Homeschool Court: A Judicial System Curriculum Review
DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE A POSITIVE REVIEW NOR WAS I COMPENSATED IN ANY OTHER WAY.
As fun as preschool learning activities are, it’s pretty fun to dive into subjects that I can actually learn more about. The age ranges of my kids certainly keeps things interesting for me as a teacher and this review has given me a glimpse into middle and high school. I’m sure not mad about it! Getting to discuss the structure and history of our government through a Biblical lens is such a blessing. Today we’re talking about Homeschool Court Student Worktext, a judicial system curriculum from Homeschool Court.
What We Received:
We were given access to digital files that included a Student Worktext, Teacher Manual, and 3 Case Summaries each with a student and teacher manual file.
How It Works:
This curriculum is designed to work in a co-op or family classroom with the goal of a mock-trial. There are 9 chapters total that introduce the concept and origin of law, discusses elements of court, and then builds understanding of cases to equip students to participate in a mock-trial. Each chapter contains reading content, a worksheet or two, and a ‘Digging Deeper Enrichment Activities’, a list of activities to continue the learning. The Teacher’s Manual includes instruction for a group setting or individual, making it very versatile to a variety of learning environments. Each case summary includes the case facts, witness statements, use of evidence at trial, laws considered, jury instructions, and a verdict form. The information in these summaries sets the stage beautifully for a fun mock-trial.
How We Used It:
While Homeschool Court made every effort to provide materials for a group to use this curriculum - especially to accommodate a mock-trial, we didn’t have a large group available to participate right now. Our local co-op semester had already started when this review became available, but I am going to look into possibly using it for a course next semester. In the meantime, I walked through the material with my 10 year old son one on one.
What We Thought:
Due to the review period, we only got to chapter 4, but the discussions it prompted were really rich. As a teacher, I found it to be a great blend of overview and in-depth discussion. In chapter 1, the author gives an overview of important law events that impact todays law and then in chapter 2 talks about the Ten Commandments. The content and questions laid a great framework for nurturing a respect for God’s role in American government. Considering my son is only in the 4th grade, he learned a lot just in the basic reading of the material. In one section it asks the student to use scripture to prove their answer, which was a great exercise for my son. Older students would have an even greater opportunity to practice their knowledge of law (and scripture) and debate throughout the course. I highly recommend this curriculum for any government or civics credit, especially because of it’s foundation in and connection to Biblical teaching.
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Homeschool Court offers High School supplements that several of our Review Crew families utilized. Check out their reviews through the link below if you’re interested in seeing how this program works with High School students.
