6. In the Courtroom

Written by Marilyn Baker with Lori Forbes

READING PASSAGE

 

There are also laws that help those accused of breaking a law. People who are arrested for not following a law can go to court. In court, they have the chance to tell their side of the story.

A judge is in charge of the court. There is a group of citizens called the jury that is picked by the court. The jury listens to both sides of the story. After they have heard the whole story, they decide if the person broke a law.

If the jury decides the person is guilty, or broke a law, the judge decides on a punishment. If the jury decides that the person is not guilty, or did not break a law, then he or she is set free.

READER TASKS

Click here to View BEFORE READING Directions

EXPLORE | PREDICT |LISTEN

Follow these three easy steps to discover what this passage may be about.

    1. EXPLORE the visual images and text features in the Reading Passage.
    2. PREDICT what this passage will be about.
    3. LISTEN to the passage read to you by your teacher or click on the Play button in the Reading Passage.

View the video tutorial on Reader Task 1.

POST

Click to View FIRST READ Directions

READ | DETERMINE MEANING | HIGHLIGHT AND DEFINE | ANSWER

Follow these four steps to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

    1. READ independently, with a partner, or chorally.
    2. DETERMINE THE MEANING of the boldfaced words using vocabulary strategies.
    3. HIGHLIGHT AND DEFINE using the highlighter tool.
    4. ANSWER the question.

Repeat the directions above for each stop sign.

View the video tutorial on Reader Task 2.

TASKS

Click to View SECOND READ Directions
 

REREAD | DETERMINE MAIN IDEA | HIGHLIGHT KEY DETAILS | SUMMARIZE

Follow these four steps to obtain a clear understanding of the passage.

    1. REREAD independently, with a partner, or chorally.
    2. DETERMINE THE MAIN IDEA with on your own, with a partner, or with a group.
    3. HIGHLIGHT KEY DETAILS that support the main idea.
    4. SUMMARIZE in 25 words or less.

Repeat the directions above for each stop sign.

TASKS

Click to View THIRD READ Directions
 

READ | UNPACK | ANSWER

Follow these three steps to dig deeper into the meaning of the text.

  • READ the question carefully.
  • UNPACK the question on your own, with a partner, or group.
  • ANSWER the question using the RACE strategy (see Strategies tab for help).

View the video tutorial on Reader Task 4.

ITEMS

Use the RACE strategy to answer these items. Click on the Strategies tab for an explanation of the RACE strategy.

Click to View RESPONSE TO PASSAGE Directions

RESPOND TO THE PASSAGE

Use any of the following frames to respond to the passage. You can copy and paste the frames into your response.

After reading this passage, I wonder...

One thought I had...

One question that kept coming to mind was...

This passage reminds me of...

RESPOND

Click on the strategy to view a description of the strategy, an example, and an explanation.

Vocabulary Strategies 

  • Appositive
  • Context Clue
  • Morphology
  • Compound Word
  • Cognate
  • Ask an Expert

 

RACE Strategy

  • Restate the question
  • Answer the question
  • Cite the text
  • Explain your answer

Table of Contents

References
LaMance, Ken. “I Want To Be A Lawyer When I Grow Up.” Legal Match. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct 2013. http://www.legalmatch.com/.
Pancare, Rachel. “Teaching Children the Difference Between Rules & Laws.” Modern Mom. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. http://www.modernmom.com/.
“U.S. Constitution.” U.S. Constitution. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. http://www.usconstitution.net>
Kids in the House: http://kids.clerk.house.gov
Linz, K.. Chickens May Not Cross the Road and Other Crazy (But True) Laws.
 Scheppler, B. How a Law is Passed.
 
Image References
Courtroom by Clyde Robinson, CC BY 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/crobj/4312159033