Author:
Eve Donohoe
Subject:
English Language Arts, Reading Literature
Material Type:
Activity/Lab
Level:
High School
Tags:
  • Grade 12 ELA
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English

    Survey Discussion On Law & Justice

    Survey Discussion On Law & Justice

    Overview

    In this lesson, students will take a survey about justice and the law and discuss the results. They will examine any new thinking or questions that have arisen after the survey results are shared.

    Justice: Take a Stand

    • Explain to students how Justice: Take a Stand works:
      • ✓ Each of the statements anticipates ideas and issues in their study for this unit.
      • ✓ Students should read each statement and mark a score to show whether they agree and how much.
    • Informally poll students on their responses.
    • After students share their responses with partners, facilitate a Whole Group Discussion.
      • SWD: Consider pairing struggling students with more proficient readers. Discussions with the proficient reader may spark ideas for students with disabilities.
      • ELL: Be sure that students are actively engaging with their partner, and allow them to use their native language, should they wish to, if they are paired with a student who speaks the same language.
    • On those items where students are in disagreement with each other on their scores, facilitate a discussion, encouraging students to explain their scores and support their opinions with evidence, examples, and reasons.

    Opening

    Take a survey.

    • Complete Justice: Take a Stand and submit your responses.
    • Find a partner and discuss why you responded to the statements as you did.
    • Then discuss the survey with your classmates. Support your opinions with evidence, examples, and reasons.

    Survey: Views on Justice

    Fill out the attatched survey a with your feelings about the statements provided. Think carefully about your stance. When finished, we will compare our responses and discuss our differences.

    Answer the following questions completely and thoughtfully:

    1. Which of the statements were you most inclined to rethink after hearing a classmate's reasoning for their differing opinion.

    2. Choose one statement and explain a hypothetical scenario where you might accept the opposite opinion. For example, if I "strongly agree" that it is important to follow the law, I might disagree if, hypothetically, a law required me to discriminate against someone based on skin color.

    3.  By which of the statements were you most surprised at the response of your peers? If you were not surprised by their responses, in which statement do you differ most with your peers?