Revising the Curfew Ordinance
Authored by: Steve Seidell, Mary E. Taylor Middles School, Camden

Grade Level: 5-8 (adaptable to 9-12)

The MLR performance indicators listed below are for illustrative purposes. Depending on the focus of the lessons as developed by individual teachers, these indicators may or may not be addressed. Conversely this is not a definitive listing of all of the performance indicators which could be addressed in this lesson.

MLR - Middle Grades: Social Studies: (Civics A - 2,  C - 3); Language Arts: (Information D - 1, 2,3,5), (Writing/Speaking E - 4), (Conventions F-3), (Stylistic G - 3,4,5,6,7,8,10), (Research H - 1,2,6, 9)

Task Description

Curriculum Area: Grade 7-Social Studies-Maine Studies;
Skills/Disposition: Decision Making
Indicators: seeing the need for a decision-entering into the decision making process-reaching a decision-seeking consensus-understanding the reasons behind a decision-understanding points of view
Essential Question: What is the role of local government in providing for order and security and providing for the common good?

Challenge: The _________ selectmen have formed a working committee to review and revise the curfew ordinance. The committee is comprised of a selectman, a downtown store owner, a police officer, a parent, and a teenager. Your Challenge: The selectmen have asked you to compare the curfew ordinances from several communities. The committee is to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each and through consensus recommend additions or deletions to the Town's ordinance. You will present your findings to the full board of Selectmen. Your recommended changes to the ordinance should be typed and labeled by the correct section of the current ordinance, along with a justification for each change. You should also submit a list of the ideas, plus notes on the pluses and minuses of each idea that was rejected. You will be required to answer questions from the board of Selectmen and the audience.

Group Sizes/Grouping Methods: groups of 5 members

Student Products/Performances

oral presentation
typed changes to ordinance
list of notes and ideas

Resources

Copies of curfew ordinances;
        Curfew Ordinance - Gardiner, Maine
        Curfew Ordinance - Bridgton, Maine;
User Friendly Version of Curfew Ordinance developed in the earlier activity: Understanding the Curfew Ordinance or developed as part of this activity;
Interviews with shop owners, parents, police officers, Selectman, and teens

Consider revising some of these ordinances instead of curfew or in addition to it:
        Skateboard Ordinance (Sample)
        Sexual Orientation Ordinance, South Portland, Maine
        Ordinance to Prohibit Jumping, Diving, or Swimming From Several Bridges, Gorham, Maine
        Unnecessary Noise, Bar Harbor, Maine
        Loitering And Mass Gathering, Wells, Maine  

Criteria for Evaluating Quality of Product or Performance

Challenge Description and Standards