Community Experience

⚖️ Legal Aid Question Clinic

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Content Expertise Effective Communication Collaboration Academic Mindset Self Directed Learning CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.6 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7 Big Ideas Performance Tasks Real-World Challenge Learning Partners and Clients Submission Required

Students prepare and ask questions during a live or recorded session with Legal Aid of Delaware advocates about unfair treatment, bias, and language barriers in workplaces and public spaces. They capture notes on what counts as evidence, what actions show unfair treatment, and how communities respond. A short debrief connects these ideas to how students will judge the Locktons by actions instead of labels.

Plan day

Day 8

Duration

45 min

Grouping

Whole Class

Steps

6 steps

Lesson plan

6 steps · 45 min

#	What teachers do
1	Launch the clinic by naming the purpose: students will ask Legal Aid of Delaware advocates how unfair treatment, bias, and language barriers affect people in workplaces and public spaces, then use that information later in the Locktons trial case and community hearing. Review three key words with brief student-friendly definitions: bias (an unfair idea about a person or group), evidence (facts or examples that help prove a point), and unfair treatment (actions that do not treat people justly). (5 min)
2	In table teams, students review notes from the previous source evaluation work and brainstorm 3-4 possible questions that connect the novel, history, and the Delaware challenge. Ask teams to sort questions into categories such as 'What happened?', 'What counts as evidence?', 'How do people respond?', and 'How is this similar or different from Chains?' (8 min)
3	Teams choose their strongest 1-2 questions, rehearse how to ask them clearly, and assign roles such as speaker, note-taker, and follow-up asker. Invite students to use sentence starters like 'Can you explain...', 'What evidence would show...', and 'How is this similar to...' so questions stay focused and respectful. (5 min)
4	Conduct the live or recorded Legal Aid Question Clinic. Students listen for examples of unfair treatment, note what actions show bias or abuse of power, record what kinds of evidence matter, and ask prepared or follow-up questions when appropriate. (15 min)
5	Immediately after the clinic, students complete a quick evidence capture with a partner: list at least three facts learned, one example of unfair treatment, one community or legal response, and one connection to Chains or Revolutionary-era history. Encourage partners to check notes together and add missing details. (5 min)
6	Close with a brief debrief circle or turn-and-talk: students answer, 'Why is it important to judge actions instead of labels?' and 'How might this help us decide whether the Locktons acted with justice or abused power?' End by having students star one note they may use later as evidence in their CER or trial work. (7 min)

Preparation (8 items)

Confirm the Legal Aid of Delaware advocate visit or secure the recorded session, including technology check, audio quality, projected display, and backup access if the live connection fails.
Prepare a simple note-catcher with sections for: key facts, examples of unfair treatment, evidence that matters, community/legal responses, similarities to Chains, differences in point of view, and questions I still have.
Pre-select and post 4-6 grade-appropriate question stems and vocabulary supports for bias, evidence, language barrier, point of view, and justice.
Organize students into discussion teams before class and assign or prepare role cards for speaker, note-taker, follow-up asker, and evidence spotter.
Review the advocate's content in advance to ensure questions remain age-appropriate, avoid requesting personal legal details, and focus on patterns of unfair treatment and community response rather than private cases.
Prepare an anchor chart or slide that connects the clinic to the upcoming performance tasks: Locktons courtroom case and mock community hearing.
Gather supports for varying reading and writing levels, such as partially completed note-catchers, picture cues, oral rehearsal time, bilingual supports when available, and sentence starters for discussion.
Plan a respectful discussion norm reminder that includes listening fully, not interrupting, asking one question at a time, and speaking about real people and communities with care.

Student-facing instructions

You will work with your team to prepare thoughtful questions for a Legal Aid of Delaware advocate and listen for answers that help you understand unfair treatment, bias, language barriers, and what counts as evidence. You will need your note-catcher, pencil, and any notes from earlier source work. Your task is to ask or listen for strong questions, take clear notes, and identify ideas that connect to Chains, history, and our later courtroom-style case about the Locktons. As you listen, write down facts, examples of actions that seem unfair, and how people or communities respond. At the end, you will discuss how judging actions instead of labels can help you think carefully about justice.

Success criteria

You know you are done when you have: prepared or contributed to at least one clear question; recorded at least three accurate notes from the clinic; identified at least one example of unfair treatment and one example of a community or legal response; written at least one connection or contrast between the advocate's account and Chains or Revolutionary-era history; and participated respectfully in the debrief by sharing or discussing how actions provide stronger evidence than labels. You can also explain one piece of information you may use later in the Locktons trial case or community hearing.

Facilitator notes

Keep the pace tight so the guest session remains the center of the lesson. If the advocate is live, collect and preview student questions quickly before asking to avoid repetition and to maintain age-appropriate focus. If using a recording, pause at 2-3 planned moments so students can capture notes and generate follow-up wonderings. For grade 4 and 5 learners, model one strong question and one weak question so students see the difference between broad wondering and evidence-seeking inquiry. Support varying reading levels by reading note-catcher headings aloud, allowing sketches or bullets instead of full sentences, pairing students strategically, and offering sentence frames such as 'An action that seems unfair is...' and 'This is similar to Chains because....' Watch for students drifting into judging groups by labels instead of analyzing actions; redirect with prompts like 'What did the person do or say?' and 'What evidence supports that idea?' If students have limited background knowledge, briefly remind them of key events or character actions from the novel before the clinic. Save student note-catchers because they should become source material for the upcoming CER and later performance tasks.

Resources

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