Description

Students learn about the rule of law and how it protects individual rights and freedoms. By performing short, scripted skits that illustrate what life might be like without the rule of law, students identify six factors that make up the rule of law and analyze how each factor affects daily life. Students then make connections between the rule of law and America’s founding documents and think about the relationship between the rule of law factors.

Objectives

  • Define “Rule of Law”
  • Explain how the rule of law protects individual rights and preserves the common good
  • Recognize the influence of the rule of law on the development of the American legal, political, and governmental systems
  • Analyze the necessity of establishing and enforcing the rule of law
  • Examine how the rule of law affects everyday life
  • Identify the effect of Marbury v. Madison and its relationship to the rule of law

Lesson Prep

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Step by Step

GROUP students together and assign each group a Skit Script. Let students choose their roles. (The number of roles in each skit varies, so check that before you form the groups.)

ALLOW the groups to read and practice the skits for 10 minutes.

REGROUP the class and distribute a Skit Reinforcement Worksheet to each student.  

BEGIN the skit performances with the skit for the first factor.  After each skit, have students complete the corresponding activity on the Skit Reinforcement Worksheet. The idea is to have them identify the concepts illustrated by each skit.

REVIEW the answers to the skit reinforcment activity before going on to the next skit

FINISH all skit performances.

DISTRIBUTE a Graphic Organizer to each student.  Explain that they will use the bold words on the Skit Reinforcement Worksheet to fill in the blanks on the Graphic Organizer.

ALLOW students to complete the Graphic Organizer. 

REVIEW the answers to the Graphic Organizer.

DISTRIBUTE the Review Worksheet and go through the directions for each activity.

ALLOW students to complete the Review Worksheet.  Consider doing the “Rule of Law—Where Does It Come From?” activity together as a class.

CLOSE by asking students to silently recall all six factors of the rule of law.  Call on students until all six factors discussed in the lesson have been named.

Recommended Sequence

Before: 
Who Rules?
After: 
Why Government?

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