Name: _____________
Date:_______________
Now that we have thoroughly analyzed Canada’s justice system including:
The Criminal Code of Canada
The Youth Criminal Justice Act
The Extra-judicial measures that we can use and their purposes
We will compare our justice system with another nation’s taking into account our similar histories and
social situations I would like you to use the information from your research and notes to
Your assignment will be to examine the similarities and differences between Canada’s Youth Criminal
Justice Act and New Zealand’s Youth Court
Day 1 Goals:
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Complete the readings and notes on the two justice systems
Begin to develop an opinion on whose is more effective
Day 2 Goals:
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Develop your opinion on which justice system is more effective
o Look at statistics
o Look back to the videos we watched yesterday
Get yourself ready to defend your opinion
o Have statistics ready
o State your evidence that supports your opinion
Day 3 goals:
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Finalize your debate arguments, get prepared to debate on Tuesday!
(if you finish early you can work on your study guides for the unit and chapter tests coming up )
View the videos as a class and take notes by responding to the following questions:
New Zealand’s Youth Justice System Flowcharts:
After Family Group Conferences:
What are Family Group Conferences?
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What part of the Youth Criminal Justice Act are they similar to?
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What part of restorative justice are they similar to?
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How are Family Group Conferences more prominent than Canada’s Youth Justice Committees?
(compare these charts to the one on page 67 of your textbook)
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Consider the charts and data on youth crime rates in Canada and New Zealand, has one had a clearly
improved drop in crime over the other? If so which one?
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FGC
Who attends the meetings?
YJC
FGC
What is the purpose of the meetings?
YJC
FGC
Who is responsible for developing the plans?
YJC
FGC
What kinds of consequences might be put into place?
YJC
FGC:
Success rates according to the videos:
YJC
Debate Prep:
Based on your responses to the above questions, your viewing of the videos and the statistics from both
Canada and New Zealand, decide how you feel about the following statement:
Canada should adopt a version of the Youth Justice System that is closer to New Zealand’s by
increasing the importance of Youth Justice Committees in the sentencing of young offenders
Do you:
1. Strongly Agree
2. Agree
3. Disagree
4. Strongly Disagree
Now that you have chosen your stance on the above issue, you need to prepare your arguments and
be ready to defend your opinion; to do so consider the following:
Statistics related to both countries’ crime rates
Public safety
Victim support
Offender support
Community involvement
Closure for victims
Anything else you think it could of as a pro or con
Pros
(How would it improve our system?)
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Cons
(How could it hurt our system?)
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Developing your arguments:
Making an Argument
Example
Assertion: a statement you are trying to prove
Boxing is intended to hurt people
with an argument
Unlike other sports where physical collisions and
body damage occurs, the point of boxing is to do
harm to your opponent. The goal of boxing is the
knock out – unconsciousness that is the result of
brain damage
Reasoning: “because” part of your argument
Evidence: support for your reasoning
And boxers succeed in doing a great deal of
damage, Levander Johnson died from brain
injuries. Both Quarry brothers passed away before
the age of 55 from a lifetime of beatings.
For three of the points you came up with in the pros/cons section that support your opinion develop
your arguments. Use evidence; look at the statistics, the success stories from the programs we looked
at, the articles from your textbook on pages 72 and 73 to support your arguments
Making an Argument
Example
Assertion: a statement you are trying to prove
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with an argument
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Reasoning: “because” part of your argument
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Evidence: support for your reasoning
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Making an Argument
Example
Assertion: a statement you are trying to prove
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with an argument
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Reasoning: “because” part of your argument
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Evidence: support for your reasoning
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Making an Argument
Example
Assertion: a statement you are trying to prove
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with an argument
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Reasoning: “because” part of your argument
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Evidence: support for your reasoning
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Responding to your opponents arguments:
4-steps to refute your opponents
arguments
“They say. . .” : Briefly restate your opponent’s
argument
“But . . .”: make your counter-argument
“Because . . .”: give your reasoning
Example
Speaker 1: “Bananas are better than oranges
because they contain more potassium
Speaker 2: “speaker 1 says that bananas are
better than oranges, but oranges are better than
bananas because they contain more vitamin C.
Therefore you should prefer oranges over bananas
because while many foods have potassium, very
few contain very much vitamin C”
“therefore . . .” compare your point to the point
you’re answering
For three of the cons you came up with that disagree with your stance on this issue develop
counter arguments for them using the following method
4-steps to refute your
opponents arguments
Example
“They say. . .” : Briefly restate
They say: _________________________________________________
your opponent’s argument
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“But . . .”: make your counter_________________________________________________________
argument
_________________________________________________________
“Because . . .”: give your
reasoning
But: _____________________________________________________
“therefore . . .” compare your
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point to the point you’re
_________________________________________________________
answering
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Because: _________________________________________________
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Therefore: ________________________________________________
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4-steps to refute your
opponents arguments
Example
“They say. . .” : Briefly restate
They say: _________________________________________________
your opponent’s argument
_________________________________________________________
“But . . .”: make your counter_________________________________________________________
argument
_________________________________________________________
“Because . . .”: give your
reasoning
But: _____________________________________________________
“therefore . . .” compare your
_________________________________________________________
point to the point you’re
_________________________________________________________
answering
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Because: _________________________________________________
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Therefore: ________________________________________________
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4-steps to refute your
opponents arguments
Example
“They say. . .” : Briefly restate
They say: _________________________________________________
your opponent’s argument
_________________________________________________________
“But . . .”: make your counter_________________________________________________________
argument
_________________________________________________________
“Because . . .”: give your
reasoning
But: _____________________________________________________
“therefore . . .” compare your
_________________________________________________________
point to the point you’re
_________________________________________________________
answering
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Because: _________________________________________________
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Therefore: ________________________________________________
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1. Before the debate answer the following: What are your opinions on the topic? Should Canada
adopt policies in our youth justice system that are similar to New Zealand’s? Why or Why not?
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2. After the debate answer the following: Has your opinion changed at all? If so how? If not, why
not? Consider any new evidence that may have been brought forward or the way others argued
their opinions.
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Criteria
Excellent (4)
Proficient (3)
Arguments
Arguments are
well developed,
contain all three
parts and evidence
from a variety of
sources
Arguments are
rounded, contain
all three parts, few
sources of
evidence are used
Counter
arguments
Reflection
questions
Basic (2)
Arguments are
somewhat
developed,
contain at least
two parts sources
of evidence are
limited
CounterCounterCounterarguments are
arguments are
arguments are
well developed,
rounded, contain
somewhat
contain all parts
all three parts, few developed,
and evidence from sources of
contain at least
a variety of
evidence are used two parts, sources
sources
of evidence are
limited
responses show
Responses show
Responses show
that student has
the student has
the student is
taken into account considered both
unfairly biased
both sides of the
sides when making towards one side
arguments when
their decision, but when making their
making their
have, less open to decision.
decision, openness others’ viewpoints
to others’
viewpoints shown
Limited (1)
Missing parts of
the arguments, no
evidence stated,
Missing parts of
the counter
arguments, no
evidence stated.
Responses show
the student has
not even
considered
another viewpoint
when making
decisions