Teacher Guide You re legal, what now? (Grade 12)

Transcription

1 Teacher Guide You re legal, what now? (Grade 12) This companion to the online course provides questions and topics for classroom discussion and activities ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 1

2 You re Legal, What Now? Outline. Part 1: Count Your Vote Voter Information U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Selective Service Part 2: Making and Managing Money Wisely Employment Issues Banking Identity Theft Social Media Part 3: Getting Mobile Buying a Used Car Driving Laws Part 4: Relationships and Renting Marriage Renting Part 5: Getting Signed Contracts Credit Cards Passwords and Security Scams Privacy Concerns Part 6: Dark Days Alcohol/Date Rape Drugs Trespassing/Disturbing the Peace/Hazing Jury Duty Guns Illegal Downloading Driving Under the Influence 2012 ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 2

3 You re Legal, What Now? (Grade 12) A GUIDE TO ENCOURAGE REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION This teacher s guide suggests questions, topics, and activities that can be useful in creating assignments and prompting class discussions. The suggestions are designed to encourage self-reflection, stimulate group consideration, and ensure learning and retention of course material. You may ask students to consider the contents of the course through research projects, group assignments, role playing, or other creative methods. You can also break the class into small groups to discuss and analyze a topic, and then have each group present their collaborative findings to the class. This is an effective method to increase participation and encourage sharing different ideas and viewpoints. This course is designed to teach teens about legal issues that they face when they turn 18, and how to make informed decisions. Preparing high school seniors for the adult world requires them to learn how to navigate through state and federal laws, sign contracts, and become independent by getting a job, opening a bank account, buying a car, and renting a place to live. Start with a general discussion of what the legal and personal consequences of turning 18. What does it mean to be an adult? Should it affect how you make decisions? 2012 ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 3

4 Civic Duties What Are They? 1. What are civic duties. 2. Why they re important. 3. Who is qualified. Voting: Is it important to vote? Do you think your vote makes a difference? Why or why not? Do you plan to vote in every election or just some elections? Are some elections more important than others? Why or why not? Selective Service: What is the selective service? Why are only males required to register? Should women be allowed to serve in combat? Why or why not? What is a draft? Should military service be completely voluntary or compulsory? Why or why not? Jury Duty: What is a jury of your peers? Why does the U.S. judicial system use juries? is it important to serve on a jury? What if you were involved in a lawsuit, would you want a judge or jury to decide? What are the advantages/disadvantages of having a jury hear your case? Citizenship: What is the difference between citizenship and naturalization? Have students give examples. What is documented immigration? What is undocumented immigration? Under what circumstances should non-citizens be deported? Are there situations when undocumented immigrants should not be deported? Why or why not? 2012 ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 4

5 Making and Managing Money Wisely Employment issues Find out about hiring and firing, different types of employees, work schedules, and taxable income. 2. What happens if you re injured at work. 3. What is illegal discrimination and harassment. Resumes and Background Checks: What is a resume and why is it important? Why do employers do background checks on job applicants? Why is your digital footprint important? What can you do to protect it? Employment Laws: Ask students to give examples of employment laws and explain who they protect and why. What is at-will employment? What is workers compensation? What is illegal discrimination or harassment? Banking: Why do you need a bank account? What are the differences between checking and savings accounts? What do you need to research before opening an account? Identity Theft: In 2010, an estimated 8.6 million households had at least one person age 12 or older who was a victim of identity theft. How can you protect yourself against identity theft? What is sensitive personal information? What are some suggestions for creating strong passwords? ACTIVITY Group Presentations: Break the class into groups and assign each group one of the following topics: employer backgrounds checks and your digital footprint; how to choose a financial institution and tips on opening bank accounts; how to avoid identity theft; and how to write a resume. Have each group share news articles and information, and lead a class discussion on each topic ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd.,

6 Getting Mobile DRIVING RULES AND buying a used car 1. Learn about safe driving laws. 2. How to evaluate options and buy a used car. 3. Know what are consumer protection laws. Rules of the Road: What are some examples of driving laws? Is there a common theme behind these rules (safety)? What are some examples of distracted driving? What can you do to avoid the temptation to use a cell phone or engage in other distracted driving? What is road rage and why is it a problem? Weighing Options: Have students make a list of information you need before buying a used car. Where do you get this information? Why is it important? How do you weigh the different options? Consumer Protections: What are consumer protection laws? Give examples of laws that protect car buyers. What can you do to make sure you re not buying a defective used car? ACTIVITIES Making a Decision: Give students a budget for buying a vehicle and have them put together a fact sheet for the best deal they can find, taking into consideration things like safety, reliability, and upkeep expenses. Have students present their findings and defend their decision to the class ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 6

