State government

State Courts and the Attorney General

Who enforces a state's laws, and who decides what they mean. Opens with a genuinely hard question: would you prosecute your own friend?

Grades 3–5~35 minNonpartisan

Word document — open it in Word, Pages, or Google Docs and adapt it for your class.

This week’s lesson will go over the role of State Courts and State Attorney Generals (SAGs), and specifically their importance to ensuring justice, law, and order to their respective communities and regions.

01 Warm-up 5 min

Warm-up question (5 minutes): If you were your state’s top lawyer, and your friend commited a crime, would you defend them or not?

    • Have the kids share out and discuss this question (3 minutes)
    • Transition to talking about who manages and oversees these places, introducing the concepts of State Attorney General (Chief Legal Officer for the State) and State Courts.
02 Lecture 10 min

Lecture Time: Slideshow presentation (<10minutes)

    • General Overview
      • Introduction
      • What are State Courts?
      • What do they do?
      • Why are they important?
      • Who are SAGs?
      • What do they do?
      • Why are they important?
03 Games 2 activities

Game #1: “SAG says..”

    • Objective: To reinforce the duties and responsibilities of the State Attorney General in the state.
    • How to Play:
      • Played like “Simon Says,” the students all stand by their desk while the teacher (at first) acts as the State Attorney General
      • Whoever the SAG is, they must give a command that reflects the duty of the attorney general and the class must go into that command’s respective pose (this will be gone over at the beginning of the game)
      • If the SAG gives the command without saying “The State AG says…” or says the wrong duty of the role (eg. “Make federal laws”), then anyone who does the movement is out for the round and sits down till its done
      • The last person remaining becomes the new SAG and the game can continue again
    • Commands and Poses:
      • "State AG says... Protect the public!"Pose: Cross arms over chest like a superhero shield.
      • "State AG says... Defend the state in court!"Pose: Hold up a pretend shield in front and stand tall.
      • "State AG says... Advise state leaders!"Pose: Tap the side of your head/temple to show thinking.
      • "State AG says... Make sure bad guys are punished!"Pose: Pound a fist into an open palm like a judge's gavel.
      • "State AG says... Protect our environment!"Pose: Cup hands together like holding a tiny growing plant.
      • "State AG says... Stand up for consumer rights!"Pose: Place one hand over your heart and raise the other hand high.
      • "State AG says... Protect state power from federal control!"Pose: Push both hands straight out in front to signal "STOP."
  • Trick Commands (No AG prefix or wrong duties to test focus):
  • "Pass a new state law!" (Trick: AGs enforce and defend laws, they don't write them!)
  • Action: Kids must freeze and NOT move.
  • "Run a Federal Court!" (Trick: AGs handle state matters, not federal courts!)
  • Action: Kids must freeze and NOT move.
  • Game #2: State or Federal Court
    • Objective: To help kids solidify the difference between State and Federal Courts and the different roles they play in our lives.
    • How to Play:
      • Have all the kids in the class starting off sitting in their seats
      • Have a statement read to them and then ask them to stand up if they believe it pertains to State Court or keep sitting down if it pertains to Federal Court
      • Reveal the answer and award points to the kids who got it right and then explain using pointers from the presentation the role of each and why that was the answer
      • New round continues (the things they have to do to show whether they think the statement matches State or Federal Court can change and is free to whoever reading the statements (ex. Jumping Jacks, Balancing on one foot, sitting on the ground, etc.)
    • Statements:
  • "Handles 96% of all legal cases in the entire country."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: State courts deal with almost all everyday cases across the nation.
  • "Resolves everyday conflicts like local disputes or state traffic laws."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: State courts keep things running smoothly by handling everyday local issues.
  • "Decides cases involving the U.S. Constitution or national laws."
    • Answer: Federal Court
    • Explanation: Federal courts handle big national laws, while state courts focus on state laws.
  • "Created directly by your own State Constitution and state laws."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: Each state created its own separate court system through its own state constitution.
  • "Handles disputes between two different states, like New York and New Jersey."
    • Answer: Federal Court
    • Explanation: When two states disagree with each other, it goes above state courts to the federal system.
  • "Deals with rules that impact your daily life, like state cell phone bans in school."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: State court rulings directly impact everyday life and state rules.
  • "Is completely separate from the Federal Court system."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: State courts operate independently from federal courts.
  • "Includes the U.S. Supreme Court at the very top."
    • Answer: Federal Court
    • Explanation: The U.S. Supreme Court heads the federal side, whereas state supreme courts lead state systems.
  • "Enforces rules written in your specific State's Constitution."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: State courts have full power to interpret and protect state constitutions.
  • "Handles cases involving federal crimes like counterfeiting fake U.S. money."
    • Answer: Federal Court
    • Explanation: Fake national money breaks federal law, so federal courts handle it.
  • "Protects local order and stability in your town and state."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: State courts exist to keep peace, safety, and order in local communities.
  • "Settles most legal differences between regular citizens in your neighborhood."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: Most regular people settle their legal issues in state courts.
  • "Includes U.S. District Courts and U.S. Courts of Appeals."
    • Answer: Federal Court
    • Explanation: District and Appeals courts with "U.S." in their name belong to the federal system.
  • "Can decide cases about local store prices or consumer rules in your state."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: State laws and courts cover local trade, grocery pricing, and state business rules.
  • "Handles both civil and criminal cases under state law."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: Nearly all types of local civil and criminal cases go through state courts.
  • "Deals with cases involving foreign ambassadors or other countries."
    • Answer: Federal Court
    • Explanation: International matters are handled nationally by federal courts.
  • "Is made up of State Trial Courts, State Appellate Courts, and a State Supreme Court."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: These three levels form a state’s judicial structure.
  • "Makes sure state laws are followed fairly in your community."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: Their main job is to interpret and enforce state laws fairly.
  • "Reviews cases involving federal agencies like NASA or the FBI."
    • Answer: Federal Court
    • Explanation: National government agencies fall under the federal court system.
  • "Is where the vast majority of people go when they have to go to court."
    • Answer: State Court
    • Explanation: Because 96% of cases are state cases, almost everyone uses state courts.
04 Wrap-up 5 min

Wrap-up Questions (5 minutes)

    • Ask the kids one fact they learned about State Courts
    • Ask the kids one fact they learned about the SAGs
    • Finally, ask the kids what they would do if they were their state’s SAG or a judge in a State Court.