Week_5_Activities

**READINGS**
Read the following chapters and related cases to prepare for this week's whole group and team activities. Constitutinality of Reimbursements to Non-Public Schools LEMON v. KURTZMAN EARLEY v. DICENSO || pp. 91-98 || pp.103-110 || Interpretation of Federal Equal Access Act BOARD OF EDUCATION OF WESTSIDE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS v. MERGENS || pp. 102-108 || pp.114-120 || Constitutionality of Invocation and Benediction at Graduation Ceremony LEE v. WEISMAN || pp. 108-115 || pp.120-127 || Constitutionality of Prayer at Public School Sporting Events SANTA FE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT v. DOE || pp. 126-136 || pp.138-148 || Access Rights of Religious Groups to Use Public School Facilities GOOD NEWS CLUB v. MILFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL || pp. 136-143 || pp.148-155 ||
 * **Reutter's Law of Public Education** || **6th Edition** || **7th Edition** ||
 * Chapter 2: Church-State Relations in Education || pp. 25-74 || pp. 29-86 ||
 * Case No. 7
 * Case No. 9
 * Case No. 10
 * Case No. 12
 * Case No. 13

(3) Additional Readings Read the content presentation, U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools to gain more information about student rights related to religion in schools. Locate your local school system's religious holiday observances. To what extent is it inclusive of a variety of religions? Should it be?

**ACTIVITIES**
Introduction** In this activity, your team will review and respond to a case study about a legal issue related to religion in the schools and present the case findings to the whole group.
 * Team Judicial Review (Team/Whole Group)

Review 1. the **Religion Case Studies**. This week's team facilitator should create a new thread titled, Week 5: Judicial Review. The //facilitator// can decide how to best discuss and organize the work on the case.

2. Discuss the legal issues in the case study assigned to your team. You may need to conduct additional research to learn more. As a team, come to consensus and develop a team response to your case study to share with the rest of the class. Your team response should include: Your team’s response to the questions that accompany the case study, with supporting evidence from the readings. Questions you still have about the case study. Additional comments, as appropriate, including challenges your team faced responding to the case study.

3. The //Reporter// should post your team’s response as a new, clearly labeled thread in the **Week 5: Team Judicial Review Presentations** discussion forum by Saturday. If you used a non-ELC tool such as Google Doc, please be sure to provide a public link.

4. By the end of the week, review the summaries posted by the other teams. Post a response to each team's summary, by providing feedback to teams, asking questions, or responding to questions posed by the instructor.

Draft of Memorandum Due to Team Forum**
 * Assignment #1: Superintendent's Memorandum (Individual)

At this point, you have become familiar with two cases related to your chosen legal issue. Assume the role of a superintendent of a school district, and imagine that the legal issue occurs in one of your schools. As a superintendent, it is important that you become familiar with the laws surrounding this issue, and you need to communicate this information to your district community. The administration, teachers, parents, and students, as well as community members, will have access to this information in the form of a Superintendent’s Memorandum. Based on the information you have gleaned from your research and readings, discussions with your teammates, and summaries of two court cases, write a memorandum that addresses your legal issue. Be creative in the format of this memorandum.


 * 1) This week, follow the directions in the assignment directions to write a draft of the Superintendent’s Memorandum. The memorandum must:
 * Be written for administrators, teachers, parents, and students, as well as community members.
 * Succinctly describe and address the legal issue and how the issue affects the school/community environment.
 * Cite the significance of the two cases that you’ve studied.
 * Include at least three facts from your legal summaries.
 * Include your reaction to the issue.
 * 1) Submit your draft Superintendent’s Memorandum to your Team Discussion Forum by the end of the week. Note, the Week 5 //Facilitator// will need to create a new thread titled **Superintendent's Memorandum Peer Review.** Submit your memo as a reply to the thread.
 * 2) Next week, you will review your teammates' memorandums, and receive feedback from your teammates on your own memorandum. You will then use that peer feedback and make improvements for your final memorandum.