Teacher field guide
Legal concepts
A city you can actually reach
If the usual route is blocked, whose job is it to make the trip work?
Getting to school, a library or a city program depends on sidewalks, ramps, buses and information, and when one piece fails, someone’s day falls apart. Knowing which law applies and which office to ask turns frustration into a request that can get a route fixed.
What students make
Annotated map plus 3–4 sentences
The civic idea
Words that do the work.
- JurisdictionJurisdicción
Which laws and which government bodies apply to a place or program.
ADA Title II covers the city-run workshop and city sidewalks. Private businesses fall under Title III.
- Claim vs. evidenceAfirmación y prueba
A claim says something is true; evidence is the record that supports or challenges it.
Mateo’s photo shows one blocked curb ramp. It can’t prove the whole route is inaccessible or illegal.
- Program accessAcceso al programa
Under ADA Title II, a government program as a whole must be accessible, even if not every older facility is.
The city can make the workshop accessible through another entrance or location. The question is whether it works.
- Burden of proofCarga de la prueba
In a legal dispute, the side making a claim usually has to show evidence for it.
Sami doesn’t need to prove anything to ask a question. A formal complaint would need documented facts.
- ADA coordinatorCoordinador de la ADA
A city employee responsible for ADA compliance and complaints; larger public entities must designate one.
Sami and Mateo find the city’s ADA coordinator contact for their question.
- BarrierBarrera
Something that blocks or limits participation.
Construction blocks the curb ramp before the bus stop; the detour sign points to stairs.
I don’t need a viral video, Mateo. I need to know if there’s a route that gets me to the bus in twelve minutes.
The evidence
Handle the case file.
Every artifact comes with a question. The captions are the lesson.
NOTICEPosted Monday; photographed Tuesday, 4:05 p.m.
Construction detour sign at the corner
FLOOR PLANDrawn by Sami and Mateo
Route map: home to the city workshop
NOTICEPosted by the parks department
City workshop flyer
The workshop
45 minutes, block by block.
5 min
The blocked route
TeacherDescribe Sami’s trip: blocked curb ramp, detour sign pointing to stairs, bus in 12 minutes.
StudentsWrite what Sami needs right now and what could be asked later.
CheckStudents separate the immediate need from the follow-up.
10 min
What the photo shows
TeacherShow Mateo’s photo. Ask what it proves and what it doesn’t.
StudentsSort statements into “the photo shows” and “we’d need more.”
Check“The city broke the law” goes in “need more.”
10 min
Which law?
TeacherExplain Titles II and III of the ADA and program access using the DOJ page.
StudentsMatch three places (city workshop, sidewalk, private café) to the right title.
CheckWorkshop and sidewalk → Title II; café → Title III.
10 min
Route audit
TeacherModel a route audit: find, get there, enter, take part, leave.
StudentsComplete an audit for Sami’s trip using case evidence.
CheckAudit lists at least three stages, not just the entrance.
7 min
Write the request
TeacherModel a message to the ADA coordinator.
StudentsDraft a 60–100 word message with location, observation and request.
CheckMessage avoids declaring a violation and makes a specific ask.
3 min
Exit
TeacherAsk: which barrier would a photo miss?
StudentsWrite one.
CheckAnswers include information, timing or communication barriers.
Differentiated routes
One case. Seven ways in.
Each route changes what students read, make and prove, not only how long it takes.
Middle school
Grades 6–8: Map Sami’s trip from home to the workshop and mark each place something could go wrong.
- Sources
- The route map, the detour sign description and Sami’s conversation.
- Product
- Annotated map plus 3–4 sentences
- Raises the rigor
- Add one barrier a photo would miss, like missing information online.
Supports
- Printed route map with five stages
- Frames: “At __, the barrier was __. We could ask __.”
- Vocabulary: route, barrier, ramp, detour
- Talk with a partner first
Success looks like
- Marks at least three stages of the trip
- Describes the blocked ramp accurately
- Names one question for the city
- Asks what Sami wants instead of deciding for her
High school
Grades 9–10: Write an access report to the city’s ADA coordinator about the blocked route.
- Sources
- Case evidence plus the DOJ ADA and city governments page.
- Product
- Report, 120–170 words
- Raises the rigor
- Explain in one sentence why you are asking a question rather than claiming a violation.
Supports
- Report template: location, date/time, observation, effect, request
- Model report
Success looks like
- Precise location and time
- Observation separated from conclusion
- Specific request
- Correctly identifies Title II as relevant
High school
Grades 11–12: Write an explainer on ADA jurisdiction and program access using Sami’s trip as the example.
- Sources
- DOJ Title II guidance and case evidence.
- Product
- Explainer, 400–500 words
- Raises the rigor
- Explain why an older building might not need a ramp at every door while the program still must be accessible.
Supports
- Jurisdiction chart: Title II vs. Title III
- Program-access explainer
Success looks like
- Accurately distinguishes Title II and Title III
- Explains program access correctly
- Uses the case to illustrate, not overclaim
- Names who to contact
High school
Honors: Argue what a city should do during construction to keep routes usable.
- Sources
- DOJ guidance plus a teacher-selected city detour policy.
- Product
- Argument, 550–650 words
- Raises the rigor
- Weigh cost, time and safety against access; propose a standard.
Supports
- Policy options chart
- Counterargument frames
Success looks like
- Clear policy proposal
- Uses legal concepts accurately
- Weighs trade-offs honestly
- Includes a way to check the policy works
AP English Language
AP Lang: Compare two messages to the city (one angry and absolute, one precise) and argue which is more likely to get the route fixed.
- Sources
- Two teacher-written messages and case evidence.
- Product
- Comparative analysis, about 500 words
- Raises the rigor
- Explain how matching claim strength to evidence builds credibility with an institutional audience.
