Law Legal ReasoningHelpers Who Keep People Safe and Fair
Justice the owl stands on a sunny street corner in a cheerful neighborhood, wearing a tiny badge, watching a crossing guard help children walk safely across a zebra crossing while a friendly police officer waves from nearby.
- Identify at least three community helpers whose job is to keep rules and keep people safe.
- Explain in simple words what a police officer, a judge, and a crossing guard each do.
- Compare the jobs of a crossing guard and a police officer by naming one thing that is the same and one thing that is different.
- Predict which helper someone would call when there is a dangerous situation on the street.
Key terms
- Crossing guard
- A helper who safely walks children across a busy street.
- Police officer
- A helper who keeps the whole community safe and following rules.
- Judge
- A helper who decides what is fair under the law.
- Courthouse
- The special building where a judge listens and decides cases.
Each Helper Has a Special Place
A good trick for remembering these helpers is to picture each one's special place. The crossing guard belongs at the street crossing, the police officer moves all around the community from the police station, and the judge belongs inside the courthouse. When you know where a helper works, it becomes much easier to remember what their important job is.
Same and Different Jobs
Crossing guards and police officers are alike because both keep people safe, but they are different too. A crossing guard stays in one spot at the crossing, while a police officer travels all around the neighborhood. A judge has a separate job entirely, listening to both sides of a serious disagreement and deciding what is fair under the law.
Worked examples
A child sees a car driving the wrong way and it looks dangerous. Who should be told?
- Notice this is a dangerous situation happening out on the street.
- Recall that a crossing guard stays at one crossing and a judge works in a courthouse.
- A police officer responds to dangerous events all around the community.
Answer: A police officer should be told right away.
Activity
Sort each picture into the right helper's bucket by dragging it to the correct community helper.
Practice
Match each helper to the special place where they usually do their job.
Explain one way a crossing guard and a police officer are the same.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Police officers stand at crossings every day.Helping children cross the street is the crossing guard's special job, not the police officer's.
- A judge directs traffic on the road.A judge decides what is fair in a courthouse, while a crossing guard handles the traffic.
Check your understanding
A crossing guard's most important job is to:
Two neighbors argue about who owns the fence between their yards and cannot agree on their own. A judge's job would be to:
A child sees a car driving the wrong way down the street and it looks dangerous. Which helper should someone tell right away?
Which helper would you find working at a busy street crossing every morning?
Recap
Crossing guards, police officers, and judges are community helpers who keep us safe and fair. A crossing guard works at the street crossing, a police officer moves around the whole community, and a judge decides what is fair inside the courthouse.
Reflect
Which community helper would you most like to thank, and why?