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Scenario Cards -- Legal Literacy

Use these to practice applying legal concepts. All scenarios use fictional characters and situations.

The Chore Disagreement​

Scenario: Sam and Alex agree: "If Sam washes the car, Alex will make dinner." Sam washes the car. Alex says: "I never agreed to make dinner -- I just said I would."

Discussion:

  • Do Sam and Alex have a contract?
  • What is missing that makes this unclear?
  • How would you write a better agreement?

Extension: Draft a written version of this agreement that would be hard to dispute.

The Shortcut Rule​

Scenario: Maplewood Park has a rule: "No vehicles in the park." One day, an ambulance drives through the park to reach an injured child. Someone says this broke the rule.

Discussion:

  • What is the letter of the rule?
  • What is the purpose (intent) of the rule?
  • Should the ambulance driver be in trouble?

Extension: Find one real legal case involving the letter vs. spirit of a rule.

The Island With Too Many Chiefs​

Scenario: The fictional island of Coral Bay has one person who makes the rules, enforces them, and judges disputes about them -- all the same person.

Discussion:

  • What problems might arise from this arrangement?
  • What would separation of powers solve?
  • Design a three-part government for Coral Bay.

Extension: Research what happens historically when one person holds all three types of power.

The Loophole Kid​

Scenario: The school rule says "No running in the hallways." A student begins jogging very slowly -- technically not running, but clearly much faster than walking. The principal says this violates the rule. The student says it does not.

Discussion:

  • What is the loophole?
  • Is the student right by the letter of the rule?
  • How would you rewrite the rule to close the loophole?

Extension: Find one real law that was later amended because of an unintended loophole.

The Unfair Punishment​

Scenario: In a fictional school, a student is accused of breaking a window. The principal says: "You broke it. You are suspended for a week." The student says they did not do it and asks to explain. The principal says: "Decision is final."

Discussion:

  • What did the school skip that due process requires?
  • What should have happened before the punishment?
  • Why does it matter that the student had a chance to respond, even if they were guilty?

Extension: Research what the Supreme Court has said about due process in schools.

The Group Agreement Stress Test​

Scenario: Three friends form a fiction-writing club with these rules: "All stories must be approved by a majority vote. No one person can veto a story." Two of the three friends decide to publish a story that the third friend finds unfair. The third friend has no way to stop it.

Discussion:

  • What is missing from this charter?
  • How is a minority protected in this agreement?
  • How would you add a protection?

Extension: Research the Bill of Rights as a model for protecting minority rights in a group.