Editors'
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Aboriginal-focused
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Previous
Issues
Summer
2002
Spring 2002
Summer 2001
Teaching
teens
about the justice system
By Jennifer Peterson
Student
teacher Claudette Romaniuk (left), students Q.C. Gu, Shalane Spurrell
and teacher Robert Gardner take hold of the new teacher resource
manual being sent to Alberta Grade 10 Social Studies teachers to
increase students' knowledge of the Canadian justice system.
|
Leading an effort to increase knowledge of the justice system, Justice Minister Dave Hancock stepped into the classroom to talk to Grade 10 students and teach them about the justice system through Alberta Justice's new teacher resource manual. Hancock unveiled the manual at Edmonton's Harry Ainlay High School on October 30, 2002.
Robert Gardner, head of Social Studies at Harry Ainlay, took part in the teacher review of the manual during its development, and has already gone over some of the lessons with students.
"The resource will better support Alberta high school teachers in educating their students about Canada's justice system," Gardner said. "It's an excellent supplement to the current curriculum."
The resource integrates learning about the importance of the justice system with learning about citizenship. It is based on key concepts from the Alberta Social Studies 10 Program of Studies, which offer a strong link to the principles and values that have created and maintain our judicial system.
Alberta Justice, along with Alberta Learning and Alberta Solicitor General, developed the teacher resource, which includes information on five areas of law within the Canadian justice system. It uses a variety of teaching and learning activities to examine constitutional justice, aboriginal justice, criminal justice, civil and family justice and youth justice.
"Students are affected by the justice system each day of their lives," said Justice Minister Dave Hancock.
"The development of our communities, our province and our nation depends on having citizens who understand the democratic process, the role of the judicial system in entrenching and safeguarding rights, and the obligations and responsibilities of citizenship. This teaching resource is aimed at achieving that goal and provides a valuable, Alberta-focused supplement to the current Grade 10 Social Studies curriculum."
Since the Justice Summit in 1999, Alberta Justice has been working to improve Albertans' knowledge of the justice system. The teacher resource manual was developed in response to a key theme from the Alberta Justice Summit that recommended improving public knowledge, education and awareness of Alberta's justice system. The resource has been mailed to 625 Social Studies department heads across the province for the 2002/2003 school year.
If you have any comments
or questions about the teacher resource manual, or want to request a copy,
please contact Alberta Justice's Education Coordinator, Jennifer Peterson,
at ple.coordinator@gov.ab.ca
or by telephone at (780) 427-8530 (dial
310-0000 to be connected toll-free).
The resource is also
available online.
