Implementation
There are several different models for introducing the Rule of Law Project to your students. Here are the models currently in use:
- Team Teaching Model
- With this model, teachers are paired with volunteers from the local bar association, and, together, they plan a lesson/activity for the day mutually chosen for the presentation. This model requires both the teacher and the volunteer to work as a team; the volunteer does not simply become a guest speaker.
- Assembly Model
- This model is recommended for large schools, two or three schools, or for an entire small school division. With this model, students from several schools may be brought to a central location – a local high school or the county courthouse – for an assembly that includes a 20-30 minute assembly during which students hear about the rule of law from the perspectives of judges, lawyers, law enforcement officials, elected government officials, etc. Some past assemblies have issued hand responders to students so they could take a short mock SOL test on the three branches of government. After the assembly, students are divided into small groups and assigned a room where they interact with volunteers representing the three branches of government. During this 45-60 minute session, students may discuss actual cases, participate in group activities, or have the opportunity to hear more about the rule of law from the perspective of each volunteer’s area of expertise, after which they have time to ask questions. This model requires the greatest investment of time and energy in coordinating and planning the event. Other considerations include transportation, an appropriately large enough facility to handle a large number of students, teachers, and volunteers, and an adequate allocation of time (at least 90 minutes). This model has been successfully used in Richmond, Petersburg, and Prince Edward County. Again, this is a one-day event.
- Teacher-Directed Model
- Teachers are trained to use ROL Project materials to introduce their students to the rule of law. This model is designed to assist teachers in making the rule of law a recurring theme that they can use to connect many of the topics they discuss in the course of a year. We sometimes refer to this method as the thematic model.