| I. Why Study in Criminology
Few issues attract more public attention and generate more public debate
than those involving crime and victimization. Unfortunately, these debates
are too often based on emotion rather that on the best available
information.
Criminology is devoted to the study of crime, victimization and social
control. It is an applied discipline that attempts to combine the best of
sociology, social work, law, psychology and psychiatry, history, political
science, economics, biology and other disciplines in the analysis of four
broad issues:
· The origin and maintenance of criminal behavior - why do some people
break the law?
· The social construction of the notion of crime - why do we
criminalize some forms of behavior rather than others?
· The enforcement of rules - why is this process so selective?
· The workings of the criminal justice system - are we pursuing the
right objectives in the right way?
Our overall objective is to provide students with the concepts, theories and
methods necessary for a better understanding of the realities of crime and
control, and with the practical skills that will allow them to participate
and to, hopefully, make a difference in these areas.
II. Materials/Class Activities
TEXT: Street Law, 6th ed., Arbetman & O’Brien
SUPPLIES: 3 ring notebook, loose leaf paper, pen or pencil, colored pencils,
markers or crayons and a journal are required.
ACTIVITIES: Lecture/Note taking, Class Discussion, Graphic Organizers, Group
Work (2-5 people), Reading Assignments, Student Presentations, Audio-Visual
presentations
A Mock Trial will be held toward the end of each semester. Students will be
given court room assignments. Points will be awarded each day of the trial
and can not be made up if student misses a day. Attendance is vital to the
mock trial.
III. Grades
Grades are based on accumulative points for class work, homework, quizzes,
and projects. The quarter grade will be determined by adding up all the
points earned and divided by the total points possible. The resulting grade
will be given a letter grade based on the Mesa Public Schools’ grading
policy. The semester grade will be based on the first quarter grade, second
quarter grade, and the final exam.
90 - 100% = A
80 - 89 % = B
70 - 79 % = C
60 - 69 % = D
0 - 59 % = Fail
Grades are not "rounded up"
IV. Attendance and Homework
A. All work must include your name (both first and last), date and
period. All work must be done in ink. Late work will not be accepted,
except for excused absence.
Sweep Tardy Policy - If you are swept the day an assignment is due, you MUST
turn it in to the responsibility room host. If you ditch (do not go to the
responsibility room), you will forfeit the assignment. If you are swept the
day of a test, you MUST come and see me by 1:00 P.M. of that day and make-up
the test at that time. If not, you will have an essay test make-up. You will
have THREE days to take the essay make-up. If you ditch (do not go to the
responsibility room), you will forfeit the test.
B. Incomplete homework will not be accepted for credit. Late work will
receive half credit (50%) on the first day late and no credit after that.
C. Make-up (verified absence where the parent reports the absence
within one day) you will have one (1) day for each day absent to turn in
make-up work.
D. Your daily attendance is important and perfect or near perfect
attendance is highly recommended!
E. Audit: Students with 10+ absences are in audit status.
V. Criminology Projects
As a student in Criminology you will be required to complete a project for
each 9-week grading period. The project will be graded as 100 points if
completed to teacher satisfaction. For the second quarter, you must do a
project different from your first 9-week project. Class projects are due
on or before Wednesday, October 1, 2008 & Tuesday, December 9, 2008(1st
semester).
RIDE ALONG WITH THE POLICE
Many local police departments as well as DPS and the Sheriff’s Department
offer citizen ride along programs for an up close look at police work. You
must write a one-page report and include the officer’s name, department and
badge number. You will present to the class your experience from the ride-
along. You must start calling immediately to arrange for a ride-along.
Policies often change with each department.
GUEST SPEAKER INVITED TO CLASS
Pick up a "Guest Speaker Form" from Mr. Hill. Arrange with the guest speaker
and after conferring with Mr. Hill for an appropriate day of visit. Complete
the form and give it to Mr. Hill who will send it on to Mr. Gehrman for
approval. You will then make the formal introduction of the guest speaker to
the class (including the speaker’s background). The background/bio will be
at least one page.
INTERVIEW A PROFESSIONAL
Select and arrange a time to interview a judge, lawyer, probation officer,
police officer, court reporter, or other professional in the law-related
area. The interview should be 30 minutes. Prepare your questions before the
interview and turn in to Mr. Hill for approval prior to the interview.
Video tape recording of your interview is acceptable.
BOOK REPORT ON RELATED TOPIC
Select a book (non-fiction) of interest to you on a course-related concept,
i.e. gangs, drugs, homicides, gun control, capital punishment, etc. Show the
selected book to Mr. Hill when you request a book report form. Read the book
and complete the form. Oral check will be done with Mr. Hill to confirm you
actually read the book!
OPINION POLL ON RELATED TOPIC
Develop a hypothesis on your selected topic to be polled. Write 10 to 15
related questions that might show a trend you are investigating. Collect
responses from at least 100 people on your selected topic. Sample group may
be from your classes and randomly selected people. Be sure to ask for
teacher permission to conduct your poll.
Use a 2X3 poster board to complete a chart summary of those responses.
Finally, write a concluding paragraph about your opinion poll on the results
and if your poll proved or disproved your hypothesis.
RESEARCH PAPER
Your topic must be approved by Mr. Hill. The paper must be typed or in ink.
The paper must be a minimum of 5 pages and you must use at least 3
references. One source will be a professional journal, another will be from
the internet, and the third source will be from a related text.
COURT VISIT
Ask for the form for a court visit from Mr. Hill. The court visit should be
for at least 1 hour. Take notes on the cases you observed. Get the judge or
bailiff of the court to sign your notes and/or form. You will write a
summary report on your visit and make a short presentation to the class to
share your experiences. Again, because of scheduling, contact your court of
choice as soon as possible to meet your project deadline.
VOLUNTEER WORK
Volunteer for community work at a police substation or law-related center.
Paperwork documenting volunteer work must be turned in for credit. Include
in your report the organization you assisted and a contact person to verify
the work. If you choose to volunteer, immediately give your cooperating
supervisor's name to Mr. Hill. You may also recieve community service hours.
LAW-RELATED SEMINARS
Attend a law-related seminar and submit the program with notes for credit.
Seminars will be announced in class as they become available.
TOURS OF PRISONS/JAILS
You may schedule a tour of a prison or jail facility during spring break or
an available weekend. Research the facility and call to confirm the
possibility of a scheduled tour. Prepare a one-page report on your
experience. Include the name of the person who lead your tour.
STUDENT SUGGESTED PROJECT
If you have an idea for an interesting project, present it to Mr. Hill for
approval. Do so early in the grading period so time will be available to
complete the project!
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