TAP Impact

Purpose and Types of Assessment

Pre-assessment regards what students know about a particular topic before the class

covers that topic. While it always takes place before a unit or lesson, pre-assessment can take a

variety of forms. The teacher could simply test a student’s prior knowledge with a quiz, or the

teacher might glean what students know by listening to their contributions in a small group or

whole class discussion. However the teacher conducts pre-assessment, it is fundamental that the

teacher examines students’ prior knowledge and uses it to guide teaching for the unit. While

trends present throughout the entire unit plan (he or she could tweak the unit to address students’

weaknesses or points of strong student interest), the teacher can also use individual pre-

assessments to differentiate instruction and help students in their individual strengths and

weaknesses by speeding up, slowing down, and generally enhancing instruction.

Throughout the instruction, the teacher should constantly conduct formative assessment.

Much of this assessment does not come with any paperwork, but simply consists of the teacher

conducting checks throughout the lesson to make sure students are paying attention and

understanding the content. This qualifies as informal assessment. With it, the teacher can

incorporate questions which require various levels of thought into lectures, allowing wait time so

that students will actually contemplate the content. Teachers can also check for nonverbal

formative assessment by seeing if students are on-task and paying attention. A teacher may use

these quick checks to regain and refocus student attention during instruction. Formative

assessment also demonstrates what topics or areas a teacher might have to review to reinforce

student understanding before a summative assessment. For example, a teacher can take a ticket-

out-the-door or a quick write, which ask questions or provide prompts requiring student
reflection on the lesson. The teacher then reads student responses to gain an understanding of

how the students are thinking about the lesson.

The most obvious forms of assessment are summative assessments. These take place at

the end of a group of lessons or unit and exist to check, in some quantitative way, how much a

student has learned and thought about the lessons or unit. This type of assessment can take many

forms – quizzes, tests, projects, papers, etc. – and it forces students to review instruction. These

assessments also provide feedback for the teacher as to the effectiveness of his or her lessons. If

many students do poorly on a test, or if most students miss certain questions, the teacher must

revisit the lesson plans to be sure they are effectively conveying the necessary information.

Depending on the scope of the assessment, the teacher can use it, to varying extents, to reinforce

what students may still struggle to understand. Barring final exams, all other tests and projects

take place at a time after which the teacher can still review the content and incorporate it into

future, related lessons and units. A teacher can also evaluate student performance on different

types of summative assessment. If student performance does not match up with student

knowledge and ability, the teacher might want to consider differentiating assessment type to help

all students achieve and be encouraged in their scholastic pursuits. Hence, regardless of what the

assessment may be, the teacher must always respond to it and use it to impact the focus and

direction of future instruction.

Unit Description

This unit covers the criminal and civil trial system. It deals with the history and purposes

of law, as well as how law plays out in court proceedings for adults and juveniles. The first

lesson explored ancient law codes and Enlightenment philosophy and how they have impacted

the development of the American law code. Once students have this foundation in ancient law
codes, they discovered the purpose of law and what qualifies a good law in the second lesson. In

the third lesson, students studied the different types of law – criminal, civil, constitutional,

administrative, etc. Each type of law appears in court trials, which were explored further in the

second half of the unit. In the fourth lesson, students reviewed the ways in which the Bill of

Rights and precedents set forward by the Supreme Court protect persons accused of crimes from

being treated wrongfully in the court system. The fifth lesson began to explore civil cases

particularly. Students looked at the purposes of civil trials and how they proceed through

mediation or court. The sixth lesson examined different types of crimes, the arrest process, and

criminal trial proceedings. The seventh lesson inspected the conclusion of the criminal trials –

the sentencing. Students explored different sentencing options, the purpose of punishment, and

how effective or ethical these sentencing options are, given their purpose. The final lesson

explored the difference between how adults are tried in courts versus how juveniles are tried in

courts. It also looked at the different types of juvenile cases, and how juveniles should be

sentenced.

NCSCOS objectives addressed

2.03. Explain how the Unites States Constitution grants and limits the authority of public

officials and government agencies.

4.05. Analyze consequences of compliance or noncompliance with laws governing society.

5.03. Describe the adversarial nature of the judicial process.

6.01. Trace the development of law in American society.

6.02. Cite examples of common, criminal, civil, constitutional, administrative, and

statutory law.
6.03. Identify the various procedures in the enactment, implementation, and

enforcement of law.