Supports
- Claims-and-evidence chart
- Commentary stems
Success looks like
- Defensible thesis about effectiveness
- Analyzes claims and evidence in each
- Links choices to the institutional audience
- Commentary explains effect
Middle Years
IB MYP: Investigate “What makes a city accessible?” and conduct a consent-based route audit of a public space near school.
- Sources
- Case sources plus the DOJ page; global context: Fairness and development.
- Product
- Audit report plus 200-word reflection
- Raises the rigor
- Include information and communication access, not only physical access.
Supports
- Inquiry statement frame
- Audit checklist
- Consent guidance
Success looks like
- Clear research question
- Audit covers several kinds of access
- Evaluates evidence limits
- Reflection is thoughtful
Diploma
IB DP: Analyze accessibility as a question of rights versus design: whose responsibility is an accessible city?
- Sources
- Case sources and DOJ guidance.
- Product
- Analysis, 700–900 words
- Raises the rigor
- Compare a rights-based approach with a design-based approach like universal design.
Supports
- Perspective chart: city, resident, contractor, taxpayer
- Key concepts: rights, equality, power
Success looks like
- Accurate legal content
- Compares two approaches
- Represents several perspectives
- Reaches a reasoned conclusion
Access for every learner
- Provide a printed route map with stages labeled
- Read the DOJ summary aloud with a visual of Titles II and III
- Spanish vocabulary: ruta, barrera, rampa, desvío
- Allow an oral report
- Reduce to mapping two stages
Extension
- Find your city’s ADA coordinator page and summarize its complaint process
- Research how your city communicates construction detours
Annotated student work
What a draft shows us.
Write a message to the city about the blocked route.
First draft
1The city is breaking the ADA. There is 2construction blocking the ramp and 3a wheelchair user I know couldn’t get to the bus. We were standing there for like ten minutes trying to figure out another way and the sign just pointed to stairs. My friend almost missed her workshop because of it. This is discrimination and completely illegal. Nobody even cares about this. You need to 4fix every ramp in the neighborhood right away or 5we will post the photos everywhere.
- 1Gap One observation doesn’t establish a violation. Describe what you saw and ask.
- 2Evidence Good fact. Add the exact location and date.
- 3Audience Did Sami agree to be mentioned? Ask before including her.
- 4Gap Too broad to act on. Ask about this detour.
- 5Audience Threats make a response less likely. State the follow-up you’ll do instead.
Revised
Hello, I’m writing about the construction at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue, by the bus stop. On Tuesday at about 4 p.m., the curb ramp on the northeast corner was blocked, and the detour sign pointed to a route with stairs. My friend, who uses a wheelchair and agreed to be mentioned, could not reach the bus stop that way. Could you tell us whether there is an accessible detour during construction, how it’s marked and how long the ramp will be blocked? We’d also like to know how to report this if it happens again. Thank you.
Assessment
One-page rubric.
Mark the evidence you see. Leave room for a comment and a next step.
| Criterion | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence | No location or time. | General description. | Specific location, time and observation. | Specific observation plus what remains unknown. |
| Reasoning | Declares a violation. | Mixes observation and conclusion. | Separates observation from legal question. | Connects observation to program access and asks the right office. |
| Audience & purpose | Threatening or vague. | Polite but no clear request. | Specific, answerable request to the right office. | Request plus how to report future issues. |
| Revision | No change. | Tone only. | Adds specifics and removes the legal conclusion. | Explains how each change helps the city act and respects Sami. |
Evidence I saw
Next step
Standards
What this case teaches, by the book.
CCSS 6–8 4
RI.8.8Students evaluate whether a single photo is sufficient evidence for a claim about the whole route.RH.6-8.7Students integrate a route map with written observations.W.7.2Students write an observation report with precise details.SL.6.1Students discuss Sami’s trip respectfully, asking what she wants rather than deciding for her.
CCSS 9–10 3
RI.9-10.1Students cite the DOJ Title II guidance to explain program access.RH.9-10.8Students assess how well the evidence supports a claim of an ADA violation.W.9-10.2Students write a clear access report for a city office.
CCSS 11–12 3
RI.11-12.7Students integrate a map, a photo, a detour sign and DOJ guidance to evaluate the route.RH.11-12.8Students evaluate the premises behind claiming a legal violation from limited evidence.W.11-12.1Students argue what a city owes residents when a route is temporarily blocked.
C3 Framework 4
D2.Civ.4.6-8Students explain the powers and limits of local government offices responsible for access.D2.Civ.12.9-12Students analyze how people use the ADA to address local access issues.D2.Civ.13.9-12Students evaluate intended and unintended outcomes of a construction detour.D4.7.6-8Students assess their capacity to take action through a route audit and a question to the city.
AP English Language 3
Claims and Evidence (CLE)Students match the strength of a claim to the evidence available.Rhetorical Situation (RHS)Students write an access report for a city office that must act.Reasoning and Organization (REO)Students organize a report: location, observation, effect, request.
IB MYP 3
Individuals and Societies B: InvestigatingStudents audit a route and collect evidence with consent.Individuals and Societies D: Thinking criticallyStudents evaluate what a photo can and cannot show.Individuals and Societies A: Knowing and understandingStudents explain ADA Title II concepts accurately.
IB DP 2
Global Politics — key concepts: rights, equality and powerStudents analyze disability rights as claims on public institutions.Theory of Knowledge — Knowledge and the knower (core theme)Students ask whose experience counts as evidence about a city.
Take it off the page
Find your city’s ADA contact.
- With a trusted adult, search your city’s website for “ADA coordinator” or “accessibility”
- Save how to report a blocked sidewalk or curb ramp (often 311 or a public works page)
- If you notice a barrier, note the location, date and time
- Ask the person affected what they want before reporting on their behalf