the Junior Police Academy
Good Character Challenge STUDENT ACTIVITIES
7 STUDENT ACTIVITIES WHICH OBLIGE STUDENTS TO STEP BACK FROM THE LIFE THEY TAKE FOR GRANTED AND DISCOVER THE EXTRAORDINARY POWER OF GOOD CHARACTER TO SHAPE AND ENRICH THE QUALITY OF THEIR HOME, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY.
You: The Essential Link in Justice Steps on the Road to Citizenship Bullying: What is it? Stop Bullying: Take a Stand Pull the Plug on Cyber-bullying Strategies to Reconnect to the Real World Create a “Real” Motivational Poster
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You: The Essential Link in Justice STUDENT HANDOUT
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Knowledge and insight into the world of policing is something that is important to this community and to this country.
"A good homicide detective will tell you that we don't solve
In this class you will learn what police do, how they do it and most importantly why they do it.
at. But we solve homicides because people tell us who did it.
homicides through CSI. CSI is helpful; evidence is something that we have to be looking
Why is it so important that young people better understand policing? Important! It's important because everything police officers do, everything the sheriff's department and the state police and the FBI and all the branches of law enforcement do...is done in your name. Public safety is ultimately the responsibility of the entire community. In a democracy, police officers draw their power from you. What police do, they do in your name, and your father's name, your mother's name and every member of the community. Police officers are entrusted with enormous power. They can detain you and, at least temporarily, deprive you of your liberty. How that power is applied is ultimately a reflection of the community, of you, its citizens. So understanding what police do is essential if you are to exercise your citizenship with wisdom and sound judgement.
C o n s i d e r: THINK ABOUT IT
CSI Does Not Catch the Killer The cooperation of the public is critical to effective policing. Why? Commissioner Ed Davis with the Boston Police Department explains it this way:
Countdown Review & Discuss List Citizens, often a forgotten component of criminal justice, play a variety of important roles in American justice, and their involvement is crucial to the functioning of the justice system in a democratic society.
Reporting crimes and testifying in criminal cases Citizen cooperation is absolutely necessary for the apprehension and prosecution of criminals. Almost all criminal proceedings have a lay witness who is a citizen bystander or victim possessing personal knowledge that is relevant to a criminal case.
Advocate for Change Citizens affect criminal justice policy through interest groups. Representatives of interest groups lobby lawmakers to pass legislation favoring the interests of the groups they represent.
Performing jury duty American criminal justice exhibits a strong commitment to a jury of lay persons. Juries provide important protections against the abuse of power by legislatures, judges, and other powerful entities; bring broadly based community values to deciding criminal cases; inject common sense into criminal justice decision making; and afford citizens opportunities to learn about the law and the justice process.
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Steps on the Road to Citizenship STUDENT HANDOUT
The ways in which you can begin today to help build a stronger community are limited only by your ability to imagine them. Here’s list to get you thinking: • Arm yourselves with the knowledge to make good, even bold, choices, and never be afraid to admit when you’re wrong. • Learn about how life looks from someone else’s perspective, to develop a more complete picture of not only our nation’s problems, but their possible solutions. • Be open to changing your mind when your heart tells you that something you thought no longer seems valid. • Never be afraid to ask questions, or to challenge the status quo, because there’s always room for improvement in any institution, especially government. • Try to see past a person’s appearance to the humanity inside, because it’s there you’ll find common ground. • Partner with others to achieve what you feel you cannot accomplish alone. Start in your neighborhood, by working to make it a better, safer place to live.
Fix it: When you see a problem, don’t just say “that’s terrible” and try to forget you ever saw it, get your brain working on it by asking yourself, “how can I help make it better?” You’ll be surprised at what you can do!
Ways to Use Facebook to Make a Difference • Rally your friends and classmates to clean up litter one Saturday a month, or to play with special needs kids who are often excluded from activities on the playground because they aren’t able to play as well as you. • Recruit volunteers to help quickly remove graffiti from the neighborhood as soon as it appears, or donate some time to a local animal shelter if you love animals and want to help them. • Invite new people into your circle of friends, especially if their background is different from yours. If you have lots of different friends, you’ll find after a while that the differences between you don’t matter as much as what you have in common. Through this course, you have partnered with your school and police department to create a safer learning environment for students and teachers, and to open lines of communication between your peers and police. So be an ambassador to other students and adults in your community by freely sharing what you get out of participating in the program.
