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SFU Centre for Education, Law and Society

The central purpose of CELS is to improve the legal literacy of children and young adults through a program of teaching, research, curriculum development, and school-based initiatives. Our work encompasses the role of law in society and its impact on the individual, citizenship engagement, social justice and human rights, conflict resolution, school law and policies, and cyberbullying. We offer credit courses in law-related education and conduct research into topical legal issues.

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Online Resources

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Elizabeth Laird's "The Garbage King" Through a Children's Rights Lens

An integrated learning resource that uses the novel “The Garbage King” by Elizabeth Laird as a starting point to help students become aware of the concept of human and children’s rights and to inspire students to become ...
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The Royal Proclamation of 1763 and how it affects Aboriginal issues in Canada today

Students learn about the historical background and the significant elements of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 that applied to Aboriginal peoples. Students learn how the Royal Proclamation has relevance to the present ...
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The Lennikov Case: A case study on the concepts of justice and fairness

This case study is a lesson in the application of the principles of justice and fairness. The issue is the request by Mikhail Lennikov for residency in Canada and the subsequent denial of residency and deportation order ...
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A Mock Trial: "You can't say that!  It's cyber-libel!" (Understanding libel and how it can occur in electronic communications such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat)

This mock trial is a practical lesson for intermediate/ middle school level students to help them understand libel and how it can occur in electronic communications such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
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A Growing Community

A reality-based activity allowing students to explore participatory citizenship. Students take on roles within a community in transition. They work to determine whether their community should grow and by how much. At ...
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Crime and Punishment in Medieval Times: The Life, Trial, and Execution of Joan of Arc

The lesson studies the life, trial, and execution of Joan of Arc, and examines their relation to current legal processes, demonstrating changing notions of law and how legal categories of right and wrong (as well as ...
Also available in: French
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Streamside Setbacks and the Coquitlam Case

A reality-based activity that allows students to explore participatory citizenship. Students work as teams of journalists to explore the changes made to the regulations around determining how close to a salmon bearing ...
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Using Freedom of Information Legislation: A Mock Public Hearing

This integrated resource is for BC secondary school teachers who want to teach students about freedom of information legislation in Canada and BC. By engaging in a role-play of a public hearing by a municipal ...
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Mock trial dramas and restorative justice: Lesson ideas and educational resources

Lesson ideas and educational resources to complement three People's Law School dramas. Presents both pre and post-drama classroom activities designed to enhance the learning opportunities of the students who attend the ...
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Who has the power? A case study in "Insite" and the division of powers in Canadian government

This resource addresses the issue of the division of legislative powers between federal and provincial governments in Canada.
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