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Course Standards
General Course Information and Notes
General Notes
M/J Law Studies – The social studies curriculum for this course consists of the following content area strands: Geography, Civics and Government. The primary content for this course pertains to the principles, functions, and organization of the American legal system. The content should include, but not be limited to, the purpose of law, the role of citizens, the impact of laws on the lives of citizens, civil and criminal laws, fundamental civil and criminal justice procedures, causes and effects of crime, consumer and family law, comparison of adult and juvenile justice systems, and career opportunities in the legal system. Students will study methods of historical inquiry and primary and secondary historical documents.
Instructional Practices
Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students' content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any reason. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning:
- Reading assignments from longer text passages as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
- Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
- Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
- Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
- Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).
Florida’s Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards
This course includes Florida’s B.E.S.T. ELA Expectations (EE) and Mathematical Thinking and Reasoning Standards (MTRs) for students. Florida educators should intentionally embed these standards within the content and their instruction as applicable. For guidance on the implementation of the EEs and MTRs, please visit https://www.cpalms.org/Standards/BEST_Standards.aspx and select the appropriate B.E.S.T. Standards package.
English Language Development ELD Standards Special Notes Section:
Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate information, ideas and concepts for academic success in the content area of Social Studies. For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success. The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL’s need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/ss.pdf
General Information
- Class Size Core Required
Educator Certifications
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
In Part 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the impeachment process detailed in the U.S. Constitution, including what it is, who can be impeached, why someone would be impeached, and some famous examples of impeachment in action.
This is Part 2 in a two-part series. Click HERE to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In Part 1 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the impeachment process detailed in the U.S. Constitution, including what it is, who can be impeached, why someone would be impeached, and a bit about the process.
This is Part 1 in a two-part series. Click HERE to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, unlock the language of propaganda and learn about bias and symbolism in political propaganda.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn about the famous Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison, which established the principle of judicial review. You'll examine the details of the case and its important legacy in American history.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, explore several landmark cases of the Supreme Court to see how the Court's decisions have impacted the rights of individuals and society throughout American history.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial hosted by "Bill" O. Rights, learn in great detail about the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, you'll examine the powers and workings of the three branches of our federal government. You'll learn what Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court really do. Enjoy!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, explore the impact of federal, state, and local governments on your daily life.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, explore the state government of Florida and learn how its three branches are modeled after those in the federal government.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, you'll identify the impacts of individuals, interest groups, and the media on monitoring and influencing the government of the United States.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn about six important amendments to the U.S. Constitution. These amendments ended slavery, ensured equal rights for all citizens, and guaranteed voting rights to women, African Americans, and other minority groups.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn about one of the most important principles in American democracy: rule of law. You'll explore this important concept and learn about its application to a famous Supreme Court decision: United States v. Nixon.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn how to evaluate candidates running for political office. You'll play the role of a voter choosing between two candidates running for mayor of your town!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn about the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of American citizenship.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, analyze all 10 Amendments that make up the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution. You'll learn not only about the rights and freedoms guaranteed by each, but also the limits of those rights.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
This interactive tutorial will help you answer the questions: What can individuals do on their own to make change? When can your government help you? To which government can you turn? Learn about responsible citizenship and how you might make positive changes in your own community.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, explore the sources and types of laws in the American legal system.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, explore the similarities and differences between the federal Constitution of the United States and the state Constitution of Florida. You'll also learn about our system of federalism and how it is expressed in these Constitutions.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
This interactive tutorial teaches you all about the process of amending (changing) the United States Constitution.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how to analyze the ideas, grievances (complaints), and language found in the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents in the history of the United States.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the different levels of our federal judicial system, from federal district courts all the way up to the one and only Supreme Court. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also learn about the landmark Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, which set an important precedent for students' right to free speech in schools.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn how the decisions of the United States Supreme Court have affected the equal rights of Americans. You'll learn the outcomes and impacts of two famous cases: Plessy vs. Ferguson and Brown vs. Board of Education.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how several famous documents influenced the views of American colonists when they sought their independence from Great Britain and formed their own government. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn about the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
In this interactive tutorial, learn how a bill becomes a law. You will see how bills (ideas for laws) are passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, and you'll learn how all three branches of government play a role in determining the laws of our land.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
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