Daniel Tanoos
Elementary School Principal
Terre Haute, Indiana
89010

The role of the Administrator in implementing law-related education is essential to how effective the program will operate in the elementary school.

Law-related education is alive and working in the Vigo County School Corporation due to the work of key people within the school system. Two schools, Greenwood and Davis Park Elementary, were chosen as pilot schools for implementing LRE during the 198~86 school year. The Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, the two principals, and three trained LRE teachers formed a committee to work on planning LRE for their two schools.

Committee meetings were held to discuss how to in-service teachers at the two schools on LRE, how to spend grant money from the Indiana Criminal Justice Planning Agency, and how to involve community resources in our quest to make law education a success.

In-service sessions were held at both elementary schools with the committee presenting the law kits from Law in a Free Society, Calabasas, California that were purchased with the grant money.

A Saturday meeting was held for all staff members from both schools and central office personnel. Teachers received a $40 stipend for attending this workshop. Teachers who attended received appropriate Law In A Free Society kits for their classrooms. Lunch was provided by the Law Wives Organization.

If the central office personnel and school principal take charge of the LRE program, and present the information in a positive fashion, staff will be supportive of the ideas. The administration must paint a positive picture of the program and this attitude will be contagious to staff.

The following list contains many of the activities dealing with LRE that took place in the classroom.

First Grade Level

• LRE kits used--Responsibility, Justice, Privacy
• Stories were written.
• Pictures were drawn to illustrate experiences related to the LRE concepts.
• Children wrote rules to try and prevent problems from happening. Children explained a responsibility that each of their family members have. Children role played various acts of responsibility.

Second Grade Level

• LRE kits used--Justice and Responsibility.
• Children wrote stories.
• Children discussed justice and how it affects our lives.
• Children wrote paragraphs describing personal responsibilities and how they carry them out.
• Children drew pictures to illustrate their various
• responsibilities. Children made books to show what classroom responsibilities they need to be working on.
• School personnel came into classrooms to explain what their responsibilities are at school.

Third Grade Level

• LRE Kits used--Responsibility
• Discussions were held about responsibility and how it affects our lives.

Same as above Fifth Grade Level

• LRE kits used--Authority
• Children engaged in role playing activities.
• Children wrote stories regarding personal experiences with types of authority Children wrote stories to explain what would happen in various situations. Children participated in a sample lesson presented at a P.T.O. meeting.

• LRE kits used--Authority and Responsibility