This is a guide for volunteers who want to bring Our Courts into the classroom using our game, Do I Have a Right?. A more detailed, illustrated guide suitable for printing is available here.
If you have questions or comments about volunteering in the classroom, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@ourcourts.org or at (202) 661-6527.
What you and the classroom teacher should know before deciding if this is the right fit:
Do I Have A Right? is designed to be played by middle-school students, but may be appropriate for younger or older students depending on reading levels.
All that is needed for Do I Have A Right? is functioning computers, internet access, and the Adobe Flash download, which is available here as a free download.
Do I Have A Right? takes about 30 minutes for students to play all the way through.
Do I Have A Right? teaches students constitutional rights found in the Bill of Rights and other key constitutional amendments. These are required in many state’s social studies standards, so this is a good use of a class period!
Like many computer games, Do I Have A Right? involves trial and error in figuring out the rules. But this is part of the fun of it, and what makes each play unique. You don’t need to be the expert on game rules!
At the end of Do I Have A Right, students can print out a detailed score report for grading purposes.
There is nothing students need to know before they play Do I Have A Right. However, some familiarity with the Bill of Rights and the Constitution helps students get the most out of the game. We suggest the Our Courts lesson plan Bill of Rights: You Mean I’ve Got Rights?
How you should prepare:
Make sure you know the number and substance of all the constitutional amendments covered in the game.
Play Do I Have A Right a few times to get familiar with the basic mechanics. If you want to make sure you’ve discovered all the nooks and crannies, download the Teacher's Guide.
Find out what background the students have on the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, courts, and lawyers.
What you should do:
Begin the class period with students assembled in the computer lab.
Introduce yourself. If you are a lawyer, tell the students about that (you may want to leave time at the end to answer questions about how practicing law is similar or different from Do I Have A Right?).
Ask students how many constitutional rights they can name. Write down on the board rights they correctly name. Spend more time on this if students are already familiar with the Constitution and Bill of Rights. If they are unfamiliar, explain that the Bill of Rights is a set of amendments to the Constitution that protect some of our most basic rights.
Ask students if they know what lawyers do. Guide them to the specific role of lawyers in protecting clients’ rights.
Tell students that they will play a game in which they will run a constitutional law firm and help advise clients about rights found in the U.S. Constitution. Tell them to pay careful attention to what the amendments are and what specialties different lawyers in the game have.
Have them go to www.ourcourts.org and click on play games and then Do I Have A Right. Start playing!
You and the teacher should circulate as students play the game to answer any questions they might have.