LESSON 6

Grade Level & Subject: Middle School History
Lesson: Michigan Court System (Part 1)

State Standard and Benchmarks
Social Studies. Strand 3: Civic Perspective. Standard 3.1: Purpose of Government. Students will identify the purpose of national, state, and local governments in the United States, describe how citizens organize governments to accomplish their purposes, and assess their effectiveness. Standard 3.2: Ideals of American Democracy. Students will explain the meaning and origin of the ideas, including core democratic values, expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other foundational documents of the United States. Standard 3.4: American Government and Politics. Students will explain how American governmental institutions at the local, state, and federal levels, provide for the limitation and sharing of power and how the nation’s political system provides for the exercise of power.

Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system
• State the responsibilities of each court
• Diagram a flow chart for how a case moves to the Michigan Supreme Court
• Compare the courts based on common characteristics

Rationale/Purpose for Lesson
There are a number of courts in Michigan’s judicial system. Students must know the function of each court in order to be fully informed citizens.

Resources/Materials Needed
• Student packets “Michigan Judicial System”
• Student Court Comparison Chart

Introduction
Explain to students that the information they are about to study will help them better understand Michigan’s judicial system. They will begin to understand how the courts are connected.

Procedures
1. Hand out the student packet of “Michigan Judicial System”
2. Give students time to read the material and highlight the important information.

Closure
Remind students they have started to learn how our judicial system works. There are a number of courts that make up this system. Their decisions may be challenged to the Michigan Supreme Court.

Guided Study/Homework
1. Students are to complete the reading that was assigned in class.