LRE Workshops

To schedule a workshop, please contact:
Jan L. Miller
LRE Director
State Bar of Texas
P.O. Box 12487
Austin, Texas 78711-2487
(512) 427-1821 or 1-800-204-2222, ext. 1821
jmiller@texasbar.com

All LRE workshops emphasize the TEKS/TAKS for Social Studies.  Elements of the State Bar of Texas Law-Related Education program and other major training opportunities will be discussed.  Extensions for GT/AP will be provided.  Workshops may be designed for three or six hours, unless otherwise noted.

1. THE BILL OF RIGHTS
Activities will be presented that will increase students’ understanding of principles and protections provided by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Participants will utilize strategies that encourage higher level thinking, decision-making skills, and citizenship education.  (MS/HS)

2. TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT CITIZENSHIP
Basic concepts such as the need for rules and laws, characteristics of good citizenship, respect for authority, belief in justice, truth, and responsibility as well as understanding symbols that represent American ideals will be covered.  Participants will receive hands-on, interactive activities that promote creative and critical thinking skills, opportunities for decision-making and cooperative interaction.  Materials are Social Studies and Language Arts TEKS correlated and include Gifted/Talented extensions.  (K-2)  (3-5)

3. CELEBRATING THE CONSTITUTION
This workshop is designed to meet the guidelines set forth in the federal law for Constitution Day, as well as the Texas guidelines for Celebrate Freedom week. Teachers will receive engaging activities to help achieve the intent of the laws.  Two to three hour workshop.  (K-12)

4. CITY GOVERNMENT SIMULATION FOR THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM
Make city government come alive in your classroom!  Participants will receive a city government unit that includes activities for establishing a city government structure in the classroom and simulations such as electing government officials and conducting city council meetings. Students will even create a new city based on planning and zoning principles, incorporating knowledge of the services commonly provided by local governments. (3-5)

5. CONSTITUTION, CONFLICT, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Secondary social studies teachers will investigate steps in the criminal justice system from the time a crime is committed to the punishment and appellate stage.  Current and landmark Supreme Court cases will be analyzed.  Participants will receive activities that utilize strategies which promote critical thinking and decision-making skills, as well as focus on current issues.  (MS/HS)

7. FREE PRESS v. FAIR TRIAL:  RIGHTS IN CONFLICT—FIRST AND SIXTH AMENDMENTS
This workshop highlights the curriculum Free Press v. Fair Trial by examining the history of the jury system, as well as how the media can affect the outcome of a trial.  Critical thinking strategies are emphasized.  (MS/HS)

8. LONE STAR JUSTICE
The curriculum guide Lone Star Justice will be the focus of this session.   Lessons from the guide will be demonstrated which promote critical thinking and in the teaching of Texas history. (4th & 7th)

9. MAN’S STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Beginning with the ancient world and continuing to modern times, the evolution of law and justice will be investigated.  Teachers will examine ways to integrate TAKS objectives into the study of world history.  (MS/HS)

10. MOCK TRIALS IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM
Using mock trials in the elementary classroom develops citizenship, communication, and critical thinking skills, while creating a greater understanding of one of our most basic rights—the right to trial by jury. The strategies outlined in this workshop give students an understanding of our court system as well as the rights and responsibilities of our judiciary. Participants will learn how to implement a mock trial and receive lesson plans as well as a scripted mock trial for classroom use.  (3-5)

11.  ORDER IN THE COURT!
Demonstrated in this workshop are step-by-step procedures for using mock trials in classroom instruction.  Included are strategies for teaching the jury system, trial procedures, and the history of the adversary system. (MS/HS)

12. ORDINARY PEOPLE—EXTRAORDINARY CITIZENS
Teaching your students about the numerous historic figures covered in the TEKS just got easier!  Participants in this session will receive social studies lessons that will enhance the teaching of the noted historic figures, inventors, and good citizens covered in the elementary curriculum.  Activities contain interactive teaching strategies and games to foster critical and creative thinking skills, problem-solving, and research.  (K-5)

13.  PICK TWELVE:  THE AMERICAN JURY SYSTEM      
Teachers will explore the roots of the jury system as well as its evolution into the modern courtroom.  The culminating activity will be an interactive computerized jury game.  Two or three hour workshop.  (4 & 5, MS/HS)

PROJECT CITIZEN*

14. Project Citizen is a civic education program for middle school students that promotes competent and responsible participation in state and local government. It actively engages students in learning how to monitor and influence public policy and encourages civic participation among students, their parents, and members of the community.  As a class project, students work together to identify and study a public policy issue, eventually developing an action plan for implementing their policy. The final product is a portfolio displaying each group’s work. Teachers who attend the training will receive a class set of the student guides and detailed instructions on how to conduct this program in their classrooms.  (5-8)

15.  THE SUPREME COURT AND TAKS
This session will address all cases listed in the TAKS objectives.  Copies of case summaries will be provided, as well as activities to assist teachers in presenting the key ideas of these landmark cases.  (HS) 

16.   THE SUPREME COURT IS NOW IN SESSION!
Teachers will receive background information on the Supreme Court.  Topics will include justices, operation of the Court, and recent Supreme Court decisions that affect the United States constitutional system of government.  Activities, strategies, and content support higher level thinking and current TEKS/TAKS objectives.  (HS)

17.  TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
Social studies activities involving primary source materials, charts, graphs and political cartoons are demonstrated in this workshop.  These activities develop critical thinking skills such as generalizations, inferences, analysis of information and decision-making as described in the TEKS objectives. This workshop may be tailored, upon request, to specific social studies content areas.  (6-12)

18.   TAKS AND LRE     
This session will demonstrate benefits of using LRE activities when preparing students for the exam. Lessons are designed to help students achieve success on Objectives 1 & 4 of the TAKS test.  (8th, 10th and/or 11th Grade)

19. BOOK IT! USING CHILDREN’S LITERATURE TO TEACH LAW AND CITIZENSHIP
Children’s literature offers a great avenue through which to teach students to be good citizens. Developing the core values of justice, respect for authority, truth, equality, and conflict resolution is integral to the social studies experience. Teachers in this workshop will participate in TEKS correlated teaching activities based on children's literature which require critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. The books and complimentary activities link social studies with reading, language arts, and other content areas. (3-5)

20.  WE THE PEOPLE…  THE CITIZEN AND THE CONSTITUTION*
Teachers will be introduced to a social studies curriculum which emphasizes critical thinking, cooperative learning, and problem solving.  Participants will be shown how to integrate the We the People. . . curriculum into their existing curriculum.  Unique to this workshop is the culminating activity which will enable participants to conduct a congressional hearing in their own classroom.  (5th, 8th, U.S. History, U. S. Government)

21.  WHAT IS LAW-RELATED EDUCATION?
Exposure to all elements of the State Bar of Texas Law-Related Education program, including national LRE programs, will be the focus of this workshop.  LRE materials and strategies will be demonstrated.  This workshop is a must for school districts interested in providing teachers with quality staff development training.    (K-12)

* Grant Program