Justice Leadership in Action

Overview

Students examine a short profile of Bryan Stevenson, a criminal justice leader, and analyze how formative experiences shaped his perspective on fairness and legal advocacy. They will evaluate conflicting perspectives in a related scenario, then use evidence and academic vocabulary to deliver a concise oral claim about effective leadership.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Analyze how a leader’s coming-of-age experiences influence beliefs and actions.
• Explain how two perspectives on criminal justice conflict or overlap.
• Present a clear perspective supported by credible evidence.
• Revise writing for audience, organization, conventions, and purposeful vocabulary.

Success criteria

• I can identify a formative experience and explain its influence on a leader.
• I can accurately compare two perspectives using evidence from a text.
• I can organize an oral claim with a clear focus, logical sequence, and supporting evidence.
• I can use academic vocabulary and revise for grammar, punctuation, and parallel structure.

Curriculum links

• Reading Prose and Poetry — analyzing coming-of-age experiences and conflicting perspectives.
• Communicating Orally — presenting an organized perspective supported by credible evidence.
• Vocabulary — integrating academic vocabulary intentionally in speaking and writing.
• Communicating Through Writing and Following Conventions — revising for audience, grammar, punctuation, and sentence variety.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Hook and quickwrite. Teacher displays the question, “Should a criminal justice leader prioritize equal treatment or public safety when the two appear to conflict?” using the opening dilemma slide and asks students to write a two-sentence response. Students state an initial position and underline the reason that most strongly supports it.

2. 6–16 min · Build background and vocabulary. Teacher briefly introduces Bryan Stevenson as a lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, then teaches the terms advocacy, inequity, due process, perspective, and formative experience through the examples in the leader and vocabulary slides. Students record a student-friendly definition, identify a related word, and discuss one term with a partner in a context connected to law or leadership.

3. 16–28 min · Close reading. Teacher distributes the leader profile and evidence-analysis worksheet and reads the profile aloud while students annotate. The profile describes Stevenson’s childhood in a racially segregated community, his grandmother’s influence, his legal education, and his work representing people facing unjust treatment. Students identify one formative experience, select two details as evidence, and write how each detail contributes to the leader’s perspective.

4. 28–38 min · Conflicting perspectives. Teacher presents two brief viewpoints on a fictional case: a public defender argues that every person deserves careful legal representation, while a police chief argues that rapid decisions are necessary to protect a community. Students complete the comparison section of the perspective comparison and evidence organizer, distinguishing each speaker’s claim, evidence, assumption, and concern. Pairs discuss where the perspectives conflict and where they might be reconciled.

5. 38–49 min · Plan and rehearse. Teacher models a four-part oral response on the response structure and model slide: claim, evidence from the profile or scenario, explanation, and concluding implication. Students use the organizer to prepare a 45–60 second response to the prompt, “What makes a criminal justice leader effective when people hold conflicting perspectives?” They must intentionally use at least two vocabulary terms and include one sentence with parallel structure, such as “A leader must listen carefully, evaluate evidence fairly, and communicate respectfully.”

6. 49–57 min · Partner presentations and feedback. Teacher pairs students and displays the feedback prompts on the speaking and feedback slide. Each student presents while the partner records one strength and one specific revision suggestion addressing evidence, organization, vocabulary, volume, pacing, or conventions. Students revise one sentence or transition after receiving feedback.

7. 57–60 min · Exit assessment. Teacher displays the final prompt on the closing and exit-ticket slide: “Name one formative experience or perspective from today’s texts and explain how it affects a position on justice.” Students respond in three to four sentences, using one academic vocabulary term and citing one specific detail.

Resources

• the Justice Leadership in Action slide deck
• the leader profile and evidence-analysis worksheet
• Projector or interactive display
• Highlighters or colored pencils
• Timer
• Student notebooks or lined paper
• Exit-ticket slips or digital submission tool

Assessment

• During annotation and discussion, check whether students can connect a formative experience to a leader’s perspective rather than merely retelling information.
• Collect the comparison organizer and listen for claims supported by relevant evidence and accurate academic vocabulary.
• Score the oral response and exit ticket informally for clear perspective, logical organization, evidence, vocabulary integration, and standard English conventions.

Differentiation

• Provide the profile with numbered paragraphs, highlighted key details, and sentence starters such as “This experience shaped Stevenson’s perspective because…” and “Although the police chief argues…, the public defender emphasizes…”
• Allow students who need additional processing time to rehearse with the teacher or submit an audio recording; permit speech-to-text or typed responses.
• Support multilingual learners by previewing vocabulary with visuals, cognates where appropriate, and a partner rehearsal before presenting.
• Challenge students to acknowledge both perspectives in the same response and propose a policy or leadership practice that addresses each side’s concern.