This is the instructor's manual for the Grand Rapids Bar Association's 3Rs Program, a civics education initiative for high school students at Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The program is designed for volunteer attorneys and law students who will lead small group sessions on constitutional rights, responsibilities, and realities.
This is the instructor's manual for the Grand Rapids Bar Association's 3Rs Program, a civics education initiative for high school students at Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The program is designed for volunteer attorneys and law students who will lead small group sessions on constitutional rights, responsibilities, and realities.
The manual begins with a program overview explaining the partnership between the Grand Rapids Bar Association, the Justice Foundation of West Michigan, and Grand Rapids Public Schools. It outlines the program's goals: improving understanding of the rule of law and the Constitution, increasing interest in civic issues, providing career counseling, and improving the pipeline of students of color into legal careers.
The user's manual section provides instructions for volunteers on how to use the curriculum materials. It explains that each 50-minute class period follows a lesson outline with a suggested script, corresponding student worksheets, and optional activities. Volunteers are encouraged to adjust lessons to their group's needs and to research current events that illustrate constitutional principles.
Lesson 1 introduces the 3Rs program to students. The team leader script explains the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, the Bill of Rights, and how courts interpret constitutional rights through precedent. The lesson covers the First Amendment (freedom of speech), Fourth Amendment (search and seizure), Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection), and voting rights.
The small group discussion portion of Lesson 1 focuses on introductions, student goals, and career interests. Volunteers are guided to share their own career paths and ask students questions about their interests, admired figures, and future aspirations. The script includes sample questions and responses for common student career ideas like sports or entertainment.