Overview: In this lesson, students will examine the role of state courts in preserving democracy. They will learn about the importance of the rule of law, breaking it down into five distinct components, analyzing them at each court level. Students will examine what types of cases each court level hears, thinking about how the court system protects the rule of law. Throughout the lesson, students will interrogate their own preconceived notions about how the law works in Washington. By hearing from real judges who work at each court level, students will learn about the importance of the state court system in preserving the rule of law. Throughout the lesson, there are many options for whole class or small group discussion, providing opportunities for formative assessment. At the end of the lesson, students will showcase what they have learned by writing an evidentiary paragraph about state courts and the rule of law Essential Questions: Objectives:
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Overview: The Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854 is still alive today. In this video, we follow WA State Teacher of the Year ’22 Jerad Koepp (Wukchumni) as he visits the traditional lands of the Nisqually people in search of the treaty tree. As he explores the history, Jerad also learns from Nisqually and other Native American leaders about the language, history, and importance of the Medicine Creek Treaty. Help your students reflect and answer questions for classroom discussion or summative assessment with this 15 min documentary and Viewer’s Guides linked in Teacher’s Resources.
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Overview: Washington state is where collaborative governance on natural resources began in the early 1970s, with a groundbreaking agreement to resolve conflicts over flood control on the Snoqualmie River. As the new field grew, it helped to resolve a key civil rights struggle over tribal fishing rights in Washington known as the “Fish Wars,” which came to a head in a landmark legal case referred to as the Boldt Decision. After the US Supreme Court upheld the Boldt Decision’s recognition of tribal treaty rights, the parties eventually turned to collaborative governance to resolve their conflict, and the resulting state/tribal co-management of salmon and steelhead persists to this day. Since then, collaborative approaches in Washington have led to many groundbreaking outcomes, greatly influencing the rest of the nation over a 50-year history. While conflicts over who controls Washington State’s natural resources dominate the media coverage, the collaborative approach that comes after these conflicts is just as interesting to follow. In the early 1970s, collaborative governance on natural resources began in Washington State. The “fish wars” of the 1960s and 1970s, culminating in the Boldt Decision, reaffirmed tribal treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. Since this time, the parties have turned to collaborative management and governance for natural resources management. In this lesson, students will examine different ways that tribal nations, the Washington State government, environmentalists, and farmers and ranchers have come together to navigate conflict, understand interdependencies, and build relationships. Essential Questions Objectives
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Overview: What are the roles and responsibilities of Washington’s Insurance Commissioner? Learn about this statewide elected office with former WA Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn. This video examines the role of the Insurance Commissioner, the person who runs the department that regulates insurance coverage sold to citizens ‘from cradle to grave’ in Washington State. By focusing on the consumer protection responsibilities of the department, the viewer examines the merits of this being an elected position. Essential Questions: Objectives:
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Overview: What are the roles and responsibilities of Washington’s State Treasurer? Learn about this statewide elected office with former WA State Treasurer Jim McIntire. By examining the issues that the State Treasurer deals with, students will understand the importance of maintaining a fiscally responsible government for the citizens of Washington State. Essential Questions: Objectives:
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Overview: What are the roles and responsibilities of Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands? Learn about this statewide elected office with former WA Commissioner of Public Lands, Peter Goldmark. This video examines the role of the Commissioner of Public Lands, the person who runs the Department of Natural Resources in Washington State. By focusing on the responsibilities that the Commissioner has over the millions of acres of public lands, viewers will understand the importance the state of Washington puts upon the management of our natural resources. Essential Questions: Objectives:
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Overview: What are the roles and responsibilities of Washington’s State Auditor? Learn about this statewide elected office with former WA Auditor Brian Sonntag. This video examines the role of the State Auditor, a position established to hold the state agencies accountable to the citizens of Washington state. By focusing on the responsibilities of the Auditor, viewers see how budget audits provide oversight and a check on state government. Essential Questions: Objectives:
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Overview: It’s not about foreign relations or trade, but rather, elections are perhaps the most important job of Washington’s Secretary of State. What are the roles and responsibilities of Washington’s Secretary of State? Learn about this statewide elected office with former WA Secretary of State Sam Reed.By focusing on the responsibilities that the Secretary of State has in Washington State, viewers will understand what part the Secretary of State plays among the other elected officials and with matters of the government. Essential Questions Objectives:
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Overview: What are the roles and responsibilities of Washington’s Attorney General? Learn about this statewide elected office with former WA Attorney General Bob McKenna. By focusing on the responsibilities that the Attorney General has in Washington State, viewers will understand what part the Attorney General plays among the other elected officials and with matters of the Essential Questions: Objectives:
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Overview: What are the roles and responsibilities of Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction? Learn about this statewide elected office with former WA State Superintendent Randy Dorn. By focusing on how the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) works with the state’s public school districts and 6 state-tribal education compact schools, students will understand how the office funds the public school system for the betterment of all Washingtonians. Essential Questions: Objectives:
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