Program Type

Book Clubs meet regionally throughout Oregon on a periodic basis to discuss different texts about civics and the Constitution. Book Clubs are open to teachers and other interested community members and are intended to foster discussion about relevant, topical issues.

CAPs is an inquiry-based student action program that guides students through the process of researching and identifying issues in their communities that are important to students and proposing and advocating for policy solutions with the appropriate decision makers. CAPs can be adapted to suit the needs of teachers’ classrooms based on grade level and subject area.

Courthouse Experience Tours offer students an opportunity to witness the court system in action. Tours include an orientation and background about how the judicial system operates, observation of court proceedings (arraignments, trials, sentencing hearings, etc.), and discussions with members of the court system (attorneys, judges, and court staff).

Provided weekly throughout the school year, Current Events address contemporary topics and include an overview essay about the issue, resource suggestions (background information, articles, editorials, podcasts, and videos), and lesson plans, including vocabulary, essential questions, and activity suggestions. Classroom Law Project has also compiled a variety of activities and instructor resources for teaching current events.

During every major election cycle, Classroom Law Project assembles resources and interactive, inquiry-based activities for middle- and high-school teachers to use with their classes. Materials from the 2020 and 2022 election cycles are currently available.

Law Day is an annual event for high-school students focusing on legal, social, and political issues concerning and of interest to youth. Presentations and workshops are provided by experts, scholars, and activists to provide a cohesive and engaging experience for students.

Mock Trial is a popular classroom strategy and extracurricular competition in which classes use a mock court case to learn more about what might otherwise seem like a distant judicial system. Students play the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and court officers while learning skills of public speaking, teamwork, research, collaboration, civil and criminal legal concepts, and civic engagement.

Offered annually each December, the Oregon Civics Conference is offered to teachers throughout Oregon committed to implementing civics education in their teaching. Keynote speakers, workshops, a legislator coffee hour, and networking discussions provide the backbone of this one-day event.

Throughout the year, Classroom Law Project offers workshops, trainings, networking opportunities, and other activities designed to support teachers in improving their practice as civic educators. Recent topics have included Community Action Projects, Current Events, and We the People.

Offered by Classroom Law Project to classrooms in the Portland Metro and surrounding areas in partnership with Lewis & Clark Law School. Law students meet weekly to practice learner-centered teaching methodology and learn the relevant legal topics for their classes. Then, they teach ~90 minutes per week in a high-school classroom. Street law topics provide an appropriate fit with government, psychology, sociology, and elective law courses.

A three-day conference for teachers that allows teachers to explore civics-education topics in a variety of ways. Keynote and guest speakers, workshops, field trips, teacher planning time, and interactions with lawmakers provide teachers with a multi-modal approach to deepening their craft in a relaxed, collegial environment.

Town Halls provide students an environment to explore a controversial current issue by researching and performing the role of a person with an interest in the problem. By listening to others and frequently taking on roles whose views may not align with their own, students learn how to understand the multiple perspectives on a given issue and develop/argue for a nuanced argument from a particular point of view.

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is an active-learning curriculum designed to foster deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and institutions of government. The culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing in which students testify before a panel, answering questions that demonstrate their knowledge and confidence. Some high schools choose to participate in a competitive version of the program, with regional- and state-level competitions in January and February each year.