6.07. Compare responsibilities, jurisdictions, and methods of law enforcement agencies.

6.08. Evaluate methods used by society to address criminal and anti-social behaviors.

• Lesson one formative assessment

After studying the ancient and philosophical foundations of law codes, students discussed

to what extent the development of American law reflects Hammurabi’s Code, the Ten

Commandments, and Roman law. This discussion took place in groups of three or four,

depending on how many students were seated at each table. The teacher observed the

discussions, asking questions of the groups to guide them into considering the connection

between fair punishments, the emphasis on morality, and the importance of organization in law.

Students were not graded on their discussion participation, although the teacher prompted less

involved students with questions to make them more engaged in the group discussion. While the

groups were discussing, the teacher took notes on the quality of discussion based on the

following rubric:

1 2 3 4
Students remain Students remain Students remain Students remain
off-task for over on-task for on-task for on-task for
On-task 75% of approximately approximately nearly all of
Participation
discussion time half of discussion 75% of discussion time
time discussion time
Students fail to Students address Students address Students recall
significantly one or two law all three law detailed facts
Using facts
address any law codes discussed codes on a from all three
code discussed surface level law codes
 discussed
Students struggle Students can Students can Students
to form a well- reason through reason through formulate a well-
thought-out connections with connections thought-out
Quality response, even aide from teacher without much response which
reasoning
with significant aide from teacher recognizes deep
teacher and complex
prompting connections
Once the class had sufficiently discussed the topic, the teacher selected – based on in-group

performance – one student to present the group’s consensus regarding one ancient code of law as

it relates to current, American law. That student was awarded with five to ten extra credit points,

depending on the depth of his or her presentation.

Student work samples:

Elijah
Sam
Sam
Evan
Assessment:

Elijah
 2
1 3 4
Students remain Students remain Students remain Students remain
off-task for over on-task for on-task for on-task for
On-task 75% of approximately approximately nearly all of
Participation
discussion time half of discussion 75% of discussion time
time discussion time
Students fail to Students address Students address
Students recall
significantly one or two law all three law detailed facts
Using facts address any law codes discussed codes on a from all three
code discussed surface level law codes
discussed
Students struggle Students can Students can Students
to form a well- reason through reason through formulate a well-
thought-out connections with connections thought-out
Quality response, even aide from teacher without much response which
reasoning
with significant aide from teacher recognizes deep
teacher and complex
prompting connections
Sam
 1
2 3 4
On-task Students remain Students remain Students remain Students remain
Participation off-task for over on-task for on-task for on-task for
75% of approximately approximately nearly all of
discussion time half of discussion 75% of discussion time
time discussion time
Students fail to Students address Students address Students recall
significantly one or two law all three law detailed facts
Using facts address any law codes discussed codes on a from all three
code discussed surface level law codes
discussed
Students struggle Students can Students can Students
Quality to form a well- reason through reason through formulate a well-
reasoning thought-out connections with connections thought-out
response, even aide from teacher without much response which
with significant aide from teacher recognizes deep
teacher and complex
prompting connections
Note: Sam decided early in the assessment that he would not be able to complete it. I told him to
discuss the matter with his tablemates, but they offered no help. I then showed him where he
could find a condensed version of the Ten Commandments, and went over one of the
commandments to show how it related to current laws. He continued to say he could not
complete the task. The matter was made worse when his already mounting frustration was paired
with another student telling him he could do it. The attention from other students only
exacerbated Sam’s mood, and he entirely gave up. I offered him the opportunity to work on the
assignment at home, which only flustered him further, as he could not handle the idea of having
any homework beyond studying for a test tomorrow. I will offer Sam the opportunity to complete
the task tomorrow, after the test.

