The following materials can also be found using the online searchable database which allows you to search by subject, grade level or type of resource.
Topics:
- The Bill of Rights
- First Amendment (Freedom of Speech, Religion, and Press)
- Fourth Amendment (Search and Seizure, Warrant Requirement and the Exclusionary Rule)
- Fifth and Sixth Amendments (Right Against Self-Incrimination, Right to an Attorney)
- Eighth Amendment (Death Penalty, Cruel and Unusual Punishment
- Fourteenth Amendment (Due Process, Property Interests)
- Civic Duties and Leaders
- Congress and Lawmaking
- Consumer Law
- Criminal Law
- Discrimination
- Elections
- Environmental Law
- Family Law
- Housing Law
- Immigration
- Judges and Judicial Conduct
- Mandatory Sentencing (Measure 11)
- Media
- Mock Trial Cases
- Mock Trial workshop handouts March 19 & 21, 2012
- Oregon Civics Conference materials
- Political Parties
- Project Citizen Program
- Student Rights
- Torts
- We the People Program
- Youth Summit Program
- 2012 – Presidential Election Lessons
- 2011 – Words Matter: Limits on Free Speech
- 2010 – Elections 2010
- 2008 – Selecting the Next President: What Questions Should We Ask?
- 2007 – How does a “nation of immigrants” balance the benefits and the challenges of immigration in 2007.
- 2006 – Ballot Initiatives: Too Much or Too Little Democracy?
- 2005 – Selecting the Next U.S. Supreme Court Justice
- 2004 – Becoming an Informed Voter in the Presidential Election
- [horizontal-rule]
The Bill of Rights
LESSON PLANS
Visitor from Outer Space: The U.S. is overtaken by space aliens and students are asked to ponder which rights they most value. This highly motivating activity requires students to think about the relative importance of the guarantees of the Bill of Rights by having them select five that they would surrender. Great with all age groups.
» First Amendment (Freedom of Speech, Religion, and Press)
LESSON PLANS
Free Speech in Oregon: Students will be able to identify, explain, and understand the right of free expression in the state of Oregon as it is written in the Oregon constitution, the role of the Oregon supreme court in interpreting, limiting, or expanding that right, and the difference between the freedoms guaranteed by our state constitution and the U.S. Constitution. (Richard English, Parkrose High School)
2009 Youth Summit – Democracy & What’s News: What’s a Citizen To Do?
Intro | Lesson 1 – Program Background | Lesson 2 – History of “Free Press” | Lesson 3 – Supreme Court and free press | Lesson 4 – Media Savvy | Lesson 5 – What is the news? | Lesson 6 – Truth in Media | Lesson 7 – Free press around the globe | Lesson 8 – What is new media? | Lesson 9 – Program preparation | Lesson 10 – Program participation
Newsrooms, cybernews, journalism, citizen journalists. Students explore the connections between democracy, the news, and the role of citizens. Lessons range from the historical roots of free press to new social media.
CASE STUDIES
Pangel v. Bend-LaPine School District: A student distributed an underground newspaper that advocated that students disrupt school by doing things like making bomb threats.
State ex rel Oregonian Publishing Co. v. Deiz: The court had to decide whether a juvenile’s court proceedings should be closed to the public and the press.
Cooper v. Eugene School District: Freedom of Religion and religious dress in Oregon’s public schools. (Craig Vattiat, Oregon City High School)
Skywalker Records, Inc. v. Navarro: 2 Live Crew songs are held legally obscene.
Texas v. Johnson | Opinion | Activities:A man’s burning of the American flag as a political protest was allowed as part of his free expression right under the 1st amendment.
Nakashima v. Oregon State Board of Education: The Portland Adventist Academy requested that their basketball games, organized by the Oregon School Activities Association, not be scheduled on Saturday during the day for religious reasons. After receiving complaints from other schools in the tournaments, OSAA informed the school that they could not accommodate the school’s request any longer. The Oregon Supreme Court found that neither the U.S. Constitution nor the Oregon Constitution would be violated by accommodating the school’s request.
» Fourth Amendment (Search and Seizure, Warrant Requirement and the Exclusionary Rule)
LESSON PLANS
Search and Seizure in Oregon: Students examine exceptions to the warrant requirement and use case briefs to trace the history of the Exclusionary Rule through the state and federal courts. Students will be able to explain the difference in the federal and state interpretations of the Exclusionary Rule, and recognize the expanded rights given to people in Oregon.
