Law School for Teens - What Is a Crime?
In this four week course, your learner will be exposed to the basic elements of a crime, exactly as studied in law school but at a high school level. Your learner will learn ideas like the mens rea, the actus reus, and crimes like attempt.
Mike Traywick - Think, Reason, and Argue Better
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4.9
Number of reviews:(411)
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What's included
4 pre-recorded lessons
average 38 mins per video4 weeks
of teacher support2 hrs 32 mins
total video learning hours1 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 crime? We will look at the underlying elements that make up a crime: Actus Reus, Mens Rea, Concurrence, and Causation. Almost every crime is made up of these four elements. We will get a concrete understanding of what each of those four parts are, and we will explore other factors in crimes that will increase our understanding of the topic. 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 understand the four elements of most crimes: the actus reus, the mens rea, concurrence, and the causation of harm.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:
The Actus Reus and the Crimes of Omission
- Learn about the voluntary act and what happens if you fail to act. 52 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
Criminal Mental States
- What is the proper Mental State (Mens Rea) for a crime?
- Mistake of Fact, Mistake of Law 27 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
Concurrence and Causation
- When do the Mens Rea and the Actus Reus happen at the same time?
- When can a crime be a chain of events? 24 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Inchoate Crimes
- The Crime of Attempt
- The Crime of Solicitation
- The Crime of Conspiracy 49 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 2 learners
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Ages: 12-17