Three R’s of Citizenship: Reason
Respect
Responsibility
Thoughtfulness
For one’s self
For actions
Multiple perspectives
For individuals
For community
Basis for action Logical, rational, and analytic
For groups For other perspectives
For nation For humankind
thought Good judgment
For knowledge For democratic values
For the environment
Sound reason
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Bullying: What is it? STUDENT HANDOUT
Facts About Bullying: ★ Up to 25% of U.S. students are bullied each year. ★ As many as 160,000 may stay home from school on any given day because they are afraid of being bullied. ★ At least 1 out of 3 teens say they have been seriously threatened online. ★ 60% of teens say they have participated in online bullying.
What Is Bullying? Bullying is a widespread and serious problem that can happen anywhere. It is not a phase children have to go through, it is not "just messing around", and it is not something to grow out of. Bullying can cause serious and lasting harm.
Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that bullying involves: ✓ Imbalance of Power: people who bully use their power to control or harm and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves. ✓ Intent to Cause Harm: actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm. ✓ Repetition: incidents of bullying happen to the same the person over and over by the same person or group.
Discussion: ➡ How do bullies target their victim(s)? Do you think bullies have shortcomings that lead them to target certain people? ➡ Can bullying happen on the school bus, in the community or somewhere else? Where do you think it can happen outside of school? ➡ What are some of the social problems students face today that contribute to bullying others? ➡ In your opinion, at what age do you think bullying begins? ➡ If you could talk to students who bully, what would you say to them? How could you help them change? ➡ What types of programs are available in your school to help new students from the US and/or another country?
C o n s i d e r:
Everybody is different. What’s the big deal?
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Stop Bullying: Take a Stand STUDENT HANDOUT
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE SOMEONE ELSE BEING BULLIED:
When it comes to bullying, there's no such thing as "innocent bystanders." So what can you do if you see someone getting harassed? Think about how you would feel if you were being bullied. How would you want someone to help you? Support someone who is being bullied. Let that person know that it's not his or her fault, and that it upsets you, too. If the victim decides to talk to an adult about what happened, offer to go along with him or her. Stand up to the person doing the bullying. Let him know that what he's doing isn't cool or funny -- it's wrong. Don't become a bully when you are sticking up for someone. Never use the kind of mean words or actions that a bully would use. Don't ever laugh at someone being bullied, and if you see other bystanders laughing or joining in, try to stop them. Positive reactions from bystanders will only encourage the bully to continue what he's doing. Report what you've seen to an adult. This especially applies if you don't feel safe getting involved in the situation. Remember -- you don't have to do this alone.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE GETTING BULLIED: You don't just have to suck it up or give in to it. There ARE things you can do to protect yourself: Don't ignore it. Don't fight back. Becoming a bully yourself will not make the situation better. Try to not to show anger or fear. Bullies like to see that they can upset you. Calmly tell the bully to stop, or just say nothing and walk away. If the bullying continues, keep a record of the incidents to show to a parent or teacher. Tell your parents, or any other adults you trust. If you decide to tell someone from your school, like a teacher or counselor, remember that telling is not tattling. Remember: nobody is going to blame you for what is happening and you don't have to go through it alone. Don't isolate yourself from your friends. They can help you get through it.
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Pull the Plug on Cyber-bullying STUDENT HANDOUT
Is someone pushing your social media buttons? Cyberbullying is bullying through the use of technology such as computers, cell phones and other electronic devices. A cyberbully is someone who emotionally hurts others by making fun of them or insulting them through social networking, email and texting.
Examples of Cyberbullying: * Sending hurtful, rude, or mean text messages to others * Spreading rumors or lies about others by e-mail or on social networks * Creating websites, videos or social media profiles that embarrass, humiliate, or make fun of others
Bullying online is very different from face-to-face bullying. Messages and images can be: * Sent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. * Shared to a very wide audience and sent anonymously.
