The goal of this book is to encourage educators and researchers to understand the complexities of adolescent gang members' lives in order to rethink their assumptions about these students in school. The particular objective is to situate four gang members as literate, caring students from loving families whose identities and literacy keep them on…

According to the 2000 census, high school dropouts had a 52% employment rate, compared to 71% for high school graduates and 83% for college graduates. According to NCSE, the national dropout rate is 30% of which 80% had been chronically absent from school ("School attendance tracking: Challenges and effective practices"), which puts the…

These instructional materials involve secondary students in simulating a criminal trial concerning teenage drinking. Included are all materials necessary for participation in the 1984 California Mock Trial Competition. Part I of the document describes a hypothetical situation involving a high school senior who faces state felony charges for…

Schools have expressed a need to know the identity and/or circumstances of young offenders in order to address school safety and security issues, and to provide a collaborative and coordinated case management approach for the rehabilitation of the young person. A framework for the exchange of information between youth justice and school officials…

Intended to help teachers of law-related education direct student's critical thinking by examining case studies in everyday newspapers, this booklet contains seven activities suitable for use with intermediate and secondary students. By examining daily newspapers and participating in the activities, students (1) determine ways in which the law…

Student activities, teacher background information, and lesson ideas for teaching about law in social studies classrooms are presented. The first section provides students with a worksheet for determining the dates and historical significance of 15 great events (or documents) in U.S. history. A teacher resource list matches each event to pages in…

The guide is designed for a one-semester high school course focusing on American problems. Objectives are to help students develop a practical understanding of the law, acquire an appreciation of the principles of our laws, and participate in the legal system. The guide is arranged in three major units. Following a course outline and list of…

This module, which is one in a series of training packages intended to train educators working with handicapped adolescents and young adults in correctional settings, deals with the U.S. criminal justice system. Addressed in the individual sections of the module are the following topics: the major functions of the criminal justice system,…

Provides background information and related learning activities for three areas of inquiry involving youth and violence: (1) "Evolution of the Juvenile Justice System"; (2) "The Literature of Crime and Poverty"; (3) "Youth Crime and Public Policy." Includes a list of six recommended Web sites. (MJP)

Designed as a practical approach to the study of law, this publication offers seven lesson plans focusing on legal topics that have potential significance to high school students preparing to enter the world of work. Lesson plans address the following topics: minors and the law, automobile insurance, employment law, sports and the law, computer…

Presents a secondary lesson in which students participate in a role-playing exercise to determine whether or not a juvenile should be remanded to an adult court. Includes learning objectives and step-by-step implementation procedures. Also includes four student handouts representing legal issues, briefing sheets, and a mock police report. (CFR)

Provides a history of youthful offenders and society's efforts at rehabilitation and punishment. Traces the development of correctional institutions from their early days in England to the current efforts involving intervention and prevention. Includes photographs, historical and contemporary statistics, and tabular data. (MJP)

Student activity pages, teacher background information, and lesson ideas for teaching about law in social studies classrooms are presented in this supplementary packet. Section I provides suggestions for using community resource persons and lists Alabama resources for teaching about law. Activities in Section II focus on the need for laws and…

Student activity pages, teacher background information, and lesson ideas for teaching about law in social studies classrooms are presented. Lessons in this unit further develop ideas presented in the eighth grade packet and can be used to supplement a course in government. Section I provides suggestions for using community resource persons.…

Contends that the juvenile court system should be abolished because its paternalistic underpinnings fundamentally are inconsistent with children's rights. Asserts that current theories of human rights are tied to competency, which has been used historically to exclude women and minority groups from the category of rights holders. (CFR)