WELCOME! Please have a seat anywhere that’s open! Room A217 – Intro to Law

Welcome to Intro to Law

On Your Index Card: Your Name (First & Last) Your address (if you have one) Your parent’s/guardian’s first AND last name(s) Phone number of parent/guardian (home, work, or cell...please specify which) Your favorite movie and/or TV show about the law or legal process (if you have one) WHY did you decide to take this class??

Background Info: “Laws are not invented. They grow out of circumstances” – Anonymous Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking an in- depth look at how our legal system is set up and the individual rights and responsibilities that we as American citizens enjoy. We’re going to use several methods of learning to accomplish this goal, and the hope is that by the end of this course, you’ll have a better understanding of how the American legal systems works, how it has succeeded, and at times, how it is flawed.

Materials Needed For Class: -Textbook: Street Law: A Course in Practical Law 7 th Edition -3 ringed binder (for holding outlines & assignments) -writing implement (pen or pencil)

Grading Policy Grading As per the building grading policy, your grade will consist of 3 major parts: Summative Assessments, Formative Assessments, and Non- Academic Factors. The weighting is as follows: Summative – 70% Formative – 20% Non-Academic Factors– 10%

Grading (cont’d) Summative Assessments Summative Assessments are designed to assess what we have LEARNED during a particular section of the class. Summative assessments will be given in the form of Section Assessments and Unit Projects. Section Assessments will be worth between points and will be mainly multiple choice, matching, and short answer (basically like a quiz). Unit projects will be worth between points and will almost always be completed/presented DURING CLASS. You will be given plenty of notification/study guides/time to work on a summative assessment when we complete them.

Grading (cont’d) Formative Assessments Formative assessments mainly consist of practice/application of what we are working on day-to- day in class. A formative assessment could be a class activity, a reading/question assignment, a reflection on what we have discussed, a homework assignment, and so forth. Formative assessments are generally worth points per assignment. The main goals of these assessments are for us to practice what we are learning, to prepare for a summative assessment, and to provide feedback to you on your current level of understanding.

Grading (cont’d) Non-Academic Factors The final part of your grade is based on your own responsibility as a student. Everyone starts with a grade of 100% and it is left up to you to keep it this way. You do this by taking an active role in class, completing assignments when they are due, being on time, remembering your materials, acting is a courteous manner toward your peers/teacher, and so forth. Failure to live up to these standards will result in loss of points for your NAF grade.

Final Project Supreme Court Case Study Since there is no final exam for this course, part of your Marking Period Grade will be based on a Research & Reflection Paper that will be completed outside of class. You will be required to research, discuss, and evaluate a notable US Supreme Court Case from 1900 to present day. More detailed instructions on this final assessment paper will be given later on in this course. This paper is slated to be due on Friday June 12 th.

Units of Study Unit I – Introduction to the US Legal System Unit II – Criminal Law Unit III – Civil Actions and Lawsuits Unit IV – Constitutional Law

Class Procedures When you come into class, please take your seat and be ready to discuss and/or hand in any assignment that may have been given the previous day. If you are absent for any reason, you are responsible for making up the work that was completed in class as well as what may be assigned at home. Please send me an at if you have any questions about what you missed or you can check out the School Wires site for this class

Class Procedures (cont’d) -MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR NECESSARY MATERIALS WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN CLASS!! -Be respectful to others! If someone is speaking, student or teacher, allow that person to speak without interruption. There is plenty of time during class for everyone to share their opinions on whatever is in the process of being discussed.

Class Procedures (cont’d) If we have to evacuate the building due to a fire drill, our meeting place is the parking lot at the front of the school. In the case of an evacuation to Holicong, our class will meet in the Holicong Auxiliary Gym on the bleachers.