CASE STUDIES
Oregon v. Reigner: Defendants moved to suppress evidence officers obtained at a party where some minors were drinking. Defendants had tried to leave, but officers stopped them. Court granted the motion, arguing that Ds did not possess alcohol at the time and that police needed more than reasonable suspicion to stop defendants.
State of Oregon v. Johnson | Opinion: Salem police illegally seized the clothing of a suspect which tainted the items so that the evidence was excluded even when later seized under a valid warrant.
Vernonia School District v. Acton | Opinion: The school district required a drug test before students were permitted to play sports. Acton claims this violates his 4th amendment rights.
State v. Dominguez-Martinez | Opinion: This lesson will help students examine the use of racial profiling as a law enforcement tool and explore the concept of unreasonable searches and seizures in Oregon.
Kyllo v. United States | Opinion: The results of a scan of a house using a heat sensing device/thermal scanner were used to obtain a search warrant. Thesearch yielded large amounts of marijuana.
State of Oregon v. Smith: Police use a sniff dog to locate the presence of marijuana.
State v. Martin: Officers were investigating a hit and run accident. After knocking on the front door for several minutes, Martin, completely naked and noticeably intoxicated, opened the door and then ran into another room. After discussion, the officers followed Martin inside and she was eventually arrested. The State argued that the officer’s entrance was based on Martin’s consent
State ex rel. Juvenile Dept. of Clackamas County v. M.A.D.: The Oregon Supreme Court decided that an exception should exist for schools to be able to conduct a search of a student’s belongings as part of their “reasonable steps” to protect its students.
State v. B.A.H.: The Court followed the State ex rel. Juvenile Dept. of Clackamas County v. M.A.D. precedent and decided that a school had a right to search a student that was suspected of having drugs.
State v. Yen Lin Wan: The Oregon Court of Appeals decided that evidence of a defendant (who spoke little English) resisting arrest and interfering with officers (when they tried to enter his home) was admissible, but that the there should be a self-defense instruction read to the jury.
State v. M.H.W.: A student admitted to previously smoking marijuana and emptied his pockets at the Dean’s request, revealing a lighter, a tin with marijuana, and a dagger. The State filed a delinquency petition for the equivalent of “carrying a concealed weapon.” The Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court decisions that the search, and its resulting items were admissible evidence, since the student had “consented” to the Dean’s search.
» Fifth and Sixth Amendments (Right Against Self-Incrimination, Right to an Attorney)
CASE STUDIES
State v. Davilla: D appealed the state’s use of “aggravating factors” in sentencing guidelines. The court held that the guidelines were not too vague, and that the court did not usurp legislative authority in implementing the guidelines.
State v Machain: Defendant appealed conviction based on “compelling circumstances” during the police interview that led her to confess. The court determined that D should have been informed of Miranda rights and that her testimony was compelled based on the length of interview, pressure during questioning, and questions that assumed her guilt.
State ex rel. Juvenile Dep’t of Marion County v. L.A.W.
Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 : Defendant (12 year old boy) filed motion to suppress confession of sexually penetrating a 10 year old girl on the grounds that he did not knowingly waive his 5th amendment rights. Court held that the youth waived his rights based on the totality of the circumstances.
State ex rel Juvenile Dept of Lincoln Country v. Cook: Juvenile confesses to crimes but claims that his confession was involuntary and induced by the police.
State v. Haugen: Haugen was convicted of aggravated murder and received a death sentence. On appeal Haugen wanted to drop all legal challenges to his conviction and death sentence and go ahead with the execution. When his appointed lawyers didn’t agree, Haugen wanted to dismiss his lawyers and self-represent. The subsequent litigation revolved around whether or not Haugen was competent to make the decision not to appeal his death sentence, particularly since he has a history of mental health issues and heroin abuse.
State v. Langley: The Oregon Supreme Court decided that it was not appropriate for the trial court to make the decision that Langley would represent himself. His refusal to make any decision or to cooperate, the court said, did NOT represent a “knowing” and “intentional” waiver of the constitutional right to counsel. The court sent the case back to sentencing again, to decide what Langley’s punishment would be.