Sam returned the next day, and before class even began, he handed me his completed work. I
know he had not written this assignment down, so I was very impressed and proud that he cared
enough to complete the task. He also completed the assignment in a more thorough manner than
many of the other students.
 1
2 3 4
Students remain Students remain Students remain Students remain
off-task for over on-task for on-task for on-task for
On-task 75% of approximately approximately nearly all of
Participation
discussion time half of discussion 75% of discussion time
time discussion time
Students fail to Students address Students address
Students recall
significantly one or two law all three law detailed facts
Using facts address any law codes discussed codes on a from all three
code discussed surface level law codes
discussed
Students struggle Students can Students can Students
to form a well- reason through reason through formulate a well-
thought-out connections with connections thought-out
Quality response, even aide from teacher without much response which
reasoning
with significant aide from teacher recognizes deep
teacher and complex
prompting connections
Evan
 3
1 2 4
Students remain Students remain Students remain Students remain
off-task for over on-task for on-task for on-task for
On-task 75% of approximately approximately nearly all of
Participation
discussion time half of discussion 75% of discussion time
time discussion time
Students fail to Students address Students address
Students recall
significantly one or two law all three law detailed facts
Using facts address any law codes discussed codes on a from all three
code discussed surface level law codes
discussed
Students struggle Students can Students can Students
to form a well- reason through reason through formulate a well-
thought-out connections with connections thought-out
Quality response, even aide from teacher without much response which
reasoning
with significant aide from teacher recognizes deep
teacher and complex
prompting connections

Reflection:

It was very discouraging when Sam refused to complete his assignment in class. I tried to

offer him appropriate help and attention, but when other students also needed help, I could not

walk Sam through the assignment. However, I was exceedingly happy when Sam came in the

following day with one of the best reasoned assignments which I read. Granted, I am sure that he

received help from his mother or father for the assignment, as he often does with his homework.

However, I was still impressed that Sam remembered to complete the assignment with such

detail. His initiative also demonstrated that he genuinely cared about learning and his

schoolwork. Having that level of motivation is fundamental for any learning.

I realize that, by asking students to compare the ancient law codes with modern,

American law, I was also conducting a form of pre-assessment. We had not really studied

American law, particularly as it relates to penalties. Since many of the ancient law codes deal
heavily in penalties, students had to examine what they knew about American penalties before

studying them so that they could compare the penalties of American and ancient law codes.

Some of the generalizations that students made about American law, such as the idea that

penalties may vary depending on social status, provided great discussion prompts. Technically,

American law should not work that way, but in practice, celebrities and influential people may

receive preferential treatment under the law. Therefore, students’ comparisons between ancient

law and American law revealed some uncomfortable similarities between the two.

• Lesson two assessment

For a pre-assessment, students looked at a list of ridiculous laws. As a class, they

discussed why these laws might have been formed, and whether or not the laws might still have

any value. By doing this, the teacher gained insight into what students believe the purpose of

laws is and how students define a good law. The teacher then used this information in the

following discussion on what the textbook defines as qualifications for a good law.

As formative assessment, students worked in pairs to pretend like they are writing three

laws for a new society. They were cautioned to avoid obvious laws such as “No murder.” Each

law had to meet the four purposes of a good law discussed in class, and the students had to

explain how the law meets each of these purposes. Students were graded on the basis of

originality of law and clarity of reasoning in defining it as a good law.

Evan
Elijah
Sam
Evan
Elijah
Sam
Reflection:

The Create-a-Law assignment provided a lot of insight for me as I reflected on my lesson.

As students worked on the assignment during class, I became aware that many students did not

know how to explain if a law was enforceable.

Additionally, as I graded the worksheets, I realized that many students did not understand

what was meant by describing a law as “fair.” If a law is fair, that means it applies to everyone in

the same way. No one is above the law. However, many students viewed “fair” as meaning that

the law was reasonable and made sense within the context of the given society. Therefore, on

their worksheets and during instruction, I was sure to emphasize the true meaning of “fair.”

• Lesson three assessment

Students were given time to look through recent newspapers and online news sites

(ABCNews, CNN, GooleNews, etc.). Students cut out, printed, or extensively summarized

articles and pasted them in their writing journals. They had to find at least one article pertaining

to three types of law studied. For each article, they wrote a brief summary explaining why it

demonstrates the specific type of law. The teacher checked these journal entries to determine that

three types of law were represented and that the explanations were accurate.
Evan
Evan
Sam
Assessment:

The assessments of the journals will occur at the end of the quarter. Each assignment in

the journal is worth ten points, and we will check for five to seven assignments. Elijah did not

have this assignment in his journal and would, therefore, receive a zero out of ten. Sam would

receive an eight. He only gave two of the three articles, but I would be lenient with that number

because I know they worked hard, and they should receive alternate grading. Interestingly, Sam

went through several criminal law-related articles before he found one that did not offend him

too much. He is very sensitive, and he did not enjoy reading about murder and other crimes.

