Legal Studies (2013) Sample work program April 2013 Legal Studies (2013) Sample work program Compiled by the Queensland Studies Authority April 2013 A work program is the school’s plan of a course of study based on the relevant syllabus. Work programs allow for the characteristics of a school and its students to be considered when implementing the syllabus. School work programs must demonstrate that syllabus dimensions and objectives inform student learning. Work programs provide information about the school’s plan for course organisation, an outline of intended student learning and the assessment plan as outlined in the work program requirements for that syllabus. 2 | Legal Studies (2013) Sample work program Course overview and assessment plan Sem. 1 2 3 Year 11 11 12 Hrs. The legal system Core 25 Examination Extended response test 400–600 words: 1–1.5 hours Criminal law Core 30 Extended response Introduction to civil obligations; Employment and the law Core Elective 30 Indigenous Australians and the law Elective Independent inquiry Family and the law 4 12 Human rights; International law Elective Core Elective Assessment technique Dimensions Core or elective Area/s of study Assessment conditions F/S KUL ILI RL F    Extended research response Multimodal: 3–5 minutes F    Extended response Extended response to stimulus Written: 600–1000 words F    25 Extended response Extended research response Written: 800–1000 words F    20 Extended response Extended research response Independent inquiry Written: 1000–1500 words S    35 Examination Extended response test Unseen question 600–800 words: 1.5–2 hours S    Extended response Extended research response Multimodal: 5–7 minutes S    Extended response Extended response to stimulus Written: 800–1200 words S    S    55 VERIFICATION Examination Extended response test 600–800 words: 1.5–2 hours Key: · F/S refers to whether the assessment is formative (F) or summative (S). · The dimensions are: Knowing and understanding the law (KUL), Investigating legal issues (ILI), and Responding to the law (RL). Queensland Studies Authority Revised: April 2013 | 3 Unit of work — Family and the law Focus: How does the law recognise and regulate family relationships? Area of study Family and the law Focus statement The law has procedures and requirements for the legal recognition of a family unit. Family law is sensitive to changing social, cultural, ethical and moral values. The law upholds certain rights and obligations that apply to family members. Suggested hours 35 Semester 3 Identified subject matter · · · · · · What is a family and how is this changing? Which current legal issues relate to family law? Why are issues in family law so problematic for the legal system to regulate? What is the concept of marriage? How is marriage explained/defined in the legal system? How does the law deal with the dissolution of family relationships? How does the law deal with issues arising with children regarding shared parenting, e.g. residency issues, child support, shared responsibilities and rights of parents · What are the strengths and limitations of the legal system in resolving family disputes? Dimensions and objectives Knowing and understanding the law By the conclusion of the course of study, students should: · define and describe facts using legal terminology · explain legal concepts and processes · communicate meaning using language conventions to suit purpose and audience. Investigating legal issues By the conclusion of the course of study, students should: · select and organise legal information from sources · analyse legal situations to identify and examine legal issues and stakeholders’ perspectives · apply legal concepts and processes to legal issues to determine legal outcomes. Responding to the law By the conclusion of the course of study, students should: · evaluate the law and stakeholder responses · make decisions and recommendations about legal outcomes and their implications · justify decisions and recommendations using evidence and legal reasoning. 4 | Legal Studies (2013) Sample work program Learning experiences The following sample learning experiences may be selected: · Brainstorm ideas about what is understood by the term “family” and then define the term using the language of the law. · Consider a range of legal situations (simple to complex case studies) to decide whether each case fits the definition of a “family”. · Brainstorm family issues and organise the information in a concept map. · Explain why issues in family law are so controversial and problematic for the legal system to regulate. Divorce · Locate and analyse statistics about marriage and divorce. Identify social and historical factors, such as the evolution from fault to no-fault divorce, that have affected family relationships. Organise information to construct a timeline of key reforms to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cwlth) since its inception. · Analyse divorce rates and changes in these trends, using statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. · Debate: “The ‘for life’ element of marriage is outdated.” Through the debate, analyse the concept of marriage, examine and evaluate different stakeholder perspectives and make justified decisions and recommendations. · Analyse the legislative framework and case law relating to property settlement and the split of assets. · Identify and describe the advantages and disadvantages of financial (prenuptial) agreements and identify situations under which a court can declare the agreement invalid. · Respond to a range of given scenarios (case law) by applying the law to determine the suitability of the legal outcomes reached. In each instance, evaluate the law and the stakeholder responses and make justified decisions and recommendations about the legal outcomes and their implications. Children · Brainstorm issues that relate to children when relationships break down. Select and organise information from a range of sources to create a concept map outlining factors affecting the exercise of family law regarding residency of children and child support in relationship breakdowns. · Examine legal issues and the perspectives of stakeholders using case studies. Analyse the legal situations. Apply the law to scenarios supplied in class. · Analyse and evaluate the current child support system to determine whether the laws are fair and equitable. · Debate: “How much weight should be given to the wishes of the child in child custody disputes?” · Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of counselling and mediation services and the family court for stakeholders. Present the analysis in a comparative table. · Analyse the strengths and limitations of the legal system in resolving child custody disputes. Provide recommendations for improvements to the legal system that would provide better outcomes for all stakeholders. · Evaluate data on current rates of payment of non-custodial parents. Engage in group work to make justified decisions and recommendations on what more could be done. Queensland Studies Authority Revised: April 2013 | 5 Sample student profile Dimensions Semester Areas of study Assessment instrument KUL 1 2 The legal system 1. Extended response test (F) Criminal law 2. Extended research response: Multimodal (F) Introduction to civil obligations; Employment and the law 3. Extended response to stimulus: Written (F) Indigenous Australians and the law 4. Extended research response: Written (F) Monitoring standards Monitoring level of achievement 3 Independent inquiry 5. Extended research response: Written (S) Family and the law 6. Extended response test (S) 7. Extended research response: Multimodal (S) 4 Human rights; International law 8. Extended response to stimulus: Written (S) Verification standards Verification level of achievement 4 Human rights; International law Exit standards Exit level of achievement 6 | Legal Studies (2013) Sample work program 9. Extended response test (S) ILI RL Queensland Studies Authority 154 Melbourne Street South Brisbane PO Box 307 Spring Hill QLD 4004 Australia T +61 7 3864 0299 F +61 7 3221 2553 www.qsa.qld.edu.au