Adventures in Law and History Volume I: Native Americans, the Spanish Frontier, and the Gold Rush

This law and civic education curriculum for upper elementary grades allows students to learn about law and civic education through motivating, interactive lessons. It provides upper-elementary teachers with lessons set in American historical eras that introduce law-related concepts including the purpose and function of law, equal protection, and due process. Created in collaboration with elementary teachers, the curriculum provides role plays, simulations, readers theaters and other interactive methods to engage students in learning about history and law and to foster critical-thinking and cooperative-learning skills.

Each unit begins with an introductory lesson to provide students with historical background, followed by a sequence of lessons that send students on an imaginary voyage to the time period. Students will grapple with law-related issues as they encounter fictional and historical characters and events that require them to apply problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Each unit culminates with a lesson linking the historical and law-related content to the present and an activity providing an opportunity to engage youth in a service-learning project to build civic responsibility skills.