Finally, Evan would receive a ten. He is one of the few students who found three articles in the

time restraints, and I am very proud that he found an article relating to constitutional law. It is

rare to find articles which do not focus on criminal or civil law, so I am very impressed with his

findings.

Reflection:

Students’ relatively poor performance on this assessment can be attributed chiefly to the

various behavioral problems which arose during the activity. There were two primary types of

behavioral problems: off-task behavior and distracted effort. Off-task behavior includes students

who chose to read a novel or talk with other students rather than complete their work. Distracted

effort includes students who were technically doing what they were supposed to do for the

assignment (that is, search through internet news sites and the newspaper), but who were

becoming distracted by some of the articles. For example, one student was enthralled by a

website showing all of the recent arrests in Winston-Salem. While the student used the resource

for their reference on criminal law, he continued to search through the arrest records for the

majority of the allotted time, thereby hurting his chances of finishing the assignment.
 Other students became very frustrated when they could not find appropriate articles. I

tried to help as many students as possible, but I could not do enough. The assessment may be

improved by finding resources which would have a higher likelihood of having clear examples of

civil and criminal law. Perhaps students should not have cut out the articles, thereby limiting

future classes from finding articles. Also, when facing these problems with limited articles, I

became more lenient about how many articles should be found on the internet versus the

newspaper. Perhaps students should be allowed to search the internet for all of the article

examples so that they would use their time more efficiently.

• Lesson four assessment

For pre-assessment, students reviewed the articles they had found during the previous

lesson. They reviewed the articles to see if they could find any references to the Bill of Rights.

They highlighted any references found. If students seemed to be struggling, they were allowed to

reference their Bill of Rights worksheet from a previous unit. This served to remind students the

protections offered by the Constitution to persons accused of crimes. The teacher asked for a few

examples from students to describe to the class.

As a formative assessment, students took a vocabulary quiz because this lesson is so

heavy on technical, legal vocabulary which must simply be memorized.

 Evan

:
Evan
Elijah
Elijah
Sam
Sam
Student Assessment:

Evan
Elijah
Sam
Reflection:

The largest problem I noted for the vocabulary quiz was that students had difficulty

differentiating between larceny, burglary, and robbery. Many believed that the differences

between the three dealt with whether a homeowner realized they were being robbed. This is not

the case. I gave students partial credit for giving correct definitions of at least one word, which

most students were able to do.

Since I repeated this question on the test at the end of the unit, it was important to review

the differences between the three types of theft in class. This was very simple to do because, in

every class, one student asked me about the differences at the end of the test. Not only did this

reflect well on the students, because it demonstrated that they know what information they need

to re-examine and study, but it also helped me address their confusion immediately, without

trying to fit it into another lesson.

The fact that this question provided the most insight into what students were learning

proves an important point about the most effective types of assessments. The question about theft

was the only short answer question. Students do not like short answer questions, but they provide

teachers with the greatest insight into what students know. With matching, students can use the

process of elimination, or they can look at context clues. However, with short answer, the

student’s response depends entirely on what learning they can recall. I prefer short answer or fill-

in-the-blank vocabulary tests, and would like to implement more of that format of test in my

future classroom.

• Lesson five assessment

Students either created a picture book detailing the court proceedings in the civil court

trial of A. Wolf v. The Third Pig or wrote a small skit demonstrating the court proceedings.
Students were given a guide to help them determine the necessary vocabulary and proceedings to

address. The class went over the required steps for a civil case, which are: complaint, summons,

Discovery phase, pretrial conference, trial, and verdict. Students were graded on the presence of

these steps.

Sam

Elijah turned in a play for this assignment. However, it described a criminal trial more than a

civil trial. I pointed this out to him and told him I would use the project for the next lesson’s

assignment. However, he never brought another play to me.

Student assessment:

Evan
Evan
Evan
Reflection:

Students seemed to struggle with the instructions on this assignment. I realized that the

guide may have not been as beneficial as I thought it could be, and I decided to give students

extra time to complete the assignment, more time in class to work on it with my ready aide, and

more deliberate instructions. By giving students a list of steps they had to include, I gave

students a clear chronology they could use in their picture books or plays. Still, several students

overlooked steps or failed to effectively demonstrate what would happen during each step of the

trial process.

