A.C.E. Program Goals

• Exploring the role of citizens, government and law in society
• Enlivening the classroom by linking current events and interactive lessons to existing social studies curriculum
• Invigorating students with role playing and small group activities
• Providing support networks and role models
• Preventing dropouts and encouraging responsible decision-making
• Affording insight into the core tenets that undergird our Constitutional legal system
• Reflecting upon power structures including appropriate methods of dispute resolution
• Involving the legal community in the daily challenges and successes of Philadelphia public schools
• Showing that adults are invested in students' success
• Exposing high school students to diverse attorneys, judges and practice areas

Learn more about A.C.E.

• To learn more about the program, benefits, responsibilities and frequently asked questions, please visit the Philadelphia Bar Association's web site.
• Or you can sign-up to become an A.C.E. Volunteer
• For questions about the A.C.E. program please contact Jenimae Almquist at jmalmquist@raynesmccarty.com.

Resources for A.C.E. Volunteers: How-To and Helpful Classroom Tips

• Welcome to Advancing Civics Education
• Before Your First School Visit
• Tips for Success (Classroom Strategies)
• Working with Students - Sensitivity Matters

A.C.E. Curriculum Toolbox
The A.C.E. enrichment program complements students' existing social studies curriculum. Lessons should be selected based on the curriculum currently being taught by teachers at your assigned school. A.C.E. teams may select lessons from the toolbox of lessons provided below, including the original World History focused curriculum developed in 2008-09 to dovetail with ninth grade world history classes in Philadelphia and the wide array of alternative lessons that are being added for 2009-10. The toolbox concept allows for greater flexibility and ensures you will find the best lessons to complement and enrich what is currently being taught in your assigned class.

We recommend you read this article to learn about the world history curriculum lesson plan format and help prepare for each class.

A.C.E. Curriculum Toolbox Alternative Lessons
Want to supplement or change the curriculum? Below you will find alternative lessons and links to lessons available on the Internet to help you customize your lessons to meet the needs of the students in your class.

Alternative Lessons
These lessons have been added to our toolbox for A.C.E. Teams that are not in a world history class, or need other topics based upon their students' classroom curriculum.

• Developing Rules for the A.C.E. Classroom Visits (Alternate Introductory Lesson)
• Enlightenment Thinkers and the Social Contract: How do you govern your deserted island? (Enlightenment Period Lesson)
• Who is, or should be, protected by contracts? Comparison of indentured servant, African slave and modern-day immigrant experience
• Military Tribunals Lesson - this lesson explores topics such as the different sources of power for Article III courts, international rules of war, basic human rights, acts of terrorism and acts of war. Students are challenged to consider scenarios and develop arguments for one side or the other.
• Debating Current Events in Africa - this lesson builds on information students have been learning about Africa. Students are asked to organize into three groups to prepare for a debate on these topics: giving financial relief to developing nations in Africa; genocide in Darfur; the likelihood of certain countries or regions in Africa establishing democratic forms of government.
• The First Amendment and Schools – this lesson asks students to consider various scenarios and decide if the school can regulate the speech or conduct.

A wealth of ideas for lesson plans are available on the Internet. Below are some suggested sites with lesson plans that might be suitable for your classroom:

PennCORD - Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy
http://www.penncord.org/lesson-plans/
http://www.penncord.org/programs/
Provides a high quality array of lesson plans and links to other educational resources.

Pennsylvania Bar Association: http://www.pabar.org/public/education/lawday/judlawclassroom.asp
Developing hub for lesson plans from various programs around the state

Our Courts/21st Century Civics: http://ourcourts.org/for-teachers/
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s initiative for web-based civics education

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/archive.html
Type in a keyword and you can access a related lesson plan (2000 archived lesson plans)

Center for Civic Education: http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=high_school

Lesson plan: “Can the Government Keep a Secret?” from the Center for Civic Education (Available for classroom use only; please acknowledge copyright if used).
http://www.civiced.org/pdfs/yfj/YFJHighLesson.pdf

Lesson plan: Search and Seizure (from Educator’s reference desk)
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0036.html

“Civics Online”: Simple ideas for classroom examination of basic constitutional concepts such as justice, liberty, the rule of law, life and federalism.
Grades 6-8 http://www.matrix.msu.edu/~civics/teachers/customactivities.php

Grades 9-12 (may require advanced reading skills and/or extensive Constitutional background)
http://www.matrix.msu.edu/~civics/teachers/customactivities.php

Please share your materials with us so that we can build a bigger, better toolbox! If you have a lesson plan or other resources to submit, please forward to Jenimae Almquist at jmalmquist@raynesmccarty.com