High Academic Standards in Action: 8th Grade Criminal Legal System Project

Westside’s value of high academic standards is not defined by how much content students can memorize or how quickly they can find the “right” answer. Instead, they are defined by how well students can think, question, connect ideas, and explain their understanding. Students are expected to engage deeply with complex topics, revisit and strengthen skills over time, and apply their learning in meaningful, real-world contexts.

Studying the Criminal Legal System

As part of a collaborative unit between Ethics & Equity and Humanities, eighth graders spent the last several months studying how the criminal legal system works, how it has developed over time, and how it affects people in communities today.

Students were expected to hold a lot at once:

• Historical context
• Constitutional principles
• Current events
• Personal narratives
• Real-world systems that shape everyday life

In eighth grade, learning is not only about knowing the vocabulary or landing on a single correct answer. It is about asking hard questions, making connections, and learning to explain complex ideas clearly and with purpose.

These skills don’t happen overnight. They are built steadily throughout the middle school years, as students revisit and deepen ways of thinking from fifth through eighth grade.

That progression is visible across disciplines, including eighth graders’ work around the criminal justice system, where students are expected not just to understand information, but to analyze it, connect perspectives, and articulate what they think and why.

Concept Maps: Making Thinking Visible

One way students showed their understanding was through detailed concept maps.

These were not simple diagrams. Each student or pair of students built a map with more than 50 ideas drawn from class discussions, homework, book clubs, documentaries, and news sources. Just as important as the content itself were the connections students made between ideas, showing how one decision, policy, or moment in history links to another. From those modules, students identified key concepts they will continue to develop through research and writing. 

Learning from Legal Professionals

Once the concept drawings were completed, eighth graders had the opportunity to experience an in-school panel with four legal professionals representing different parts of the criminal justice system.

Students shared their concept maps, asked thoughtful questions, and engaged in conversations that advanced their thinking. The panel helped students connect what they had learned in class to the lived experiences of people working within the system, adding depth, challenge, and nuance to their work.

A huge thank you to Mike, Matt, Rebecca, and Stacy for generously sharing their time, expertise, and real-world experiences with our students.

Ongoing Discussion

Throughout the unit, students also engage with film and literature to deepen their understanding. Documentaries like 13th helped students examine how legislation throughout U.S. history has contributed to mass incarceration and provided concrete examples for class discussions. Students regularly connected what they were learning to the Constitution and to current events, raising questions about accountability, equity, and responsibility. These discussions reflected the seriousness and thoughtfulness students brought to the work.

As the unit came to a close, students watched Just Mercy in Ethics & Equity class, a film that closely aligns with the themes explored in class and in book clubs. Recognizing that the content is heavy, teachers intentionally provide space for reflection and options for students who need a break, while maintaining high expectations for engagement and critical thinking. 

The final stage of the project in Humanities class asked students to choose one topic from their conceptual map and expand it into a research essay. This required students to find credible sources, evaluate information, and clearly explain how their topic fits into the larger system they have been studying. It was a chance for students to show independence, depth of understanding, and strong analytical writing. 

What High Academic Standards Look Like

This is what high academic standards look like at Westside. Students are challenged to think deeply, work collaboratively, practice reflection, and make meaningful connections across disciplines. They are trusted with complex material and supported in developing the skills to question, analyze, and communicate their thinking clearly. The result is learning that is demanding and relevant, preparing students for long-lasting success. 

Written by Shoshannah Hoffman, Communications & Marketing Specialist, in collaboration with Kalei Sabaratnam, Ethics & Equity Teacher