Moreover, students clearly struggled with the basic definition of a civil trial. Many

students associated lawsuits with crimes, believing that someone could be sued for murder.

Fortunately, there were numerous opportunities to emphasize the definition, purpose, and result

of civil trials as we continued to study criminal trials, penalties, and the judicial branch as a

whole. Also, if students had turned in their picture book or play early, I was able to tell them to

revise it if they had not used the correct definition of a civil trial. After going over the fact that

civil cases are the result of negligence or bad business practices, and that the cases result in fines

and damages being paid, I believe students gained a better grasp of the definition of the civil

trial.

For Sam’s picture, I decided to edit how I would assess his work. He was confused as to

the requirements, yet he was able to fill out the entire back side of the notes, which outlined the

court case. Most students did not fill the guide out entirely. Additionally, he did so exceptionally

on his criminal case picture book. Therefore, I believe he has demonstrated the effort and

learning that I wanted students to achieve with these assignments. However, since he did not
actually complete the requirements of the picture book or play, I gave him a 70 as a grade. I

explained my reasoning to him in class.

• Lesson six assessment

As a pre-assessment, in order to understand a primary step in a criminal trial – how a jury

is selected – students were presented with a hypothetical murder trial. Then, several students

volunteered as potential juror candidates for a jury pool. Each student was given one of the

following character profiles:

• A very religious individual

• Someone who loves crime and forensic television shows

• A member of the NRA

• Someone who spends a significant amount of effort to find extraterrestrials

• A super-opinionated and vocal individual

• A hippie

• Someone who is out of the state for an extended time (in college, for example)

• Someone who just came back from a long vacation

• Someone who has a family member who was murdered

• A strong supporter of the death penalty

Given these characters, the class discussed who should be allowed (or in most cases, who should

be rejected) from the jury pool. For each character, students determined which side – the

prosecutor or the defender – might prefer or dislike the potential juror. The class discussed why

each side might feel strongly about each character. This demonstrated what students already

know about the biases that may be present in court trials.

 As a formative assessment, students continued their picture book or play from the civil

trial case. However, this time, the case was People v. A. Wolf, and it was a manslaughter case

against A. Wolf for the deaths of the pigs. Students were given another guide worksheet to help

them determine the vocabulary and proceedings they needed to address. Students were graded on

the presence and the accurate description of the following steps in a criminal case: arrest,

booking, arraignment, trial, verdict, and sentence.

Evan
Evan
Evan
Elijah
Elijah
Elijah
Elijah
Sam
Student assessment:

Evan
Evan
Evan
Elijah
Elijah
Elijah
Elijah
Sam
Reflection:

Students were much more engaged in and informed about criminal trials than they were

about civil trials. There was no confusion about the basic story behind the criminal trial relating

to The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. The only issues (where points were deducted from

individuals’ grades) occurred when students would forget or not include steps of the criminal

trial process, or when they might mix up the purposes of the pretrial hearing and the arraignment.

Having learned from the civil trial assignment, I began by giving students a list of events to

include, in order, in their picture book or play.

Providing students with so much scaffolding may seem to limit how much a teacher can

learn about the students’ understanding. If the students are given the order of events in the

formative assessment, can I presume that they would be able to recognize the correct order of

events later, in a summative assessment? I can justify giving students that level of scaffolding by

noting that I want students to learn the significance of an arraignment or of booking, rather than

just memorize the order of events. Ideally, if students create the picture book or play according to

my instruction, they will remember their artwork when they complete their summative

assessment in order to recall the order of events in a criminal trial.

In general, students were much more interested in the criminal trial. As a result, they

produced much better quality picture books and plays. However, some students suggested that a

more effective assessment might be to create a mock trial. A mock trial would operate differently

than a play because it would be less rehearsed, and there would be no set script. That type of

assessment might take much more preparation, but I can see how that level of movement and

engagement would really benefit the students. I would like to implement a mock trial in my

future classroom.
 • Lesson seven assessment

Students separated (on opposite sides of the room) based on whether or not they support

the use of the death penalty. Each side was split into smaller groups to maximize individual

student participation. After each group had ample time to discuss their opinions and reasoning,

each group picked a representative to share the group’s consensus on the death penalty in a

debate forum. During the group discussion portion of the activity, the teacher circulated the room

and evaluated (not for a grade) the discussion and individual participation on the following

rubric:

