Patricia Jarvis
Elementary School Teacher
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
89005
PURPOSE: The main purpose of this activity is dual in nature. Primarily it is being developed to expose students to individuals involved in law-related professions. The second reason is to provide teachers with a law unit incorporating the use of video taping equipment.
GRADE LEVEL: All of the activities and learning experiences relating to this particular project are geared to a fourth grade class. However, the research and interview skills, writing activities, worksheets, and teacher made games incorporated into this project can easily be adapted to a fifth and sixth grade level.
GOALS:
The interviews are conducted by a small group of students and take place in the classroom. The other students make up the audience. Enough guests should be invited in order to provide all of the children with an opportunity to do some interviewing. The taped interview should be approximately ten to fifteen minutes in length. The remaining time is spent in open classroom discussion. A guest speaker could be scheduled once per month. Prior to the actual classroom visit letters are sent out to the different guest speakers inviting them to participate in this project. When they have accepted and a schedule is set up each speaker will receive a copy of the students' questions.
The purpose of the taping is to accumulate a number of interviews and then edit them into a single program for classroom use. The tape is the main part of a law unit to be given to the School Department and the law-related project in your state.
TIME LINE:
The activity will take place during the entire school year. There should be one interview per month for approximately seven months. The actual interview should be between ten to fifteen minutes in length.
LIST OF LAW-RELATED PROFESSIONALS:
SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
What is the official title of your job, if any?
Could you please tell us how you got your position as ?
Do you use any special equipment in your type of work? If so, please explain some of them to us.
As a/an ___________, what type of schooling or training did you have to receive?
Does your profession require you to wear a uniform of some kind? How do you feel about your job?
Would you choose this profession again if you had the chance?
How does a person go about getting into a profession like yours? Did you have to take any type of special test to get your job? Was there anything special that made you decide to go into your profession?
How does your family feel about your career?
Does your career ever put you in any kind of danger? If so, could you please give us an example.
What has been the most interesting case that you have worked on?
If someone wanted to go into the same profession that you are in, what advice would you give this young person?
SPECIAL QUESTIONS FOR POLICE OFFICERS:
Did you ever have to shoot at anyone?
Have you ever arrested a child about our age? If so, why? Has there ever been a case where you were really afraid?
Have you ever been part of a high speed chase? If so, what does it feel like?
What are some of the different types of weapons you have used?
Did you ever have to do something you really did not want to do in your profession?
What is the difference between a motorcycle police officer and one who rides in a patrol car?
How does the police car work and what are some of the things in your car in which you use?
How do you go about catching a criminal?
After you have caught the criminal what do you do with him or her?
Have you ever worked on a case that had a happy ending?
Have you ever worked on a missing child case?
SPECIAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR JUDGE:
Are there any laws that a judge can enforce on his or her own?
As a judge can you decide what takes place in your courtroom?
Are there any laws which govern what goes on in your courtroom? If so, who made or makes these laws?
Are there any state laws which a judge must follow?
Are there any federal laws which a judge must follow?
Are there cases when no jury is needed and the judge makes all of the decisions?
Besides presiding over a courtroom, what other jobs or responsibilities does a judge have?
Can a person lose his or her position as a judge? What would be some reasons for this?
Who can appoint judges to the Bench?
Is there anyone who can overrule the decisions which you make in your courtroom?
Can a judge tell a lawyer that he is taking too much time in questioning a witness?
In family court, when can a child have his or her own lawyer and who pays for the lawyer's services?
Are there any particular problems in being a woman judge.
Can a judge exclude a person from serving on a jury?
As a family court judge is there anyone who can tell you what to do? Do you have a boss?
Could you please explain the terms, sustained, over-ruled?
What is meant by contempt of court and does it carry a punishment?
SPECIAL QUESTIONS FOR THE MAYOR OF THE CITY:
How does a mayor work with the members of a City Council?
Can a mayor veto a law in which the members of the City Council have passed? Please explain.
Can the mayor of a city ask the members of the City Council to pass a law that he or she feels is necessary? How would a mayor do this?
A mayor makes sure that the laws the City Council makes are carried out. What are some of the ways in which you can do this?
Are there laws in which tell a mayor of a city what he can do and what he cannot do?
Could you give us some examples please?
How does a mayor work with the state government?
How does a mayor work with the federal government?
Is there ever a time when either the state government or the federal government can tell a mayor of a city what to do?
Are there any times when the mayor can have complete control over the governing of a city? What types of emergencies would allow him to do this?
What are some of the legal powers held by a mayor if any?
As a mayor, what do you feel are your most important duties to the citizens of the city?
How can a mayor protect the citizens of his or her city?
As mayor of the city of ________________ , could you give us an idea of your typical day?
What are some suggestions you would give to the citizens of who wish to become more involved in the city's government?
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES: The major material needed by a teacher to do this activity is the video taping equipment.
The resources that a teacher will need in order to do a similar activity will be contact with law related professionals and the help of personnel from their media departments.
EVALUATION: This type of an activity evaluates itself as it proceeds. Since it is spread out over the entire school year, revisions can be made as it proceeds. The development of the questioning skills of the students can also be monitored as the year progresses.
The growth of the students' knowledge of the law can also be easily monitored. This type of an activity also lends itself to instant replay. The students and the teacher can critique the interview session simply by replaying the tape. In this way the activity has its own built in evaluation system.
EXPENDITURES:
The coverage of postage for the correspondence between the people involved in this activity.
The cost of the video tapes.