Students at the elementary-school level in New Haven bring to the classroom a myriad of problems that reflect the intricacies and complexity of life in the inner-city in the United States. The setting is New Haven, and because the environment seems to be so powerful in the lives of school children, we are compelled to speak about this stage where the drama of our students takes place. In short, to be a student in the classroom in New Haven, as well as in countless of cities in the United States, is to be at a disadvantage in terms of the resources and opportunities that students in suburban schools have at their disposition. We propose a curriculum unit dealing with the language of the law as a means to increase the understanding of the problems of the every-day life of the student. Our question is whether the laws enacted and the milieu are in the best interests of the children. Students are given the opportunity to explore this question and encouraged to seek solutions.
(Recommended for Language, Math and Social Studies, grades 5-12)
Key Words
Children Rights Best Interest Standards Monologue Poems Dramatic Interpretation Drama Divorce Family Life Problems Law Child Custody Children’s Rights