1 2 3 4
Students remain Students remain Students remain Students remain
off-task for over on-task for on-task for on-task for
On-task 75% of approximately approximately nearly all of
Participation
discussion time half of discussion 75% of discussion time
time discussion time
Students fail to Students address Students address
Students recall
significantly one or two law all three law detailed facts
Using facts address any law codes discussed codes on a from all three
code discussed surface level law codes
discussed
Students struggle Students can Students can Students
to form a well- reason through reason through formulate a well-
thought-out connections with connections thought-out
Quality response, even aide from teacher without much response which
reasoning
with significant aide from teacher recognizes deep
teacher and complex
prompting connections
 3
1 2 4
Students remain Students remain Students remain Students remain
off-task for over on-task for on-task for on-task for
On-task 75% of approximately approximately nearly all of
Participation
discussion time half of discussion 75% of discussion time
time discussion time
Students fail to Students address Students address
Students recall
significantly one or two law all three law detailed facts
Using facts address any law codes discussed codes on a from all three
code discussed surface level law codes
discussed
Students struggle Students can Students can Students
to form a well- reason through reason through formulate a well-
thought-out connections with connections thought-out
Quality response, even aide from teacher without much response which
reasoning
with significant aide from teacher recognizes deep
teacher and complex
prompting connections
Reflection:

The debate format provided students with an interesting opportunity for the students.

First, it allowed students to stand up and get moving. Then, many students, who might otherwise

have been quiet or off-task during individual assignments or even group discussions, embraced

the debate format. They demonstrated excellent critical thinking skills as they argued for or

against the death penalty.

Interestingly, they did not reference the trivia related to the death penalty, such as the

data which seems to suggest that the death penalty may be disproportionately applied to African

Americans or people from lower economic statuses. Only one or two students discussed the cost

of prisons or appeals courts. Most of the students argued from moral standpoints. Yet, because

the debate dealt so heavily with morality, it created numerous uncomfortable situations. One girl

talked about how her cousin had been given the death penalty, and she then asked if those who

deliver the death penalty go to hell. Another student had a relative who was murdered. While she

was originally against the death penalty, when I asked if opinions might change if one’s mom or

grandmother or other relative was murdered, she changed her mind. Still, discomfort is not

necessarily bad in a classroom. In many cases, uncomfortable conversations inspire students to

truly contemplate and formulate their own opinions and convictions.

The moral debate also demonstrates to students the two sides of penalties – for

punishment and for rehabilitation. These two points were the theme of the lesson. Therefore,

when students argue for the death penalty by saying, “An eye for an eye,” or when students

argue against the death penalty by saying, “Everyone deserves a second chance,” they are

arguing for those two purposes of penalties.

 • Lesson eight assessment

Students wrote a rap, poem, song, or short story describing their interpretation of what it

would be like to be a juvenile involved in a trial. They had to address the nature of the trial, the

alternative options for juvenile criminals, and the goal of rehabilitation. Students could choose to

write about a neglect case rather than a criminal case, if the idea of criminal cases seemed too

disturbing. Mostly, I wanted them to reflect on the videos we watched in class, which depicted

the experiences of several juveniles in adult prisons. While considering the facts of juvenile law,

I also wanted students to think about what juveniles feel when they face severe penalties.
:
Elijah
 I excused Sam from this assignment because he and his brother respond very poorly to

violence and tense situations. They left the room when the videos were being shown, and I did

not think it fair to require them to do an assignment, when the assignment relied on information

from the videos.

Student assessment:

Evan
Elijah
Reflection:

I thought the two student samples collected provided excellent examples on both sides of

the spectrum – one was more factual and academic while the other was more emotional and

creative. Ultimately, Evan’s poem earned the better grade because it demonstrated more

effectively the learning that was required. In a very succinct way, Evan was able to outline all of

the major attributes of a juvenile delinquency case. With some minor editing, I believe this poem

would be an excellent tool to use in future classes for a similar lesson. Notably, Evan was not

present in class the day that students watched the video. He was able to make up the notes online.

However, because of his lack of exposure to the video, it makes sense that his poem would be

less emotional than other students’ stories or poems.

