Adams Center Justice System Education Activities

The Adams Center joins in the effort to improve justice system education in our nation's schools.

The Adams Center will again hold a three day, residential summer institute, funded by the Foundation for the Advancement of an Independent Judiciary and the Rule of Law, for middle and senior high school educators on June 23-25, 2009. The institute is designed to enrich the teachers' understanding of the judicial branch of government, allow them to consider instructional strategies for justice system education, and help them create units of study on the justice system that they will be able to incorporate into their classes and meet the unique learning needs of a diverse learning community. This will be the second effort by the Adams Center to contribute to the effort to improve justice system education in our nation's schools.

The teaching professionals who took part in the 2008-09 institute created lessons plans that will be incorporated into their classes this academic year. Below are examples of the exemplary work that was done and which visitors to this site may download and use in their own classrooms and share with other teaching professionals:

A Job for Life
Authored by Don Imler and Michael Rawlins, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania School District

2000 United States Census Law Lesson Plan
Authored by Edward Fitzgerald, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania School District

The 2008 summer institute was led by Nancy Peterson, a public school educator who teaches in the Gilbert, Iowa School District. The Foundation for the Advancement of an Independent Judiciary and the Rule of Law provided the Adams Center with financial support to engage Ms. Peterson to create a lesson plan that geared to Constitution Day, September 17th, although it would be a wonderful experience to expose students to at any time within the school year. The plan found below may be used by any visitor to our site and shared with other teaching professionals:

The Constitution on Trial
A Lesson Plan for Constitution Day authored by Nancy Peterson, Gilbert, Iowa School District

The Adams Center plans to continue making contributions in support of our junior and senior social studies teachers in the months and years ahead by holding similar institutes annually, the next in June, 2009; developing this website that shows the relevant Pennsylvania teaching standards, provides sample units of study on the justice system and links to other relevant websites, and gives notice of upcoming Adams Center programs for social studies teachers and education students preparing for a career as social studies teachers. Please consider applying for attendance at the 2009 Institute: 2009 Application_PDF