Society Domains

Society Dominos Judy A. Nugent
Woodlawn Elementary School
Sebring, FL
89028

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the six victims of a crime. The students role play characters in the scenario and relate feelings as the scene develops. Students use brainstorming and role playing strategies to increase vocabulary and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizens and their actions in society.

TOPIC: Victims of a Crime

The six victims of any crime are:

the victim
the victim’s family and friends
the lawbreaker
the lawbreaker’s family and friends
all taxpayers
everyone in the community affected by fear as a result of the crime

OBJECTIVES: The student will:

participate in a role playing activity
increase law related vocabulary
increase awareness of rights and responsibilities of citizens
apply knowledge of law to situations
cause and effect relationship
state how laws affect the individual
draw conclusions about characters or events

MATERIALS:

index cards or sentence strips for name cards

cards should have names listed: victim, victim’s father, victim’s mother, victim’s sister, victim’s brother, victim’s friend, lawbreaker, lawbreaker’s father, lawbreaker’s mother, lawbreaker’s sister, lawbreaker’s brother, taxpayers, children, older citizens, etc. until all students are included

Dominos or other such blocks
chalkboard or overhead projector

TIME: 20-45 minutes

PROCEDURE: The teacher will have the dominos arranged on a display area so students can readily see the result of the domino effect once the first one falls. The teacher can elicit a discussion of the effects objects have on each other. Carry the discussion over to persons.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Do people’s actions have any effect on others?
Should we be allowed to do anything we want to do?
Do rules apply to everyone?
Why should we be concerned about others?

Distribute cards with names on them. Describe a situation readily understood by the students as shoplifting. Ask the lawbreaker to role play his crime. (Student with the "lawbreaker card" will come to the front of the room and role play his crime.) The victim can then explain his/her feelings. The role playing situation can then include the arrest and the members of the families joining in the circle of involvement. The families and friends of the two main players can share their feelings. (embarrassed, ashamed, afraid, rejected, shunned by others, etc.) The scene can then span out to the taxpayers who must pay the bill for the legal fees involved in all the law enforcement support required for the handling of this crime. A further circle of involvement would then include the rest of society. After all the members of the class or society have been involved, they may return to their seats. A discussion of feelings can then be carried on. A diagram on separate sheet can be drawn on the board or the overhead projector reinforcing the concept of victims. Students can the brainstorm rationale behind laws and rights and responsibilities. This discussion can serve as, a review for vocabulary words and concepts presented, reinforcing rights and responsibilities of citizens.

TOPIC FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION: Reversing the situation to a positive action would have the same domino effect but with a positive result. Expand this idea. Invite a guest businessman to give his views on shoplifting. Follow up with a question/answer period.

RESOURCES:

Kelly, Clifton M. & Rill, Sherman P. (1982). Teach Your Child the Consequence of Crime, 19, 241-248.

VOCABULARY:

ARRESTED - To take away a person’s liberty by legal authority

COMMUNITY – A group of people living in the same location who have common interests

COURT – A place where justice is administered

CRIME – Acts that violate society’s law

CRIMINAL – A person who has been found guilty of having broken one or more of society’s laws

DAMAGE – Injury or harm to a person or thing that results in a loss of soundness or value

INFORMATION – A document file in court by a prosecutor accusing someone of having committed a crime

INTENTIONAL – Something that is done on purpose

JUDGE – A person who manages a court

JURY – Members of the community who, in criminal cases, decide in court whether a defendant is guilty or innocent of having broken a criminal law

JUSTICE – Fairness

LAW – Rules that are made by the government to tell people what they must do or must not do

LAWBREAKER – A person who breaks society’s law

OFFENDER – A person who breaks society’s law

RESPONSIBILITY – A duty or obligation

RIGHT – A privilege or an opportunity granted by law, justice, or morality

SELF-CONTROL – The ability to regulate one’s own actions

SOCIETY – A group of people whose members share the same interests

VICTIM – A person who has been made to suffer because of a crime

WILLFUL – On purpose, not by accident