Elijah’s story definitely had evidence of learning from the video. Many of the details he

included were details discussed in the video, regarding the conditions in prison. While Elijah did

not examine the unique attributes of a juvenile case, as opposed to an adult case, he still

demonstrated a decent level of recall.

The assessment could be improved with clearer expectations. I could have placed a

greater emphasis on including a certain number of differences between adult and juvenile cases

in my description of the assessment. I also could provide students with an example, either from

previous years’ classes or from rap songs or short works of fiction. As an added benefit, if

students could see how popular culture deals with juvenile law, I think that would enhance their

learning and make the lesson more authentic.

• Summative assessment

Students were given a test at the end of the unit. This test was comprised of multiple choice,

true/false, matching, and short answer questions.

Chapter 15 & 16 Test

True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false.

____ 1. The goal of juvenile law is to punish the juvenile delinquents.

____ 2. The earliest written system of law was the Justinian Code.
____ 3. A plea of “no contest” has the same end result as a plea of “not guilty.”
____ 4. In criminal cases, the government is always the defendant.
____ 5. The prosecution files charges in a civil suit.
____ 6. The writ of habeas corpus requires officials to bring arrested people to court.
____ 7. During cross-examination, the attorney attempts to cast doubt on the witness’s testimony.
____ 8. If the police obtain evidence of a person’s guilt illegally, it can still be used against him or her.

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 9. What amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, and excessive bail?
a. 8th c. 5th
b. 7th d. 14th
____ 10. In juvenile cases, the judge might sentence the defendant to
a. a stern lecture c. all of the above
b. attend a special school d. receive treatment or counseling
____ 11. What happens during the booking process?
a. a verdict is reached c. a lawyer is hired
b. suspect’s personal information is taken d. evidence is gathered
____ 12. Which of the following is NOT a misdemeanor?
a. burglary c. vandalism
b. trespassing d. disorderly conduct
____ 13. Serious crimes with serious consequences are called
a. statutes. c. felonies.
b. torts. d. misdemeanors.
____ 14. What amendment guarantees due process of law?
a. 16th c. 8th
b. 4th d. 5th
____ 15. What was the first known system of written law?
a. Justinian Code c. Code of Hammurabi
b. Napoleonic Code d. Morse Code
____ 16. The suspect hears the formal charges brought against him or her and makes his or her pleadings during
the
a. arraignment. c. arbitration.
b. discovery phase. d. pretrial hearing.
____ 17. If a judge believes a person is interfering with the judicial process, the judge may hold that person in
a. double jeopardy. c. contempt of court.
b. attainder. d. stare decisis.
____ 18. What is correct order of the following events in a criminal trial?
1. arrest
2. verdict
3. sentencing
4. booking
5. arraignment
6. trial
a. 3, 1, 6, 2, 4, 5 c. 1, 4, 5, 6, 2, 3
b. 4, 1, 6, 2, 3, 5 d. 4, 5, 1, 3, 6, 2
____ 19. What is the correct order of the following events in a civil trial:
1. summons
2. trial
3. verdict
4. complaint
5. Discovery phase
6. pretrial conference
a. 6, 4, 1, 2, 3, 5 c. 4, 1, 5, 6, 2, 3
b. 5, 1, 4, 6, 2, 3 d. 1, 5, 6, 4, 2, 3
____ 20. This law code established strict and harsh penalties, such as giving the death penalty for taking a apple
from an orchard:
a. Draconian law c. Hammurabi’s code
b. Justinian code d. Ten Commandments
____ 21. This type of law is based on precedents and previous court decisions, although it is not necessarily
written:
a. tort law c. common law
b. statutory law d. constitutional law
____ 22. Which of the following is NOT a part of a criminal trial?
a. cross-examination c. discovery phase
b. testimony d. opening statement
____ 23. What Supreme Court case determined that juveniles should receive the same rights in criminal trials as
adults?
a. New Jersey v. T.L.O. c. Tinker v. Des Moines
b. Miranda v. Arizona d. In re Gault
____ 24. If a person is injured because of another’s negligence, the injured person can file a ____ action.
a. statute c. misdemeanor
b. tort d. edict
____ 25. The Fifth Amendment states that people may not be required to
a. obey a tort. c. face a jury.
b. incriminate themselves. d. permit a search.
____ 26. A child who is under the protection of the court rather than his or her parents is called a
a. delinquent of the court c. arsonist
b. ward of the court d. peer of the court
____ 27. In civil cases, the person or group being sued is the
a. victim. c. challenger.
b. plaintiff. d. defendant.
Completion
Complete each sentence or statement.