» Eighth Amendment (Death Penalty, Cruel and Unusual Punishment)
LESSON PLANS
The Death Penalty in the U.S. and Croatia: Students will debate whether a nation’s constitution should permit it to take a citizen’s life. Students will evaluate their personal views, examine the related points found in the Croatian and United States Constitutions, draft amendments, prepare arguments for their adoption and revisit their personal views.
CASE STUDIES
State of Oregon v. Thorp | Opinion | Handout | General Info | Measure 11: Thorp, age 16, was convicted of 2nd degree rape for having sex with his 13 year old girlfriend and was sentenced to 75 months in jail. Does the minimum sentence of 75 months for second degree rape mandated by Measure 11 violate the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause of the Oregon Constitution?
McGinnis v. State of Texas: A 17 year old is sentenced to death for committing murder.
State v. Haugen: Haugen was convicted of aggravated murder and received a death sentence. On appeal Haugen wanted to drop all legal challenges to his conviction and death sentence and go ahead with the execution. The subsequent litigation revolved around whether or not Haugen was competent to make the decision not to appeal his death sentence, particularly since he has a history of mental health issues and heroin abuse.
Fourteenth Amendment (Due Process, Property Interests)
CASE STUDIES
Shorb v. Powers School District: A high school girl took a shower in the boy’s locker room with several boys. She was suspended and lost her co-valedictorian status. Is a school required to provide a student with due process? Does Shorb have a protected property interest in being covaledictorian?
Barrett v. Williams: Prison staff would open, read, and confiscate legal mail from Barrett’s attorney. The court held the actions of the prison officials did not violate Barrett’s right to counsel, the right to access to courts, or the right to equal treatment.
Civic Duties and Leaders
LESSON PLANS
Personal & Civic Responsibility in the U.S. and Croatia: Students compare the personal and civic responsibilities of citizens in a constitutional democracy. Students brainstorm a list of what they see as the personal and civic responsibilities of a good citizen.
4-week Unit Plan on U.S. Civic Leaders: Students will learn about the positive impacts individuals can have on their communities by researching American civic leaders. Each student profiles a unique individual, creates a timeline of key events in their life, and presents their findings to a nearby elementary school class. (Cynthia Murphy, Obsidian Middle School)
Congress and Lawmaking
2010 Summer Institute for Teachers – Special Guest Dr. Fred Beuttler, Deputy Historian for the U.S. House of Representatives
- Cartoon Analysis (PDF)
- Chalk Talk (PDF)
- Exploring Primary Sources (PDF)
- Getting to know the WTP Text (PDF)
- Jigsaw Background on House (PDF)
- Metaphor Lesson (PDF)
- Susie’s Amazing Resource List (PDF)
- Fred Beuttler – Lectures(PDF)
- Fred Beuttler – Bill Becomes A Law (PDF)
- Fred Beuttler – Bill Becomes A Law (PPT, zipped)
- Fred Beuttler – 111th Congress Leadership (PDF)
- Fred Beuttler – Congress Session Calendar (PPT, zipped)
- Fred Beuttler – CHIP House History (PPT, zipped) *
- Fred Beuttler – Congress and Civil War (PPT, zipped) *
- Fred Beuttler – Congress and Civil War, Short (PPT, zipped) *
- Fred Beuttler – Just War Unit
- Congressional Record (zipped) *
- Intro Materials (zipped)
- Legislation (zipped)
- Lesson Plan (zipped)
- Multimedia (zipped) *
- Scholarly Resources: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (zipped)
* Includes files that are too large to post online. Please contact us at office@classroomlaw.org to request a CD of the complete materials.
Consumer Law
Street Law Supplement: Introduction to Law & the Legal System; Criminal Law & Juvenile Justice; Torts; Consumer & Housing Law; Family Law; Rights in the Community
CASE STUDIES
Parrott v. Carr Chevrolet, Inc. | Opinion: Plaintiff bought a used car. Later he realized the car had problems. He sues under Oregon’s Unfair Trade Practices Act claiming the dealer failed to disclose known defects about the car.
Knepper v. Brown | Opinion: Knepper gets liposuction from a doctor who she found in the Yellow Pages. His ad said he was board certified when in fact he was not. She claims false advertising and fraud.
Viking v. Petersen: Petersen (age 19) drives a car, insured by Randle, and his passengers are killed in an accident. The insurance refuses to pay due to the driver’s age. Issues of liability insurance and freedom of contract.
