Social Studies 9



Grade Nine Justice UnitTo Punish or to Rehabilitate – That is the QuestionWhen considering the consequences for breaking the law, the justice system must consider:the severity of the crimeprotection of societyefficacy (how effective will the punishment be at preventing recidivism) costthe age and other background factors of the accusedthe needs of the victim to have a sense of justice So how can Canada create the best system that can address these issues?The purpose of this assignment is to explore Canada’s justice system, specifically whether Canadian needs are best met if our justice system focuses more on punishment as a deterrent to committing crime, or rehabilitation to encourage former criminals to become law-abiding citizens.Your task will be to look at a specific country and gather information on whether that country looks more at using punishment or rehabilitation to prevent crimes and make the society safer for everyone. You will be working in a group to gather your information and create a display that will be shown to your classmates. Each member of the group will take on one aspect of the case study and will be evaluated on their own work (although the overall appeal of the display can impact your grades, so you will want to work together to ensure that your display is engaging to look at, and does not repeat the same information unnecessarily).Once we have completed the displays and had a chance to look at the various case studies, you will write a letter to your MP explaining your opinion of whether you think Canada should focus more on rehabilitation, or “get tough on crime”. The information from the various displays will help you to write a letter that is persuasive by having evidence to back up your statements. After your letter is evaluated, you can choose whether or not you want to send it to your MP.Step One – Get OrganizedChoose your group (think this over carefully, you want to work with people who will contribute to your display and will support others). Each group should have four people, unless otherwise specified by your teacher.Choose your case study – as each case study should only be researched by one group, your teacher will have to help organize this.Step Two – Get ResearchingNow it’s time to start collecting the data. Look for statistics, stories and other data that will help to explain your case study. For each piece of data, you must cite your information using a footnote and proper bibliography style. If you are unsure how to do this, consult your teacher. You will want to be sure that the data you are collecting is from a reputable source – consider this before you take information from a website.Every member of the group should researchcrime rates in the regionrecidivism rates for various crimesstories from/of those who have been in the prison systemChoose which member of the group will be responsible for the following specific area of information and analysis: (this will be their area of focus on the display)A. Prison conditionsB. Per capita incarceration ratesC. Punishments for specific crimes (including armed robbery, murder, …)D. Use of the death penalty or other physical punishments Potential Case Studies:CanadaAustraliaSwitzerlandMexicoCubaChinaRussiaSaudi ArabiaThailandNorth KoreaGreat BritainGermanyMalaysiaSouth AfricaBrazilUnited States (this has been broken up into specific aspects of the US justice system)Arizona – including the attempt as using the tent city jailTexas – death penaltyCalifornia – “three strikes” lawSuperMax facilities throughout the United StatesAlternatives: Aboriginal healing circles, Canada’s faint hope clauseStep Three – Presenting your informationIf you have chosen to use a trifold: split the middle section into 2 parts to create a total of 4 sections to be used by each member of the group. If you have an alternative way of displaying your information, let your teacher know (you cannot use a digital format at this time, as the displays may be in an area that will not allow for digital communication).For each section of the display, each member of the group should present the information they have uncovered about the case study assigned. You should be looking at how your statistics demonstrate whether or not this country focuses more on rehabilitation versus punishment in their system. So, for example, if your case study supports the use of the death penalty, that demonstrates a greater focus on punishment over rehabilitation (because a person who is about to die doesn’t need to be prepared to re-enter society).The analysis of the information should include charts or images to make the information more interesting. It is recommended that much of your information be presented in point-form as that is easier to read.Checklist for the displayDo I have sufficient information on my specific area of focus to help decide whether the case study focuses more on punishment or rehabilitationHave I included the statistics on crime rates and recidivism ratesHave I provided images and/or charts to help illustrate my findingsHave I cited all of my sources properly according to the teacher’s directionsHave I coordinated with my team to ensure our display is engaging, informative and interesting (and doesn’t just repeat the same ideas over and over again)Evaluation of the case study display:LimitedSatisfactoryExcellentInformativePurpose/theme not clear. Factually inaccurate, no extension of ideasPurpose and theme somewhat clear. Some factual inaccuracies, some extension of ideasPurpose easily identifiable, unique theme, factually accurate, insightful extension of ideasConcise There is too little or too much information to convey ideasIdeas are clear, but some areas needed more depth of explanationIdeas are judiciously chosen to present the most important pointsEngagingPoor use of space. Demonstrates limited control of images, color, materials, and craftsmanship. Conveys mood with limited effectiveness.Adequate use of space, balanced. Demonstrates some control of images, color, materials, and craftsmanship. Overall display is matter of fact.Excellent use of space, well balanced. Demonstrates thorough and creative use of images, excellent craftsmanship. Conveys mood effectively Proper citationCitation is lackingSome sources are cited, but may not be in the proper formatSources are cited accurately and in the proper formatEvaluation of the letter Explanation and Support ( /15)Communication ( /5)ExcellentExplanations are deliberate and comprehensive, revealing a perceptive understanding. Support is specific and accurate. Errors, if present, do not detract from the response. A thorough understanding of the assigned task is demonstrated.Writing is fluent and purposefully organized.Vocabulary is precise.Confident control of sentence structure, grammar and mechanics. Errors, if present, are inconsequential.ProficientExplanations are appropriate and purposeful, revealing a clear understanding. Support is relevant and appropriate, but may contain some minor errors. A clear understanding of the assigned task is demonstrated.Writing is clearly organized.Vocabulary is specificFrequently demonstrates effective control of sentence construction, grammar. Errors do not detract from communication.SatisfactoryExplanations are general and straightforward, revealing an acceptable understanding. Support is relevant but general, may be incompletely developed, and/or contains errors. An acceptable understanding of the assigned task is demonstrated.Writing is generally clear and functionally organized.Vocabulary is adequate.Writing demonstrates basic control, errors do not seriously interfere with communicationLimitedExplanations are overgeneralized and/or redundant, revealing a confused, though discernable understanding. Support is superficial, may not always be relevant, and may contain significant errors. An incomplete understanding of task is demonstrated.Writing is uneven and incomplete, but discernibly organizedVocabulary is imprecise and/or inappropriateWriting demonstrates a faltering control of sentence structure, grammar and mechanics. Error hinder communicationInsufficientExplanations are tangential or minimal, revealing a negligible understanding. Support, if present, is incomplete, may be marginally relevant, and contains significant and/or frequent errors. A minimal understanding of the assigned task is demonstratedWriting is unclear and disorganized.Vocabulary is ineffective and often incorrect.A lack of control of sentence structure, grammar and mechanics. Errors impede communication ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download