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Alabama Center
for Law & Civic Education
Catalog of Programs
The Alabama Center for Law & Civic Education is a statewide resource
and training center for topics related to:
· Civics and Government
· Law and Law-Related Education
· U.S. and Alabama History
· Violence and Drug Abuse Prevention
· Conflict Reduction
· Community Service Projects
Programs for Classroom Use
We The People ... The Citizen and the Constitution
... is a nationally acclaimed high school, middle school, and elementary
program focusing on the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution
and Bill of Rights. For high school grades, it is also a national competition
with local competitions at the district and state level.. We The People
is funded by the U.S. Congress and uses material developed by the Center
for Civic Education.
Grade Level: upper elementary, middle, and high school
Materials Cost: Book sets are distributed free to Alabama high schools agreeing
to participate in competition, and a limited number of free elementary and
middle school book sets are available annually for each congressional district.
Additional book sets can be purchased for $250 (high school), $150 (elementary),
and $160 (middle school).
(Note: research by Dr. Louis Smith at the University of West Alabama shows
a high level of correlation between We The People and SAT-9 test
content and objectives. A summary of specific grade-appropriate correlations
is available by calling the Center.)
We Can Work It Out!
... is a classroom or school-wide conflict-reduction program that engages
students in mediation training strategies to build personal conflict management
skills and develop critical thinking skills. Schools can also prepare teams
to participate in a state-level mediation showcase. We Can Work It Out!
materials were developed by the National Institute for Citizen Education
in the Law.
Grade Level: upper elementary (new) and middle/high school
Materials Cost: The Center has been selected by NICEL to pilot this program
statewide and a limited number of manuals are available to teachers who
agree to participate in the state mediation showcase. Additional copies
can be purchased for $40. The manual is a 132-page teachers guide with background
information, lesson plans, sample conflict scenarios, and reproducible student
handouts.
Project Citizen
... is a middle school enrichment program to teach community problem
identification and cooperative problem solving. Students work in teams to
identify a public policy issue and to develop workable plans for addressing
related local community needs. Project Citizen classes develop a
portfolio which they can submit for competition at the state and national
level, and the program actively encourages interaction among students, their
parents, and members of the community. Project Citizen is sponsored
by the National Conference of State Legislatures and uses materials developed
by the Center for Civic Education.
Grade Level: grades 6-9
Materials Cost: The Center has been designated as a pilot site for this
program and a limited number of book sets are available at no cost for schools
agreeing to participate in the portfolio competition. Additional book sets
can be purchased for $150.
The Conflict Zoo
... is a conflict reduction and problem solving program designed specifically
for elementary students that can be used in schools or by youth groups,
church youth organizations, or in community settings. Animal characters
learn to work together to build a community and use conflict creatively.
Developed by the National Institute for Citizen Education in the Law.
Grade Level: grades 3-4
Materials Costs: Available Fall, 1997. Call for pricing information.
Street Law
... is both a curriculum in practical law for students and a Center-developed
program to train law students and legal professionals as classroom enrichment
volunteers. It can be used as a course supplement for civics and government
classes or as a formal year-long elective at the high school level. The
high school text was developed by the National Institute for Citizen Education
in the Law and includes case studies and role-play scenarios dealing with
criminal law, torts, consumer, family, and housing law as well as individual
rights.
Grade Level: K-12 as curriculum supplementary materials; high
school course elective
Materials Cost: $35 per high school textbook (5th ed.). Call the Center
for information on materials available for other grade levels. The Center
maintains a large collection of lesson plans and other materials that are
available at low or no cost and can also recommend texts or lesson plan
sets available for a variety of grade levels.
Law in a Free Society / Foundations of Democracy
... is a grade-appropriate multidisciplinary curriculum based on four concepts
fundamental to an understanding of politics and government: authority, privacy,
responsibility, and justice. These materials focus on personal, school,
and community issues while helping students to understand the roles of local,
state, and national government. Developed by the Center for Civic Education.
Grade Level: grades K-3, 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12
Materials Cost: $150 (K-3), $180 (3-5), and $300 (6-9 and 10-12) per book
set.
Violence in the Schools and Drugs in the Schools
... are components of the "Exercises in Participation" interdisciplinary
curriculum in which students examine an important current problem in a hypothetical
middle school. Students work cooperatively to develop a plan to deal with
the problem. Developed by the Center for Civic Education to meet the requirements
of the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Community program.
Grade level: Middle School
Materials Cost: $100 (Drugs) and $150 (Violence) per book set
Teens, Crime and the Community
... is an excellent 11-lesson curriculum that leads students to examine
the role of crime and its effect on their lives and their community, covering
drugs and alcohol, gangs, handguns and violent crime, vandalism, shoplifting,
drunk driving, conflict management, and crime prevention. The lesson plans
are structured so that they can be used individually or as a formal curriculum.
TCC materials can also be used to guide students in service-learning projects
in their schools or communities. Developed by the National Institute for
Citizen Education in the Law and the National Crime Prevention Council.
Grade Level: grades 8-12
Materials Cost: 3rd edition available September 1997. Call for pricing information.
and others ...
The Center staff has access to an extensive collection of classroom
programs and curriculum materials and can help teachers and community educators
design specialized or site-specific programs. Many of the programs listed
here can also be adapted for use by after-school programs, youth groups,
church youth organizations, and in other community settings.
Special Projects & State Programs
for Students
"We The People" Mock Congressional Hearings
U.S. congressional district, state, and national competition in which
high-school students participate in mock congressional hearings, with each
team preparing a formal four-minute presentation and responding to follow-up
questions by judges. Based on the We The People curriculum in Constitutional
law and history (see above).