Criminal Law
» Assault
CASE STUDIES
State of Oregon v. Scott Russell Kuperus: During the physical altercation, defendant bit off a portion of the victim’s ear. The court concluded that teeth are not dangerous weapons under Oregon’s assault statute, but that under the statute, the victim’s injury suffices as a serious physical injury.
» Drunk Driving
CASE STUDIES
State v. Baty: Police arrest defendant for DUI although she never moved the car; defendant argues that DUI charge is inappropriate. Court held that the appropriate charge was “attempted DUI” even though it isn’t specifically listed in the vehicle code as an offense.
» Stalking
CASE STUDIES
Van Buskirk v. Ryan: D appealed a stalking protective order because his contacts were communicative and he never threatened her. Court held that communications alone would not warrant an SPO, but because there were other noncommunicative contacts, P had reasonable apprehension and the SPO was warranted.
Travis v. Strubel: Travis got an SPO against Strubel; appeals court reversed because there was no evidence Strubel should have known his contact was unwanted. Strubel’s freedom of speech outweighs Travis’ desire for SPO.
» Sentencing Guidelines
CASE STUDIES
State v. Davilla: D appealed the state’s use of “aggravating factors” in sentencing guidelines. The court held that the guidelines were not too vague, and that the court did not usurp legislative authority in implementing the guidelines.
» Hearsay Evidence
CASE STUDIES
State v. Cazares-Mendez: Trial court refused to allow testimonial evidence (hearsay) that another person had committed the crime because it wasn’t trustworthy. Court of Appeals remanded; state appealed to Oregon Supreme Court. Supreme Court affirmed Ct. of Appeals because trustworthiness is not relevant to the witnesses that testify, but whether the testimonies corroborated one another.
» Recording a Conversation
CASE STUDIES
State v. Neff: The police officer arresting Neff informed Neff that his police car camera was recording their conversation. Neff was also recording the conversation but he did not inform the officer. When the officer realized that Neff was recording the encounter, he charged Neff with illegally obtaining contents of communication.
» Witness Credibility
CASE STUDIES
State v. Ferguson: Defendant was accused of rape. At trial the victim’s father testified that he was very close to his daughter, and that he would not have allowed his daughter to call the police if he thought she had made a mistake, gotten drunk, and had consensual sex with the defendant. The jury convicted the defendant and the defendant appealed, arguing that the father’s statements were not admissible and that the statements were impermissible vouching for the credibility of his daughter, another witness.The Court of Appeals agreed with the defendant and remanded his case for a new trial.
» Aiding in Criminal Conduct
CASE STUDIES
State v. Hasedahl: The defendant physically beat the victim while another person encouraged the beating and the other individual asked the defendant to stop. The Court of Appeals held that verbal encouragement to continue an assault constituted aid by another person.
Discrimination
CASE STUDIES
State v. Dominguez-Martinez | Case: This lesson will help students examine the use of racial profiling as a law enforcement tool and explore the concept of unreasonable searches and seizures in Oregon. (Alisa Harvey, Sunset High School)
Tanner v. OHSU: OHSU’s denial of insurance benefits to homosexual domestic partners of its employees was illegal under OR constitution.
Elections
Elections 101 from the Oregon Civics Conference 2011
Don DeFord & Rosalyn Lever – Secretary of State’s Office
History of Elections Powerpoint Presentation
Monty Python and the Holy Grail2010
Classroom Law Project has a series of lessons to help teachers and students sort through the 2010 elections. They focus on two statewide races, factors influencing them, and lenses through which to analyze them. Email office@classroomlaw.org to request download access.
2008
2008 Youth Summit – Selecting the Next President: What Questions Should We Ask?
Intro | Lesson 1 – Program background | Lesson 2 – How do we pick a President? | Lesson 3 – Major Candidates | Lesson 4 – Debates | Lesson 5 – Election and Media | Lesson 6 – Constitution and Voting | Lesson 7 – Voting in Oregon | Lesson 8 – Political Cartoon Analysis | Lesson 9 – Program preparation | Lesson 10 – Program participation
Citizens need to ask important questions about the entire election process in order to fulfill their role in our representative democracy. The who, what, where, when, why, and how queries are the common denominator of our efforts to learn together.
