Law School for Teens - Criminal Defenses
In this four week class, we will study defenses including the defenses of insanity, intoxication, infancy, duress, necessity, self-defense, defense of others, consent, and a few others.
Mike Traywick - Think, Reason, and Argue Better
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4.9
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What's included
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentMastery Evaluation
1 hour per week. Each video will have an outline that will be used to help facilitate understanding.Certificate of Completion
includedClass Experience
US Grade 8 - 11
Beginner Level
What is a criminal defense? A criminal defense is used when you have committed a crime, but you have a reason that you are either not responsible for your actions (insanity, intoxication, etc.) or you have a justification or excuse for your actions (self-defense, defense of others, consent, etc.). Many people believe that if you claim insanity as a defense, you can go free. But is that what really happens? That's just one of the things you will learn in this class. I will provide a discussion outline that has mini-case studies on it that will help students work through these concepts. I will accompany the discussion outline with a powerpoint presentation. There will be brief points where I teach on concepts, but students will be expected to pause the video, try out the fact patterns (story problems), then listen to my explanations.
Learning Goals
Learners will learn about a variety of defenses to criminal acts that can be used in the defense of the alleged criminals.Learners will begin their journey to think like a lawyer as they analyze fact patterns (story problems) and learn to think through the answers
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum4 Lessons
over 4 WeeksLesson 1:
Responsibility Defenses - Not responsible due to something wrong with the mind
- Insanity Defense
- Intoxication Defense 47 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
Responsibility Defenses continued
- Infancy Defense
- Duress and Necessity 29 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
Justification or Excuse Defenses
- Self-Defense
- Defense of Others and Defense of Property 26 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Justification or Excuse Defenses
- Consent
- Entrapment 17 mins of video lessons
Other Details
Parental Guidance
If you allow your student to watch crime shows on television (CSI, Law and Order, Matlock, Murder She Wrote, etc.), then you will be comfortable with the situations presented in this class. This is criminal law, though, so please contact me if you have specific questions.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
US Constitution, Understanding Criminal Law (a legal textbook), Criminal law casebooks, state criminal laws, Supreme Court Opinions, State Court Opinions, and Appellate Court Opinions. Each of these sources are designed to give all sides of the situation so that we can explore the truth of the matter.
Joined March, 2020
4.9
411reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Michigan Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
4 Degrees
Doctoral Degree from Western Michigan Thomas Cooley Law School
Master's Degree in Education from Aquinas College
Bachelor's Degree in History from Alma College
Associate's Degree in Foreign Language from Defense Language Institute
I am a lawyer and a teacher, and I have been teaching this topic to teens for over 15 years.Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$15
weekly or $60 for all content4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 4 learners
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Ages: 12-17
