Court News Ohio
Students Participate
in New Supreme Court Civics Education Program
By Jenna Gant
February 26, 2015
Students from Westland High School in Galloway and London High School
participated in the first Courtroom to Classroom program with the Ohio
Supreme Court.
The innovative civics education program allows students to watch live
stream video of Supreme Court oral arguments online in their government
classes while working with local attorneys to learn more about the
judicial system through a Supreme Court case.
Last week, two local lawyers, Patricia Davidson from Franklin County
and Emily Davidson from Madison County, met with law and government
students in each school to discuss the particulars of the court case
Arlie Risner v. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of
Wildlife. Patricia Davidson also volunteers as a tour guide at the
court’s Visitor Education Center.
The justices on Feb. 25 heard oral arguments on the case, which was
about whether an Ohio statute prohibits the Department of Natural
Resources from imposing fines on a hunter if it has already confiscated
a deer killed illegally.
The students watched the case arguments in class and then were
debriefed about what they saw with the same attorneys who led
discussions last week. They were encouraged to ask questions about the
case arguments.
Kim Frase, a teacher from Westland High School, said the experience was
amazing. She said her students were able to apply what they learned in
class “with a whole new perspective.”
“I seize any opportunity to make learning come alive,” Frase said. “But
this experience was especially unique because it allowed an interaction
with the real world that is nearly impossible to recreate in the
classroom alone.”
Frase’s students agreed that the program helped them understand the
judicial system better.
“It was fun to see government in action because before this I never got
to see how it really works. You just read it in a textbook,” said
Andrew Russell, a senior.
“Taking a potentially complicated, confusing matter like an Ohio
Supreme Court case and making high school students actually care and
understand it is not easy. This is exactly what this program did,”
junior Josh Binion said.
Binion said the attorneys who led their class discussions helped him
comprehend the oral arguments.
“This understanding led to a desire to make our own opinions on the
case,” Binion said. “The sessions helped make the case feel personal,
which raised our level of interest. The debrief session helped to
smooth out questions about their arguments that would have otherwise
made the case hard to understand.”
Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said the civic education program is
another way to teach students about the judicial branch without having
to worry about financial barriers.
“This is a fantastic program that allows students to learn more about
the Ohio Supreme Court without having to leave their classrooms,” Chief
Justice O’Connor said. “Students have the opportunity to learn about a
case, watch it through oral argument, and discuss it with real
attorneys. That is a fabulous opportunity to see the justice
system at work.”
Frase said the program helped bring the judicial branch to life for her
students who may otherwise not appreciate how government works.
“Some of this indifference stems from a feeling that government is a
‘far away’ intuition that doesn’t really impact individuals, especially
the youth,” Frase said. “It’s programs like this, however, that could
bridge that gap and awaken students to paths in life that they may not
have considered before.”
The teachers and attorneys who discussed the case with the students
will be notified when the court’s decision on the case is announced.
|
|
|
|