2006
2006 Youth Summit – Ballot Initiatives: Too Much or Too Little Democracy?
Intro | Lesson 1 – Program background | Lesson 2 – Background on initiatives and significant initiatives | Lesson 3 – Pros and Cons of ballot initiatives | Lesson 4 – Money and initiatives | Lesson 5 – Analysis of the 2006 initiatives | Lesson 6 – Program preparation | Lesson 7 – Program participation | Lesson 8 – After the summit
Lessons include background on the history of initiatives in Oregon, the pros and cons of the process, the role of funding and the ten initiatives appearing on the November ballot.
2004
2004 Youth Summit – Becoming an Informed Voter in the Presidential Election
Intro | Lesson 1 – Why be an informed voter? | Lesson 2 – The President | Lesson 3 – Debates | Lesson 4 – Media | Lesson 5 – Key Issues | Lesson 6 – Polling | Lesson 7 – Program preparation | Lesson 8 – Program preparation | Lesson 9 – Program participation | Lesson 10 – After the summit
Lessons focus on how to be well-informed when considering this year’s presidential election.
Environmental Law
CASE STUDIES
City of Portland v. The Boeing Co: The groundwater near Portland’s water wells was found to be contaminated due to solvents used by Boeing.
Family Law
Street Law Supplement: Introduction to Law & the Legal System; Criminal Law & Juvenile Justice; Torts; Consumer & Housing Law; Family Law; Rights in the Community
LESSON PLANS
Child Abuse: Students develop familiarity with the history of child abuse and neglect, identify and define terms associated with child abuse and neglect, and understand and test their knowledge of circumstances and conditions where court intervention is warranted.
CASE STUDIES
State ex rel State Office for Services to Children and Families v. Lehoten | Opinion: Alcoholic mother who suffered from bipolar disorder has her parental rights terminated.
Harrington v. Daum | Opinion: Boyfriend of divorced woman seeks the right to visit her children after her death.
Jane Does v. State of Oregon | Opinion: The constitutionality of a measure that allowed adopted people over 21 to access their original birth certificates is challenged and upheld.
Housing Law
Street Law Supplement: Introduction to Law & the Legal System; Criminal Law & Juvenile Justice; Torts; Consumer & Housing Law; Family Law; Rights in the Community
CASE STUDIES
Amatisto v. Paz: Paz rented a house that had several defects, such as a leaky roof and a defective wood stove. After numerous complaints, she stopped paying her rent. Her landlord brought an eviction action.
Humbert v. Sellars: The plaintiff slipped and fell while at a friend’s apartment. The court finds the landlord liable for the plaintiff’s injuries.
Wylie v. Gresch: The plaintiffs rented an apartment from the defendant. A neighbor dog bit off the ear of the plaintiff’s daughter. The defendants failed to warn them about the vicious dog. The court said the defendant did not have a duty to warn them.
Immigration
LESSON PLANS
Immigration Lesson (5 different activities): Students investigate the themes of industrialization and immigration through readings, discussions, and viewing of art, photography, and film. (Jaimie Roderick, Obsidian Middle School)
Primary source photo activity: Students examine photography to understand, recognize, and interpret change and continuity over time. (Jaimie Roderick, Obsidian Middle School)
2007 Youth Summit – How does a “nation of immigrants” balance the benefits and the challenges of immigration?
Intro | Lesson 1 – Program background | Lesson 2 – History of immigration | Lesson 3 – Immigration stories | Lesson 4 – Immigration law 101 | Lesson 5 – Immigration law 102 | Lesson 6 – Immigration and the Economy | Lesson 7 – Program preparation | Lesson 8 – Program preparation | Lesson 9 – Program participation
Lessons span history and move forward to current controversies. Students will have opportunities to learn about immigration trends, law and policy, and economic factors.
Judges and Judicial Conduct
LESSON PLANS
2005 Youth Summit – Selecting the Next U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Intro | Lesson 1 – Program background | Lesson 2 – Supreme Court background | Lesson 3 – Current makeup of the Supreme Court | Lesson 4 – History of the Supreme Court | Lesson 5 – Nominee John Roberts
Lesson 6 – Key Supreme Court cases about education | Lesson 7 – Citizen’s Role | Lesson 8 – Program preparation | Lesson 9 – Program participation | Lesson 10 – Program participation
Lessons on important issues to consider when selecting the next justice of the United States Supreme Court.
