Course Essential Questions
- How do criminologists identify patterns in criminal activity?
- To what extent can theories explain criminal behavior?
- How has the criminal justice system changed over time to adapt to changing society?
- How does the international community cooperate in addressing transnational issues?
Course Learning Objectives
- Identify the purpose and origins of laws.
- Analyze crime data and criminology research methods.
- Evaluate criminological theories for effectiveness in explaining criminal behavior.
- Predict outcomes of criminal justice processes.
- Create a policy statement, prevention plan, and corresponding programs for a specific crime.
Week 1: Getting Started
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are the rules, policies and expectations of this course?
- How do I want to be treated and how do I want to treat others as I interact with my teachers and classmates?
- What is crime?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Understand the rules and policies of the course, and expectations of you as a contributing member of our learning community
- Begin to build community by sharing important information with your teacher and classmates about yourself and your school, and creating a social contract together for guidelines on interacting throughout the class
- Develop your skills for navigating the course environment and using the various course tools 4. Identify actions that constitute crime.
- Preview course topics.
Unit 1: Criminal Law (Weeks 2-4)
Week 2: Purpose and Origin of Law
Weekly Essential Questions
- Why does society need laws?
- How do governments balance the need for order with rights of the accused?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Describe the purpose and origins of laws.
- Compare rights of the accused outlined in the U.S. Constitution and another country's constitution.
- Create a law that needs to be enacted.
Week 3: Elements and Types of Crime
Weekly Essential Questions
- How are crimes categorized?
- How does law enforcement determine a charge for an accused offender?
- What makes a law outdated?
Weekly Objectives
- Distinguish between statutory crimes against individuals, property, and society.
- Apply elements of crime to different scenarios.
- Evaluate a law's relevance to contemporary society.
Week 4: Criminal Research Methods and Ethics
Weekly Essential Questions
- How do criminologists identify patterns of criminal activity?
- Why are ethical practices important in criminology?
Weekly Objective Questions
- Explain the professional components of criminology.
- Identify pros and cons of the three main types of criminal reporting.
- Interpret data to identify patterns and trends.
- Evaluate the Code of Ethics of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
Unit 2: Causes of Criminal Behavior (Units 5-8)
Week 5: Biological Theories
Weekly Essential Questions
- To what extent do biological factors relate to criminal activity?
- How are DNA and genetic testing used in criminology?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Evaluate the credibility of biological theories over time.
- Explain how DNA testing revolutionized forensic science.
- Create a genetic testing policy that is constitutional and practical.
Week 6: Classical Theories
Weekly Essential Questions
- How effective are the classical theories in explaining criminal behavior?
- How are classical theories reflected in movies or books?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain how Rational Choice, Routine Activity, and Marxist Theories explain criminal activity.
- Discuss deterrence as a method of preventing criminal activity.
- Apply the classical theories to specific scenarios.
Week 7: Sociological Theories
Weekly Essential Questions
- How effective are the sociological theories in explaining criminal behavior?
- How are sociological theories reflected in movies or books?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain how Strain, Control, and Social Disorganization explain criminal activity.
- Discuss how Strain and Control Theories explain criminal activity on college campuses.
- Apply the sociological theories to specific scenarios.
Week 8: Interactionist Theories
Weekly Essential Questions
- How effective are the interactionist theories in explaining criminal behavior?
- How are the components of law and causes of criminal behavior reflected in movies or books?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain how Labeling and Differential Association explain criminal activity.
- Discuss how Labeling and Differential Association Theories apply to high school students.
- Interpret the classic "Saints and the Roughnecks" using the Labeling Theory.
- Determine which components of law and criminological theories are incorporated into or implied in a movie or book.
- Assess whether to recommend a movie or book for future Criminology courses.
Unit 3: Criminal Justice Processes (Weeks 9-12)
Week 9: Psychological Profiling
Weekly Essential Question
- How do criminologists use psychological profiling tools?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Distinguish between psychopaths and sociopaths and how those classifications inform criminologists’ work.
- Apply factors of dangerousness and classifications of organized or disorganized crime scenes to scenarios.
- Create a podcast analyzing a serial killer using psychological profiling, organized or disorganized crime scene(s), and sociological or interactionist theories.
Week 10: Competencies and Defenses
Weekly Essential Questions
- Why is it important to determine competency for a criminal court case?
- What strategies do lawyers use to defend the accused?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Relate competency to stand trial to constitutional protections for the accused.
- Categorize different types of defenses based on their effectiveness.
- Assess the efficacy of the insanity defense.
Week 11: Sentencing and Prisons
Weekly Essential Questions
- To what extent do current sentencing practices in the U.S. address established goals of sentencing?
- How do U.S. prisons compare internationally?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify the purposes of sentencing.
- Debate the effectiveness, constitutionality, and morality of the death penalty.
- Analyze sentencing practices over time for drug offenses.
- Propose a policy change for sentencing.
- Compare and contrast prison systems in the U.S. with two other prison systems internationally.
Week 12: Community Supervision
Weekly Essential Questions
- How effective are different components of parole?
- How can society reduce recidivism?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Distinguish between probation and parole.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of halfway houses, electronic monitoring, and close supervision of former inmates.
- Discuss alternatives to traditional parole programs in order to reduce recidivism.
Unit 4: Criminology Around the World (Weeks 13-15)
Week 13: Transnational Issues
Weekly Essential Question
- How do transnational issues impact the criminal justice system?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Compare the impacts of cybercrime, terrorism, and drug trafficking among selected nations.
- Propose solutions to human trafficking.
Week 14: International Cooperation
Weekly Essential Questions
- How does the international community cooperate in addressing transnational crime?
- What prevents some nations from cooperating in international criminal justice activities?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify how the United Nations and INTERPOL cooperate to address international crimes.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the OAS, EU, African Union, and Kyoto Declaration in addressing transnational crime.
- Discuss the implications of the seven nations’ nonparticipation in the International Criminal Court.
Week 15: Course Conclusion and Reflection
Weekly Essential Questions
- How is criminology a multi-faceted discipline of study?
- What careers are available in the field of criminology?
- To what extent did this Criminology class meet my expectations?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Create a policy statement, prevention plan aligned with a criminological theory, and corresponding programs for a specific crime.
- Identify the pros and cons of a specific career in criminology.
- Evaluate the course's content, projects, workload, and communication with the teacher.