28. _______________________ cases involve instances where a child’s basic needs (housing, food, clothing)
are not met.
29. A ___________________________ occurs when a defendant makes a deal with the court in which he or
she confesses or gives information in order to minimize his or her sentence.
30. In his or her _____________________, the witness must tell their story truthfully.
31. ____________________ is the act of purposefully and maliciously setting property on fire.

Matching

a. “preponderance of evidence” e. perjury

b. victimless crimes f. acquittal
c. complaint g. “beyond a reasonable doubt”
d. sequester h. Miranda rights
____ 32. phrase describing the amount of proof required for guilt in a civil case
____ 33. phrase describing the amount of proof required for guilt in a criminal case
____ 34. prostitution and gambling, for example
____ 35. finding a defendant innocent
____ 36. statement naming the sides involved and the details of a civil lawsuit
____ 37. right to remain silent and right to a lawyer, for example
____ 38. separating a jury so that they can determine the verdict of a case
____ 39. lying under oath

a. plaintiff e. hung jury

b. bail f. administrative law
c. bench trial g. bill of attainder
d. summons h. grand jury
____ 40. punishes accused criminals without a trial of fair hearing in court
____ 41. deals with the creation and management of executive agencies
____ 42. optional appearance before a judge only, without a jury
____ 43. announces the defendant is being sued and sets a court date
____ 44. party that starts a lawsuit
____ 45. a payment made by the suspect as a promise to return to court for the trial
____ 46. cannot unanimously agree on a verdict, resulting in a mistrial
____ 47. decides if there is sufficient evidence to formally charge a suspect
Short Answer

48. What are the four qualifications of a good law?

49. What are two arguments against the death penalty?
50. What are two of the four purposes of penalties for crimes?
51. Describe the differences between larceny, robbery, and burglary.
52. Give two ways in which juvenile court cases are different than adult court cases.
Evan
Evan
Elijah

Elijah
Elijah
Sam
Sam
Assessment:

Evan
Evan
Elijah

Elijah
Elijah
Sam
Sam
Sam
Final Unit Reflection:

Overall, I thought this unit worked well. Students seemed to bring a lot of background

knowledge into the lessons, and they participated in class discussions more than usual because of

their extensive background knowledge. At points, this background knowledge might have

limited the students’ learning. They might have assumed that they knew definitions, and

therefore, may not have studied vocabulary as much as they should have. However, the increased

level of background knowledge certainly made discussion more interesting, and many students

who were usually quiet began to speak up as we talked about more controversial topics.

The summative assessment results were about what I would expect from the students.

Evan’s grade was slightly lower. However, he was absent on the day of the final lesson in the

unit, and he opted to take the test without completing the lesson he had missed. Therefore, he

was missing fundamental learning for a few questions on the test. I could not force him to take

the test at a later date, but I know that he completed all of his make-up work after the test. That

demonstrates a great level of initiative – that he would complete work after he has already taken

a test on the material and may, theoretically, never need the notes again.

Students’ feedback on the activities gave me a lot of insight into what types of activities

work for students and which do not. For example, many students noted that they preferred

projects to tests. Had a pattern of test-taking not been established in the classroom, I might have

preferred to combine the civil and criminal trial picture books and plays to form a project grade.

If I had done that, students might have been more careful in their picture books and plays,

making sure to include every step that I told them to include. Some students have a tendency to

become careless when they know a mere homework grade is at stake. Additionally, I realize that

I might need to edit some of the assignments. In most cases, the necessary editing deals with
adding more deliberate instruction. I wanted to allow creativity and self-determination with the

assignments, but for my students, it is more important to give them limits and clear instructions

so that they know how to best perform. When given too much freedom, the students seemed to

give up rather than embrace their freedom to chose the details of their assignments.

Finally, throughout the assessments, I gained many ideas of assessments I would like to

add to the unit, should I teach a similar unit again. For example, I would love to include a mock

trial, given the students’ excitement over criminal trials and public speaking. I believe that

adding a mock trial would provide a greater change of pace and more variety in the types of

assessment. However, overall, I believe the unit had a good variety in assessment, and I was

happy with the way many of the students responded to the lessons.