CROSS CURRICULAR APPROACHES TO TEACHING LAW AND CIVICS Christina Ganev East York C.I. Toronto District School Board Contact:

Agenda Assessment Enrichment Practical teaching strategies and activities Having fun and inspiring students!

LAW - ASSESSMENT Music and the Law Newspaper Scrapbook assignment CCLA Charter Essay Contest Mock Trial – OJEN

LAW – ASSESSMENT Technology – Facebook assignment Technology – follow news sources on Twitter and write weekly/monthly journals

LAW – ENRICHMENT GUEST SPEAKERS CCLA – guest speakers “That’s not fair” Ontario Justice Education Network – adopt a lawyer program Corrections Canada – guest speakers

LAW - ENRICHMENT Courthouse tours Virtual courtroom tours at

WORKPLACE LAW Organize a Career Day – careers in law requiring highschool or college diplomas Book the computer lab once per week to complete a scavenger hunt on the law

CIVICS – ASSESSMENT Try these tips to reduce failure rates: –Reduce the number of tests/quizzes –Rewrite quiz until a mark of 70% is achieved –Offer choice with every assignment –Eliminate the exam –Have theme days –Use relevant technology whenever possible –Class project –Pair up senior students with Civics class – mock election, presentations, mentorship, peer tutors

CIVICS - ASSESSMENT Newspaper presentation assignment Choice (differentiated instruction) Straw tower activity Simulations (mock election, trial, town hall meeting) Four corners debate Social media – Twitter and the news

CIVICS - ENRICHMENT Think Literacy (prep for OSSLT, graphic organizers) Weekly News/Classroom Ready What in the World Metro (free) or Toronto Star or computer lab – once a week

CIVICS - ENRICHMENT Smart Ideas (concept mapping) Toondoo.com (make your own comic strip) or Bitstrips (TDSB licensed) City of Toronto website Courtprep.ca – virtual tour of a courtroom

CIVICS – ENRICHMENT GUEST SPEAKERS Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) – speakers re. equality rights in the Charter (case studies) Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) – speakers re. fairness of the law (case studies) Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) – lawyers and law students Fair Vote Canada – PR vs. FPTP lessons plans

CIVICS – ENRICHMENT GUEST SPEAKERS Newspapers – journalists Local police station – police officers and parole officers Invite a new immigrant Holocaust survivors War vets City Councilor, MP, MPP – all at the same time!

Enrichment – Free Resources! Student Vote – full mock election packages, online tools, complete support to run a parallel election, resources in between elections Elections Canada – posters, riding maps, visual aids for decorating the classroom OERB – teaching resources by other teachers Parliament of Canada – lots of free resources, class set of “Our Country, Our Parliament” “Welcome to Canada” – free class set of books on immigration

Instructional Strategies Fold the line Four corners Graphic organizers (2 handouts) Placemat Graffiti Pass it on Snowball

Completion Chart

Fun! (How to get them to come to class – and on time!) Fun daily activities –Media Monday –Trivia Tuesday –Question Thursday –Funny Friday Make up competitions weekly