7 Relationships and Renting Marriage and renting a place to live 1. Learn how to get married in California. 2. Understand prenuptial agreements and domestic abuse laws. 3. How to inspect and rent a place to live. State marriage law: What do you need to get a marriage license? While a license makes it legal, what makes a good marriage? What is a prenuptial agreement? Is it a good idea? Why or why not? What is domestic abuse? Are there warning signs that someone has anger management issues? What are they? Define these rental terms: habitability (what makes a place unlivable?) month-to-month rental agreement (how is it different from a lease?) illegal discrimination (what are protected characteristics?) security deposit (what is it and how is the amount determined?) inspection (why do you want to write down repair items?) negotiation (what are some good negotiating strategies?) sublease (how would you select a subtenant?) joint and several liability (why does this matter?) renter s insurance (do you really need it?) eviction (what kind of stuff gets you evicted?) ACTIVITIES The Real World: Ask students to pair up roommates, and research local salaries and rental costs. Have each student pick an occupation or a career, and then estimate the cost of living (e.g. costs of renting and furnishing an apartment, utilities, food, transportation, etc.), setting up a budget for start-up costs and a monthly expenses. Have group presentations with each roommate explaining individual employment, responsibilities, and reflections, as well as a presentation of their combined projected costs and monthly expenses ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 7

8 Getting Signed 1. Learn about the elements of a contract. 2. Be informed about credit cards and their costs. 3. Know how to protect your privacy and recognize scams. Contracts: What are the elements of a contract (parties, consent, enforceable promise, and consideration)? Give examples of everyday contracts that we enter into without signing (or reading) them: cell phone agreements, credit card agreements, Facebook Terms of Service, and discuss specific terms such as penalties for cancelling a cell phone agreement, or giving Facebook the right to use photos or content posted on Facebook s website. Credit Cards: How do you compare credit card offers? What s an APR? What are late fees? What s a minimum payment? Passwords: What are strong passwords? Give examples. Some people think that sharing passwords with someone is a sign of trust. What do you think, should you share your passwords? Why or why not? Scams: What are phishing scams? What are mystery shopper scams? What are bogus rentals? What are sweepstakes scams? What do you do if you receive an unsolicited with no message, just a link? Privacy: Do you respond to or other messages asking you to verify personal information? Why or why not? ACTIVITIES Protecting Privacy: Have students break into groups and create a list of ways in which their privacy can be compromised (e.g. Facebook settings, falling for scams, weak passwords, etc.), and another list of ways in which they can protect their privacy. Have a contest with prizes for the most creative and the most secure passwords ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 8

9 Dark Days Alcohol, parties, legal trouble, and jury duty 1. Understand laws governing alcohol use. 2. Understand personal consequences of alcohol use. 3. Learn about jury duty. 4. Overview of the criminal justice system. Alcohol Use: A survey of U.S. teens indicates that by late adolescence, 78% had consumed alcohol, 47% had at least 12 drinks per year, and 15% met the criteria for lifetime abuse. The median age for beginning regular alcohol use or abuse was 14. What do students think about these statistics? How do they deal with the peer pressure around alcohol use? What are some of the long-term effects of regular alcohol use? Parties and Misdemeanors: What are some of the potential legal problems when a teen party involves alcohol? What are some of the potential safety issues? What should you do if a friend has had too much to drink at a party? DUI: What is the blood alcohol level (BAC) for a DUI when the driver is under age 21? What are the possible penalties for a DUI conviction? Jury Duty: Who is required to report for jury duty? Does everyone who is summoned serve on a jury? Illegal Downloading: Why is downloading music and movies on certain Web sites illegal? What are the possible consequences? How do you avoid potential legal problems? ACTIVITIES Class Presentations: Have students present articles on teens and college students involved in hazing, date rape drug, and alcohol incidents, and lead class discussions about how each incident could have turned out differently. Have students role play situations that involve alcohol and ways to deal with peer pressure ShieldTheVulnerable.org 1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 530 Walnut Creek, CA Page 9