"Project Citizen" Portfolio Competition
Middle-school (grades 6-9) state and national competition of portfolios
developed by teams participating in the Project Citizen program (see
above).
"We Can Work It Out!" Mediation Showcase
State student mediation skills demonstrations, showcase, and critique
for schools participating in the We Can Work It Out! program (see
above).
Kids in Action: Community Service Learning
The Center will assist schools that wish to develop community service
learning programs. This will often be an opportunity for students to implement
the action plans they have developed while participating in Project Citizen
activities (see above) but is not limited to
that program.
Teen Jury
High school student teams serve each semester as jurors for the formal
mock trials by Cumberland School of Law students. This is an evening program
that does not require students or teachers to arrange classroom leave time.
Alabama Youth Summit
Annual statewide meeting of high school, middle school, and elementary
school students and teachers to address youth issues related to government,
public policy, and pending legislation. Scheduled each year for May 1 --
Law Day.
Programs for Teachers &
Community Leaders
"Educating for Citizenship" Statewide Annual Conference
Annual conference on law-related education for teachers and counselors,
school administrators and central office personnel, law enforcement and
juvenile justice personnel, attorneys, and other community leaders. Normally
held during February in Birmingham.
Teacher Training Workshops
The Center regularly provides teacher training in law-related education,
civics and government, conflict reduction skills, and other related subjects
at sites throughout the state. These workshops can be either Center-sponsored
or specific for a particular school or school system. The Center tries to
conduct at least one local teacher training workshop annually in each congressional
district, usually during the late summer and early fall. Additional local
workshops, or workshops focused on specific special topics, are scheduled
at other times throughout the year. To receive schedule information, or
to arrange local or specialized workshops, contact the Center. The Center
can also recommend local teachers who have been trained in Center programs
for local workshops, consulting, and program assistance.
School Law Institute
The Center cooperates with the Samford University School of Education
to offer specialized training in school law for classroom teachers, counselors,
school board members, superintendents, central office personnel, principals,
and other school system employees. Topics are student-centered, ranging
from inclusion to search and seizure.
Alabama Constitution Institute
Alabama has the longest and most amended Constitution of any state in
the country, and in less than five years the 1901 Alabama Constitution will
celebrate its centennial. The Center offers specialized training on the
Alabama Constitution for Alabama history teachers, other educators, and
community leaders.
Community and Resource Development
Alabama Violence Prevention Consortium
The Center is the coordination and resource clearinghouse for the Alabama
Violence Prevention Consortium, an open-membership statewide consortium
of schools, school systems, government agencies, non-profit organizations,
and concerned individuals involved in violence and drug abuse prevention.
The consortium currently represents more than sixty such organizations statewide.
Resource Center
The Center has an extensive collection of textbooks, lesson plans, audio-visual
materials, and research reports that are available for examination at its
resource center at Cumberland School of Law on the Samford University campus
in Birmingham. In many cases, these materials can also be provided to teachers
by mail or fax. Center staff can be reached toll-free by phone from throughout
the state, and the Center is in the process of developing a website and
email service that will make many of these materials available to any school
or individual with an internet connection.
"Training of Trainers" Program
The Center has developed a statewide network of teachers experienced
in law-related education and provides advanced training to continue their
professional development as trainers. The Center also provides specialized
training for volunteer lawyers, law students, and other legal professionals
who have expressed interest in serving as a local resource person for teachers,
other educators, and community leaders.
LRE Review
LRE Review is the Center's newsletter for information on Center
activities, profiles of outstanding programs and individuals, program announcements,
and other information on law-related education.
Materials Preparation
The Center has been actively developing Alabama-specific materials for
use in classrooms and community programs. Among the work presently available
are a 90-minute videotape, "We Dare Defend Our Rights," featuring
contemporary Alabamians who have played significant roles in national Bill
of Rights issues; a series of television public-service announcements, "Alabama
Law: At Work for You," featuring leaders in the Alabama legal community;
materials on the Alabama Constitution and on Alabama school law; and other
localized teaching materials. A student handbook, "Play by The Rules,"
on Alabama law and juvenile rights and responsibilities is currently in
development.
"Youth For Justice" Program
The Center cooperates with many national agencies, materials centers,
and LRE information clearinghouses, including the U.S. Department of Justice,
the Center for Civic Education, the National Institute for Citizen Education
in the Law, the American Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity,
the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and other similar organizations. These
organizations provide national training for Center staff and trainers and
provide a network for the development and coordination of law-related education
activities nationally.
The Alabama Center for Law & Civic Education is able
to provide these services because of generous support from the Alabama Legislature
through the State Department of Education and the Department of Youth Services,
from the U.S. Department of Justice and national LRE organizations, from
the Alabama Law Foundation, from private donors and foundations, and from
the considerable in-kind support of Cumberland School of Law and the many
volunteers statewide who support and contribute to the Center's programs.
The Alabama Center for Law & Civic Education is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. Contributions to the Center are tax-deductible.
Additional information is available:
Alabama Center for Law & Civic Education
c/o Cumberland School of Law
800 Lakeshore Drive
Birmingham, AL 35229
phone (205) 870-2433, (800) 888-7301
fax (205) 870-2459
email wadeblack@mindspring.com
(temporary address)
When completed, this site will move to Alalink,
the internet site of the Alabama Supreme Court and State Law Library. Some
Center information and sample lesson plans are already available there.
Check them out and watch for much more to come!
This is a work in progress. #8->
Return to Alabama Center for Law & Civic Education
or jump to the Center's Links
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or to the Alabama CivicNet proposal/FAQ
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and Substance Abuse Prevention
Send comments to wadeblack@mindspring.com
This page revised May, 1997. Copyright © 1996-97 L. Wade Black. All
rights reserved.