Secondary Lesson Plan Template

Your Name: Bethanie Perrin

Subject & Grade Level: Government-11th+
Date: 3/6/15
1.

Mentor Teacher: Mr. Stiglic

Lesson Topic: Rule of Law
Estimated Time: 50 minutes

Standards [Common Core State Standards, Nevada Subject

Standards]: C13.[9-12].1 Explain the concept of the role of law in the establishment of the U.S. Constitution.

2.

Teaching Model: Concept Teaching

3.

Objective(s) [CCSD Curriculum Engine or Syllabus]: SWBTA

define Rule of Law, analyze the necessity of establishing and enforcing the rule of law and explain how the rule
of law protects individual rights and preserves the common good.

4.

Materials/Resources: Rule of Law nonexample worksheet,

PowerPoint, Role of Law Situation matching worksheet

5.

Instructional Procedures:
A.

Introduction: Students will come into the classroom and written on

the board will be the questions, What do you think life would be like
if there was no one to enforce the laws? What might happen? What do
you think when you hear the phrase, Rule of Law? Students will
know to immediately get out their bell ringer and answer the questions
on the board on a piece of paper. After 5 minutes the teacher will ask
for answers and call on students to hear their answers while reassuring
students that there is no right or wrong answer. (7 minutes)
After this the teacher will tell the students what to expect for the dayFirst they will do an activity where the students hear situations to help
them understand the rule of law, then a short PowerPoint will be
presented on the Rule of Law, then the students will have a worksheet
to complete in order to check for understanding. (1 min.)

B.

Activities or Learning Experiences: The teacher will hand out a

worksheet that goes along with the first activity. The first activity will
start out with an Example/Nonexample approach. The teacher will
read off 6 different situations, each situation will represent one of the
6 factors that make up the rule of the law and what would happen if
there was NO rule of law. After the teacher reads off each situation,
the students will answer 3-4 matching questions of the cause and
effect that relates to that factor and situation. The first situation the
class will do together out loud, for the last 4 situations the teacher will
read the situation and then students will answer the matching on their
own. (See attached pages for situations)
Teacher will read first situation out loud and ask if the students
understand the situation. Then the teacher will move on to the
worksheet the students have by reading the first Cause out loud and
asking the class what the Effect of that cause is.
The first cause is- The victims know the law enforcement was not
effective. The correct answer is- They did not feel safe on the
streets and they worried about being out after dark. If students are
quiet then the teacher will ask questions like, How would you feel if
you knew law enforcement was not effective? and Would you feel
comfortable walking around alone at any time of day?

Then teacher will continue reading Causes 2-4 and having the class
match them with the Effects out loud. (7 minutes)
Teacher will then continue to read situations 2-6 out loud and then
give students 2-3 minutes after each situation to answer the matching
related to that situation. During this time the teacher will be walking
around the classroom in order assess if students are able to fill out the
matching and answer any questions the students might have. Collect
the worksheet right away. (18 minutes)
Then the students will view and take notes on a PowerPointFirst slide- Definition of Rule of Law and brief history and
description of what it does.
Second slide- Order and Security
Third slide-Legitimacy
Fourth slide-Checks and Balances
Fifth slide- Equal Application of the Law
Sixth slide-Procedural Fairness
Seventh slide-Access to Justice (5 minutes)
After the PowerPoint the teacher will handout a worksheet with
different statements on it and students will match each statement with
the Rule of Law factor that it describes. (10 minutes and take home if
necessary)
During this time the teacher will walk around the classroom to help
students, answer questions and do a formative assessment.
C.

Closure: Pull the students back together and ask students if now that
they know more about the Rule of Law, have they ever been in a
situation where they might have been thankful for the Rule of Law? If
no one answers explain a situation that might apply to them. Then tell
students that tomorrow they will build on this knowledge by seeing
how rule of law influences the development of the United States legal
system. Worksheet will be due beginning of next class. (1 minute)

D.

Extension/ Contingency Plan: Students will finish their homework

and turn it in in class.

6.

Accommodations/Modifications: Lights will be adjusted during

PowerPoint, students who need accommodations will be given a copy of the PowerPoint, a copy of the situations
the teacher reads so they are able to follow along as well as extra time for homework.

7.

Assessment/Evaluation of Learning: Formative assessment will take

place throughout class when the class does the first situation all together as well as at the end when the teacher
walks around while they are working on their last worksheet. Summative assessment will take place with the two
assignments they turn in.

8.

Homework Assignment: Finish the second assignment and hand it

in beginning of next class.

9.

Post-Lesson Reflection: (to be completed after lesson is taught)

SituationsOrder and Security- Two friends are attacked by a robber on the street. After searching for half an
hour, they finally find a police officer. The police officer doesnt know how to help them. Even when the
officer catches the robber, there is no jail where the officer can keep the robber, and the officer does not
have the skills to figure out what is going on. The officer suggests the injured friend seek justice through
a local council instead of in the court system.
Legitimacy- One person is building a house while a friend sits and reads the newspaper. When another
friend arrives and questions whether the roof looks legal, the builder laughs at the laws that are in place.
The laws were borrowed from a different country and do not make sense in this country. But the
lawmakers dont care what the citizens need and arent interested in listening. A third friend arrives, who
is breaking the law with his smelly car. But the law is stupid and impossible to follow, so why try?
Checks and Balances- The Presidents friend wants a new law that will help his business make more
money. The President asks the legislature to pass the law. He assures the legislators that Bob Smith will
reward them for their cooperation. Nobody is worried that the law wont hold up because the court
system is too disorganized. Even if someone does take the law to court, the President or the legislators
can just bribe the judges.
Equal Application of the Law- After sentencing a thief to five years of hard labor for stealing potatoes
at the market, the judge finds the town mayor waiting in his office. The mayor had a problem at the
market, too. He lost his temper with a vendor because of the vendors high prices. The mayor broke
things in the vendors shop and broke the vendors arm. Because of the mayors position, the judge
agrees to overlook the offense.
Procedural Fairness- Three prisoners end up sharing the same cell. One prisoner has been in prison for
two years without being told why and without ever seeing a judge. Another prisoner is taken to court
after spending only a short time in jail. There is no clear reason why that prisoner gets to go to court
when the other one did not. A third prisoner has been jailed for not being able to pay the court fee. The
court fee is decided by the judge on a case-by-case basis.