CASE STUDIES
The Honorable Dorothy Baker: This case about a judge who acted questionably illustrates that the legal profession does have to abide by certain ethical guidelines.
Mandatory Sentencing (Measure 11)
LESSON PLANS
You be the Judge | Handout | General Info | Measure 11: Students are given a variety of fact scenarios in which they must determine the charge and the sentence under Measure 11.
CASE STUDIES
State of Oregon v. Thorp | Opinion | Handout | General Info | Measure 11: Thorp, age 16, was convicted of 2nd degree rape for having sex with his 13 year old girlfriend and was sentenced to 75 months in jail. Does the minimum sentence of 75 months for second degree rape mandated by Measure 11 violate the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause of the Oregon Constitution?
State v. Ferman-Velasco (Brief) | Handout | General Info | Measure 11: Discusses whether Measure 11 is unconstitutional as a form of cruel & unusual punishment.
Media
Yes! to Violent Video Games? Exploring Brown v. Entertainment Merchatns Assn.
Hon. Sue Leeson – Oregon Supreme Court, retired
Brown_v._ema_for_oregon_teachers.pdf
Leeson_Handouts_Combined.pdfLESSON PLANS
2009 Youth Summit – Democracy & What’s News: What’s a Citizen To Do?
Intro | Lesson 1 – Program Background | Lesson 2 – History of “Free Press” | Lesson 3 – Supreme Court and free press | Lesson 4 – Media Savvy | Lesson 5 – What is the news? | Lesson 6 – Truth in Media | Lesson 7 – Free press around the globe | Lesson 8 – What is new media? | Lesson 9 – Program preparation | Lesson 10 – Program participation
Newsrooms, cybernews, journalism, citizen journalists. Students explore the connections between democracy, the news, and the role of citizens. Lessons range from the historical roots of free press to new social media.
Mock Trial workshop handouts Mar. 19 & 21, 2012
Agenda
Hints for remembering witness statements
Judges Cheat Sheet 2011-12
KEY WSW quiz
MT Vocab
Order of importance exercise
Procedure for the Introduction of Exhibits
STEPS IN A CIVIL TRIAL copy 2
Timeline
Warm up Questions
WSW quizdocxOregon Civics Conference 2011
Yes! to Violent Video Games? Exploring Brown v. Entertainment Merchatns Assn.
Hon. Sue Leeson – Oregon Supreme Court, retired
Brown_v._ema_for_oregon_teachers.pdf
Leeson_Handouts_Combined.pdfProject Citizen
Paul Nolan – Teacher Sundridge Middle School, Pendleton
PC_Resource_Packet.pdfElections 101
Don DeFord & Rosalyn Lever – Secretary of State’s Office
History of Elections Powerpoint Presentation
Monty Python and the Holy GrailFor Elementary Teachers
Celebrating 100 years of Women’s Suffrage:The biography of Abigail Scott Duniway (the mother of Oregon’s women’s suffrage movement) and related materials.
Political Parties
LESSON PLANS
Political Ideologies in the U.S. and Croatia: Students compare American and Croat political perspectives on living in a democracy. Students discuss the various social issues facing both countries and how those issues relate to the rise of political parties. Students are asked to explore their own political philosophies and how those ideals encourage citizen involvement in the political movements of their respective countries.
Project Citizen
LESSON PLANS
7-day Plan for Implementing Project Citizen: Using Project Citizen as a framework, students identify a problem in their community and develop a proposal to address the problem. (Pamela Long, Eagle Point High School)
PowerPoint presentation: Introduction to the Project Citizen Program and the American political system. (Pamela Long, Eagle Point High School)
Student Rights
Street Law Supplement: Introduction to Law & the Legal System; Criminal Law & Juvenile Justice; Torts; Consumer & Housing Law; Family Law; Rights in the Community
Youth Faces the Law: A Juvenile Rights Handbook produced by the Multnomah County Bar Association.
Torts
CASE STUDIES
Friedrich v. Adesman: A nanny sued parents after slipping on ice that was intentionally spilled on floor by children. Although parents couldn’t be expected to exercise control over children in that situation (they weren’t there), they can be held liable for battery that is intentionally caused by the children.
Jefferson County School District v. Fair Dismissal Appeals Board: A teacher was fired when the police found her husband was growing and selling marijuana from their home. It deals with issues of negligence, employment law, and privacy.
