courts challenge

Welcome to the Courts Challenge – an inquiry-based approach to learning about courts. These materials for learners in the middle and upper primary years will enable them to develop skills, knowledge and understandings about the function of courts in South Australia.

Through group decision-making, discussion and problem solving, learners can build upon their own knowledge and understanding to form opinions about how courts operate, their key features and the role they play in society, and then make an assessment about their effectiveness.

For a complete set of the Courts Challenge pages click here (PDF) (810 KBs)

For individual pages click on the list below (last updated 5 January 2006)

Acknowledgements

Why learn about courts?

Introductory teacher notes:    Connecting the curriculum
                                                        Using the materials                                           

Learner activities:  What makes an effective decision?
                                    
                                    What makes an effective judge?
                                                Additional resources 
   
                                FS 1: How judges are selected
   
                                T 1: Quality cards
   
                                T 2: Qualities of a judge 

                                  What makes an effective court?
                                               Additional resources
                                               
FS 2: Disputes and systems of trial
                                                FS 3: The stages in a criminal dispute in the Magistrate’s Court
                                                FS 4: Who’s who in a Magistrate’s Court criminal hearing
                                                Teacher Resource: How to facilitate a debate

                                 What makes an effective sentence?
                                                Additional resources
                                                FS 5: The sentencing process
                                                FS 6: Sentencing – Factors a court considers
                                                Learner activity: Moral dilemmas
                                                How would you decide?

Glossary of terms

To read a copy of the speech given by Chief Justice Murray Gleeson of the High Court of Australia about the role of judges click here.

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