CROSS CURRICULAR
APPROACHES TO
TEACHING LAW AND
CIVICS
Christina Ganev
East York C.I.
Toronto District School Board
Contact: christina.ganev@tdsb.on.ca
Agenda
•
•
•
•
Assessment
Enrichment
Practical teaching strategies and activities
Having fun and inspiring students!
LAW - ASSESSMENT
• Music and the Law
• Newspaper Scrapbook assignment
• CCLA Charter Essay Contest
• Mock Trial – OJEN
LAW – ASSESSMENT
• Technology – Facebook assignment
• Technology – follow news sources on
Twitter and write weekly/monthly journals
LAW – ENRICHMENT
GUEST SPEAKERS
• CCLA – guest speakers “That’s not fair”
• Ontario Justice Education Network – adopt
a lawyer program
• Corrections Canada – guest speakers
LAW - ENRICHMENT
• Courthouse tours
• Virtual courtroom tours at
www.courtprep.ca
WORKPLACE LAW
• Organize a Career Day – careers in law
requiring highschool or college diplomas
• Book the computer lab once per week to
complete a scavenger hunt on the law
CIVICS – ASSESSMENT
• Try these tips to reduce failure rates:
– Reduce the number of tests/quizzes
– Rewrite quiz until a mark of 70% is achieved
– Offer choice with every assignment
– Eliminate the exam
– Have theme days
– Use relevant technology whenever possible
– Class project
– Pair up senior students with Civics class – mock
election, presentations, mentorship, peer tutors
CIVICS - ASSESSMENT
• Newspaper presentation assignment
• Choice (differentiated instruction)
• Straw tower activity
• Simulations (mock election, trial, town hall meeting)
• Four corners debate
• Social media – Twitter and the news
CIVICS - ENRICHMENT
• Think Literacy (prep for OSSLT, graphic organizers)
• Weekly News/Classroom Ready
• What in the World
• Metro (free) or Toronto Star or computer lab – once a
week
CIVICS - ENRICHMENT
• Smart Ideas (concept mapping)
• Toondoo.com (make your own comic strip) or Bitstrips
(TDSB licensed)
• City of Toronto website
• Courtprep.ca – virtual tour of a courtroom
CIVICS – ENRICHMENT
GUEST SPEAKERS
• Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) –
speakers re. equality rights in the Charter (case studies)
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) – speakers
re. fairness of the law (case studies)
• Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) – lawyers
and law students
• Fair Vote Canada – PR vs. FPTP lessons plans
CIVICS – ENRICHMENT
GUEST SPEAKERS
• Newspapers – journalists
• Local police station – police officers and parole officers
• Invite a new immigrant
• Holocaust survivors
• War vets
• City Councilor, MP, MPP – all at the same time!
Enrichment – Free Resources!
• Student Vote – full mock election packages , online tools, complete
support to run a parallel election, resources in between elections
• Elections Canada – posters, riding maps, visual aids for decorating
the classroom
• OERB – teaching resources by other teachers
• Parliament of Canada – lots of free resources, class set of “Our
Country, Our Parliament”
• “Welcome to Canada” – free class set of books on immigration
Instructional Strategies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fold the line
Four corners
Graphic organizers (2 handouts)
Placemat
Graffiti
Pass it on
Snowball
Completion Chart
Fun!
(How to get them to come to class
– and on time!)
• Fun daily activities
– Media Monday
– Trivia Tuesday
– Question Thursday
– Funny Friday
• Make up competitions weekly