Knepper v. Brown | Opinion: Knepper gets liposuction from a doctor who she found in the Yellow Pages. His ad said he was board certified when in fact he was not. She claims false advertising and fraud.
Viking v. Petersen: Petersen (age 19) drives a car, insured by Randle, and his passengers are killed in an accident. The insurance refuses to pay due to the driver’s age. Issues of liability insurance and freedom of contract.
Humbert v. Sellars: The plaintiff slipped and fell while at a friend’s apartment. The court finds the landlord liable for the plaintiff’s injuries.
Wylie v. Gresch: The plaintiffs rented an apartment from the defendant. Link http://login.findlaw.com/scripts/callaw A neighbor dog bit off the ear of the plaintiff’s daughter. The defendants failed to warn them about the vicious dog. The court said the defendant did not have a duty to warn them.
Austria v. Bike Athletic Co: A products liability case in which a boy is injured when his football helmet is defective.
Solberg v. Johnson: Two friends go out and buy each other drinks. Later they are in a car accident. The friend is found to be a social host.
Lewis v. Oregon Beauty Supply Co: Plaintiff was harassed by her employer and she sued under intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Mosley v. Portland Public Schools: A student at Jefferson High is stabbed by another student. She sues the district for negligence.
Fearing v. Bucher | Opinion: A priest in Portland sexually abuses a boy. The boy sues the Archdiocese, his employer, for vicarious liability.
We the People Program
LESSON PLANS
3-month Plan for Implementing We the People Curriculum: Students will learn about the development of our democracy, from the British colonies to the creation of our current system. (Linda Saling, Eagle Rock Elementary School)
4-week Unit Plan on American Government: Using the We the People curriculum, students are introduced to the founding dialogues and documents of American government, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitutional Convention. Students will create a comprehensive “foldable” Guide to American Government to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts and vocabulary. Other resources: Unit test, study guide, vocabulary activity, “Birth of America” timeline activity, example of completed “foldable” (Deanna Bellin, Briggs Middle School)
10-month Comprehensive Plan for WTP Implementation: Includes detailed lesson plans and student assessment templates. Other resources: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, student assessment templates (pre-test, post-test) (Tessalie Schulte & Holly Wilson, Rigler Elementary School)
All Aboard…WTP Hearing Train: Getting on track for a modified simulated congressional hearing. Includes lesson plans and materials.
Youth Summit Program
2012 – Presidential Election Lessons
View the 2012 Presidential Election lessons.2011 – Words Matter: Limits on Free Speech
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3A | Lesson 3B | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5 | Background Material | Youth Summit Packet
These lessons engage middle school students on arguably the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment. Lessons range from the history of America’s love affair with free speech to current limits on student speech in school to speech in other countries.2010 – Elections 2010
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5
Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9
These lessons are focused on the gubernatorial and senate races. Students learn about the offices, the candidates, and tips for sorting through the issues.2009 – Democracy & What’s News: What’s a Citizen To Do?
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5
Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9 | Lesson 10
Newsrooms, cybernews, journalism, citizen journalists. Students explore the connections between democracy, the news, and the role of citizens. Lessons range from the historical roots of free press to new social media.2008 – Selecting the Next President: What Questions Should We Ask?
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5
Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9 | Lesson 10
Citizens need to ask important questions about the entire election process in order to fulfill their role in our representative democracy. The who, what, where, when, why, and how queries are the common denominator of our efforts to learn together.2007 – How does a “nation of immigrants” balance the benefits and the challenges of immigration in 2007?
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4
Lesson 5 | Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9
Lessons span history and move forward to current controversies. Students will have opportunities to learn about immigration trends, law and policy, and economic factors.2006 – Ballot Initiatives: Too Much or Too Little Democracy?
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4
Lesson 5 | Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8
Lessons include background on the history of initiatives in Oregon, the pros and cons of the process, the role of funding and the ten initiatives appearing on the November ballot.2005 – Selecting the Next U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5
Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9 | Lesson 10
Lessons on important issues to consider when selecting the next justice of the United States Supreme Court.2004 – Becoming an Informed Voter in the Presidential Election
Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5
Lesson 6 | Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 | Lesson 9 | Lesson 10
Lessons focus on how to be well-informed when considering this year’s presidential election.