Fix it: There things you can do to help you and your friends: If you or someone you know is being cyberbullied, know that it does not have to be this way. * Always think about what you post or say. Do not share secrets, photos or anything that might be embarrassing to you or others. What seems funny or innocent at the time could be used against you. You do not have complete control over what others forward or post. * Set privacy settings on your accounts. Make sure that you are only sharing information with people you know and trust. Pay attention to notices from social networks, because sometimes privacy settings change. * Never respond to an e-mail or IM from a cyberbully. It's always better to just walk away. * Save the IMs or e-mails, then print and show them to an adult you trust, like a parent or school counselor. * Don't be afraid to talk to someone about this. The sooner you tell a parent or counselor, the sooner you can get back to using your computer without feeling afraid or uncomfortable. * If it continues or if any physical threats are made, report it to your Internet Service Provider. They can cancel the cyberbully's account and even alert the police. * Make a "whitelist," which is a list of your real friends' screen names and e-mail addresses. Anyone who isn't on this list won't get through unless you give permission. * Never share your password or any other secure information. * Think carefully about what you say online. Make sure it's not going to hurt or scare someone.
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Strategies to Reconnect to the Real World STUDENT HANDOUT
Youth today spend more time than ever attached to some kind of electronic device. Thanks to Ipod, Ipads and mobile devices, you are the “connected generation”.
Why online seems safe:
Fix it: Discuss ways to Solve this problem.
Online we control what we do, who we see, where we go, who we engage with. If something goes bad, we unfriend them, block them and start over. We are in total control of our virtual friends.
A solid social life and close friends can do a lot to enhance your life, whether you want to share lighthearted laughter or divulge your deepest secrets. For some introverted people, though, meeting new people and making friends isn't that easy.
But is this preparing you for the real world? Does all your commenting, posting, tweaking, and twittering leave you disconnected?
Work on cultivating your social skills to establish strong bonds with people you appreciate and respect.
Answers to these questions cannot be found on Wikipedia! Think about the question and share what you figured out.
Consider: SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT Some fear that young people are simply not developing social skills. This is a real concern, because social skills are critical to getting along with other people in the real world, and it’s in the real world, after all, where we truly experience life.
But how much do virtual relationships and interactions really offer us on a personal level? ➡How many times have you felt a sense of loss after a friend moves away? ➡How many people on your friends’ list is a true, close friend? While these people are part of your life, at least at the fringe, they are often not close or meaningful in any way.
All of this must be face to face. We are not saying the Internet is evil or good. It is a tool and should be used as such. • Limiting computer time is critical. Decide ahead of time how much time each day to devote to computer exercises and follow it. • Decide exactly how much time you want to dedicate for each activity. • Shut the computer off if not using it. • List the things you enjoyed before you got a computer.You may rediscover a previous interest. • Create an online-free day each week. • Dedicate yourself to becoming more active within your friend group, family and/or community. • Lastly, pay attention to how you are feeling when you seek out the Internet. Is there a pattern of you hiding online when feeling depressed or socially anxious? Seeking help may be useful.
The Internet is one of the greatest, most dangerous and overused creations. Remember, it is nothing more than a tool. Life is worth living – in person!
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Create a “Real” Motivational Poster STUDENT HANDOUT
Who in your life exemplifies this trait? ____________________________________
3 1 2
_________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
QUESTIONS TO HELP CREATE A “REAL” MOTIVATIONAL POSTER Using this sheet, you will be creating your own personal motivational poster – from scratch. Think critically about the featured character trait and apply what you have learned to completing this sheet.
2. Considering these factors, provide one or two sentences describing this trait in the space provided next to the numeral two. Make sure your definition captures the spirit of the trait. Now, make a list of people in your community who embody this trait – it can
Answer these questions: What is the central trait? ______________________ Name a few words that mean almost the same thing? ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
be a parent, teacher, friend, a public safety officer. Be prepared to defend those you nominate and whose image should be at the center of your poster. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
____________________________________________ Would you rather use one of these words?
1. Write the Good Character Trait you have chosen in the space provided next to the numeral one. Now, consider why this trait is worthy of merit. Why is it difficult to master? What must be overcome?
Divid into groups and read the names. Explain why you selected each. After considering input from your fellow students, select one.
3. In the space provided next to the numeral three, write the name you have selected as the person in your life who best exemplifies this trait. Now make your poster the information you have collected using the motivational poster creator online.