Civic Education Professional Development Module
A professional development module for teachers and preservice educators dedicated to civics and citizenship teaching and learning.
          This website provides a variety of self-guided modules including full-text articles, links, teacher resources, and contact information to enhance your understanding of this complex field, civic education.  You may want to create a file on your computer so you can copy files and links from this module as you progress.  It is designed in such a way that you do not need to proceed in order through the modules, so feel free to meander and find what you need.  Begin using the Civic Education Professional Development Module 

Judicial Independence: Understanding the Courts and the Constitution 
These activities and resources were designed to help students and adults “experience” the role of judges, understanding the judicial decision making process, explore judicial accountability, and determine threats to judicial independence. View the Guide

Law Related Education in Dropout Prevention and Academic Intervention Programs
This law related education resource was developed to introduce students in alternative education and academic intervention programs to law related education.  In 1999, the Florida legislature amended the Dropout Prevention Act to include the teaching law and character education.  This resource guide provides a unit of activities to assist with this new mandate. View the Guide

Justice is Served 
This annual guide provides activities and resources to help judges in the classroom.  Case studies, games, and a variety of presentation ideas are included. View the Guide

State Mock Trial Competition
A High School Mock Trial case is released annually for use with our state competition. Many teachers utilize the case in the classroom as well. A mock trial clinic is also held to introduce the materials and demonstrate the use of mock trials as a teaching strategy. The Association releases the case materials annually at the Florida Council for the Social Studies Conference. Go to Mock Trial Page

A video clip encouraging students to learn more about the Florida justice system.

Florida CivicEd  view 

Florida CivicEd is the premier Internet web site on Florida government designed for secondary teachers and students.  The site includes video interviews, cartoons on how a bill becomes a law, civic discussions, and a variety of lessons and activities.

The Justice Teaching Institute  view 

The Justice Teaching Institute is an event sponsored by the Florida Supreme Court for secondary teachers to promote understanding of the Florida judicial system. Contact the Association for additional details and dates.

Planet Lawless
Have you ever tried to talk with your kindergarten students about the need for rules? Planet Lawless is a fun way to introduce very young students, in grades PreK-2, about why we have rules and laws. The coloring/activity book takes a look at what life might be like if we didn't have rules. A trip to Planet Lawless helps students explore this new world.

Attorneys visiting grades K-2 find this a very useful and fun tool to stimulate discussions about why we have laws. Special thanks to the Florida Bar Foundation, Interest on Trust Accounts Program for sponsoring this publication.

We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution is the premier constitutional education program in the country. Developed by the Center for Civic Education, the program incorporates a six week curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school students on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. A simulated congressional hearing provides hands-on experiences for students. Limited sets of materials are available at no cost to interested schools. A high school mock congressional hearing competition is held annually. Florida students have won the national finals on more than one occasion.

Project Citizen is an elementary and middle school curriculum designed to involve students in the process of developing and analyzing public policy. Students work with government lawyers and their local legislative offices to examine public policy with respect to community-based issues. The entire class develops a portfolio proposing their solutions in the form of public policy and establishes an action plan for its implementation.  The program is endorsed by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Life Inside is a new video and secondary curriculum chronicling the lives of youthful offenders in Florida's prison system. This program was developed in cooperation with the Florida Department of Corrections and contains a 30 minute video and 200 page curriculum examining applied justice. Contact FLREA for more information.

Courts Unit A new courts unit is being published this year to assist secondary teachers with their classroom studies of the state and federal court system.  In addition to the structure and function of the courts, this unit explores various issues facing the courts and the judiciary and integrates numerous hands-on activities.

If you would like more information about the content listed here or you would like to request a copy of our course material Please contact the Association at staff@flrea.org or the Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc., 1625 Metropolitan Circle, Suite B, Tallahassee, Florida 32308.