will be discussing some topics that many of you feel very strongly about guns, the war on drugs, the death penalty, and the Patriot Act to name a few. I want to hear your opinions, but this is a class so you will be researching facts, looking at historical laws, and multiple vantage points before you present your own. Respect is of the highest priority to me. Our three fundamental rules:1 1- All students have the right to express their own ideas 2- All students ideas are to be heard and treated respectfully 3- Each student will bring appropriate materials to class (homework, paper, pencil etc.) Units covered: 1- Introduction to the Law 2- War on Terror and the Patriot Act (mini unit) 3- Constitutional Law 4- Substantive Criminal Law 5- Criminal Procedure 6- Criminal Trial (mini unit) 7- Juvenile Law 8- Family Law 9- Individual Rights Participation: I strongly encourage you to participate in class discussions and activities. Students assist in creating the atmosphere and mood of the class. Positive class participation is expected and includes (but is not limited to): pay attentions, not sleeping in class, asking relevant questions in class, being prepared by doing all assignment and readings assigned, being willing to summarize or criticize materials youve read, arguing with me (yes you read that correctly) based on logic and evidence. Grades:
Rules: Other rules about behavior are listed on your student contract these include: cell phones, make-up work policy, tutoring, plagiarism, and other rules covered by GMHS Student Handbook.
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9 weeks grade: Tests/Projects:240% Quizzes/ Notebooks:3 25% Participation/HW: 15% Class work: 20% Semester grade: 1st 9 weeks: 40% 2nd 9 weeks: 40 % Teacher-made final: 40% Topics we will examine where did our laws come from what is the purpose of our laws how does societies values affect our laws how does the state and federal government have contradicting laws do I have a right to privacy is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment does it cost more to put someone to death or life in prison what is the purpose of incarceration gun rights v, gun control how is marijuana legal in Colorado and Washington State what were some of Jay-Zs 99 problems what is going on with gay marriage laws how could Timothy McVeigh been tried twice for the same crime how much power does the UN have in international cases are policy makers moving away from tough on crime if they did what effect could that have is one mans terrorist really another mans freedom fighter does a detainee in Gitmo have the same legal rights as an American citizen does a lawyer really make a difference at a trial how do my individual rights change when I step on school property how does the phrase national security change everything do most cases o to trial or end in a plea bargain can McDonalds really get sued over a hot cup of coffee What do I need? You will need a 1-inch, 3-ring binder. You will use this to store and turn in your class work and homework (if you want to combine a binder from another class and this class that is fine just make sure you have enough room).

You will have a teacher-made final. Per WCPSS policy it will count as 20% as your final semester grade. Quizzes: You will have two types of quiz grades. One will be announced quizzes and the other will be your Notebooks. You Notebooks will be taken up the day of the unit test. Items (class work, viewing guides, etc) will be numbered and in order to be accepted.
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