LawCentral Schools is designed for teachers and students and provides access to law-related resources coded by their relationship to the Alberta curriculum. The site includes opportunities to access law-related lesson and unit ideas, inquiry and student action support, assessment ideas, interactive activities, clip art and links.
For teachers and students at the elementary or secondary level, this page provides a selection of educational materials about the law, democracy and civic participation as well as resources about school safety, bullying, and internet safety.
Other ways to find materials helpful for teachers and students are:
- Select the topic(s): Classroom materials, School safety, Bullying, Internet safety
- For resources on specific legal topics browse the section Learn More About... or search the list of all legal topics
- For resources directly related to the Alberta school curriculum, see LawCentral Schools.
CPLEA Suggested Resources
Not sure where to begin finding answers to your questions. Get started with our suggested resources. See additional resources below for more information.
After 35 years as a print publication, LawNow has transformed into an online publication. LawNow provides credible legal information, interpretation and comment to help Canadians make critical decisions in their lives, and make meaningful and effective contributions to the democratic life of community and country.
LawNow magazine is an incredible resource for teachers. Each issue offers engaging articles about law in language suitable for students. Teachers Talk LawNow is a series of lesson plans for teachers based on these articles. Topics covered include: social studies, legal studies, science, health, and CALM.
Alberta Resources
Online publications provided by the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre are available for download in PDF form. Titles include: Youth Employment Handbook; Respectful Me, Respectful You: Discrimination, Harassment and Human Rights - Educator's Manual; Employer's Guide: Trans-Identified People in the Workplace; and Seniors and the Law. A variety of other publications are available to order in print (see the Publications Order form under Resources).
This website, provided by the Government of Alberta, helps parents, teens and community members take control of this issue by giving them the tools they need to prevent or intervene in a bullying situation. It has fact sheets on issues such as cyberbullying and homophobic bullying, as well as more general information concerning the effects of bullying and what constitutes bullying.
Edmonton John Howard Society is a not-for-profit, community-based crime prevention agency. They provide assistance to people in conflict with the law, their families, those who have the potential to be in conflict with the law, and victims of crime. Their work to eradicate the root causes of crime helps build safety and harmony in communities. The Edmonton John Howard Society works to promote a better understanding of the Criminal Justice System and the consequences of breaking the law. Their work is accomplished through educational presentations provided to youth in the school system and the community. Caseworkers provide support and assist individuals throughout the various stages of the record suspension application process.
Every Living Thing is the Alberta SPCA’s humane education website for teachers who aim to inspire compassion for animals, people and the environment – every living thing! The Alberta SPCA believes people have a duty to accept responsibility for the welfare of animals. The SPCA hopes to nurture a humane attitude toward animals through a humane education program.
Background information and resources for teachers and students on lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified youth. Includes applicable laws; suitable for grades 9 and up.
These guidelines support the creation of welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments that foster diversity and nurture a sense of belonging and a positive sense of self . Their purpose is to enable school authorities to use best practices in creating and supporting learning environments that respect diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions. (January 2016)
This project of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre provides teacher’s guides, student materials, videos and a bibliography of online resources to help students and teachers in junior and senior high schools to explore the topics of discrimination, sexual harassment and human rights.
Nothing can replace the experience a student will have when they come face to face with the faded parchment and King Edward’s ancient royal seal of Durham Cathedral’s Magna Carta. This feature article found in the Nov/Dec 2015 issue of LawNow magazine was written as a guide to Magna Carta for Alberta teachers.
This card, produced by BearPaw Legal provides information for students and parents on the School Act relating to their rights related to atending school in Alberta, as well as suspension and expulsion from school. See also their video that helps parents through a suspension or expulsion in Alberta schools.http://www.bearpaweducation.ca/videos/suspensions-and-expulsions-school-alberta
This manual was developed by the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. It provides background information for teachers and activities on human rights, the Charter, discrimination, bullying and harassment and applicable laws, suitable for secondary school students (Grades 7 to 12). It may be used with the ACLRC's The Respectful Me, Respectful You DVD and guidebook. Includes reproducible handouts. 2014
The mission of Alberta Education's SACS Initiative is to encourage and assist members of the school community in developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and supports needed to ensure that all Alberta schools are safe and caring. Many projects and resources have been developed under the provincial SACS Initiative since it was started in 1996. Alberta Education works with schools and communities to proactively encourage and promote safe and caring environments.
This activity sheet is a twist on the classic children’s game that helps players learn how to make smart privacy choices by climbing up a ladder when they make a good decision or sliding down a snake because they have shared a password with a friend, for example.
The mock trial program is intended to provide a simulation of a real courtroom experience. During the trial, students take on the roles of lawyers, court clerks, witnesses, and jury members. Resource materials are provided to teachers to help them support their students in preparing for their mock trial experience. Contains "teacher only" information as well as student handouts. Mock trials currently available for junior and senior high classes.
Canada/Federal
Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust (CCLET) is a non-profit research and educational organization created by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. CCLET’s function is to introduce Canadians to the exploration of civil liberties and to help in the development of democratic habits. Website includes a section of resources for teachers.
This site is about the history of Canada through the words of the men and women who shaped the nation. Built around the Government Documents collection of the Early Canadiana Online collection, it integrates narrative text with links to primary source texts. The site has been designed for students and teachers of Canadian studies, history and law, but will also be useful to researchers and anyone else interested in Canada's past.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has created this graphic novel to help young Canadians to better understand and navigate privacy issues in the online world. The 12-page graphic novel– is designed to appeal to tweens and younger teens. The novel was developed with feedback from young people, it tells the story of a brother and sister who learn (sometimes the hard way) about the privacy risks related to social networking, mobile devices and texting, and online gaming.To accompany the graphic novel, they have also developed a discussion guide that educators can use to generate further discussion and learning.
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