Business Law 1 Syllabus

Instructor:                      Ms. Schuh                                                               Classroom:                                   104

Work Phone:                629-5500 ext 2104                                                E-mail:                                         schuhs@tracy.k12.mn.us

Extra Help Hours:        7:00-8:00 AM by appointment                           Credit:                                         1 semester credit

                                        3:00-4:00 PM by appointment                                MDE Course Code:                       33

Textbook:                       Adamson, Morrison, (2017), Law for Business and Personal Use – 19th Edition, South-Western Educational Publishing.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: Textbook, Pencil and Eraser, Headphones and Laptop with charging cord

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course helps students develop a comprehensive understanding of business and personal law. It emphasizes legal concepts that are relevant to business in the broad areas of employment law, contract law, consumer law, and laws related to the formation and operation of businesses. The course will focus on business and civil law (rather than criminal law) and the court systems that enforce the laws. Students will be challenged to think analytically as they study classic as well as recently-decided legal cases. Current issues and legal events are highlighted within each unit. Participation in Business Professionals of America (BPA) is encouraged.

GRADING POLICY:

Each unit includes formative (ungraded) and summative (graded) assessment work—all of which must be completed before the unit test may be taken. All make-up work/late work will be completed before the next exam.  Late work will receive reduced credit.  It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete all make-up work. Assessed work for the course includes:         

·        Daily Assignments and Quizzes

·        Problem and Objective Tests  

·        Case Law Review, Question of Ethics and Mock Trial

Grading Scale:

A      93% and above                                           C+    76 – 79%

A-    90 – 92%                                                     C      73 – 75%

B+    86 – 89%                                                     C-     70 – 72%

B      83 – 85%                                                     D+    66 – 69%

B-     80 – 82 %                                                    D      63 – 65%

STUDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT:

All students enrolled in this course have the opportunity to join the TAHS chapter of Business Professionals of America (BPA). Chapter activities provide numerous opportunities to develop leadership skills in real-world settings through chapter activities including the BPA competitive event program. Interested students should contact Ms. Schuh for more information or an application form. Opportunities for students to develop leadership skills will also be embedded throughout the classroom curriculum in the form of projects to work with business and community leaders to apply course content to real-world issues and problems

CAREER EXPLORATION/DEVELOPMENT:

Students will conduct research on career opportunities in the field of law. They will analyze how their personal and professional interests align with these opportunities. Several professionals in the field of law and government will give presentations during the course to raise awareness of the variety of opportunities in this career pathway.

CURRICULUM MAPPING: SEMESTER OUTLINE

Unit 1 (approx. 3 wk)   Instructional Unit: Understanding the Law and Our Legal System

                                Benchmark: BM33.10.01.01 Explain the relationship between law and ethics.

  Benchmark: BM33.10.01.02 Explain the sources of U.S. business and civil law.

            Benchmark: BM33.10.01.03 Compare and contrast criminal and civil law.

Benchmark: BM33.10.01.04 Explain the structure of the U.S. court system.

Authentic Assessment project: Online interactive and Unit Exam

Unit 2 (approx. 3wks)Instructional Unit: Crimes and Torts

Benchmark: BM33.10.04.01 Explain consumer protection legislation and the regulatory agencies that protect consumers.

Benchmark: BM33.10.04.02 Describe the consequences of violating consumer statutes.

Benchmark: BM33.10.04.03 Explain the differences between unsafe products and dangerous products.

Authentic Assessment project: Benchmark: Case study of unsafe products and legal actions

Unit 3 (approx. 3 wks)Instructional Unit: Contract Law

Benchmark: BM33.10.03.01 Identify the elements of a contract.

Benchmark: BM33.10.03.02 Explain how contracts establish business relationships.

Benchmark: BM33.10.03.03 Analyze contractual rights and responsibilities of each party in a contract.

Benchmark: BM33.10.03.04 Explain breach of contract and remedies available

Authentic Assessment project:  Create and analyze contracts project

Unit 4 (approx. 4 wks)Instructional Unit: Employment Laws

Benchmark: BM33.10.02.01 Identify unfair labor practices.

Benchmark: BM33.10.02.02 Explain compensation and benefit laws.

Benchmark: BM33.10.02.03 Explain the rights and responsibilities associated with the collective bargaining process.

Benchmark: BM33.10.02.04 Explain the nature of workplace regulations (including OSHA and ADA).

Authentic Assessment project: Employment law case analysis and Unit Exam

Unit 5 (approx. 4 wks)Instructional Unit: Creating and Operating Business Organizations

Benchmark: BM33.10.05.01 Describe the most common forms of business ownership and identify the legal entity in each.

Benchmark: BM33.10.05.02 Explain the legal procedures for forming and running each type of business organization.

Benchmark: BM33.10.05.03 Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each type of business ownership.

Authentic Assessment project: Unit exam and Unit Business Ownership Project

Unit 6 (approx. 1 wks)Instructional Unit: Careers in Law

Benchmark: No benchmarks associated with this unit

Authentic Assessment project:  Infographic explaining careers in law and relevant traits for each career.

Summative and Final  Exam and Mock Trial Situations