Methodological principles of optional integrative law courses for junior pupils

Abstract

The article substantiates the feasibility of integrative law courses as an effective means of teaching and educating junior pupils. The expediency of introducing integrative law courses as a system that covers various aspects of legal knowledge has been proved. Respective methodological principles have been developed (substantiation of the scientific principle of integration; provision of logical development of the content of knowledge in the course; integration of legal knowledge with knowledge from other disciplines; use of integrated forms and methods of teaching accordingly; entrance of new quality of system legal knowledge in the process of integration; prediction of knowledge differentiation considering pupils’ age and individual characteristics). We offer an open system that is expanded vertically (integrative courses by years of study) and horizontally (integrative courses by subject). The novelty of the proposed system is that, for the first time, it is offered not one course containing jurisprudence, but a comprehensive system that provides the possibility of choosing a course by the age of pupils (vertical component, calculated for four years of elementary school) and interests (horizontal component, highlighting different aspects of legal knowledge). The system is based on an invariant mini-course, which contains the most important legal knowledge for junior pupils and which is the starting platform for studying all other courses included in the elaborated system. The content of the basic integrative course has been substantiated and its relation to the variant courses of the system has been revealed. The prospect of forming a law course for younger pupils has been presented as an independent subject that contains the most important legal knowledge, adapted to the age of pupils. It is suggested that it is used a complex of innovative forms, methods and teaching aids that provide motivation for studying the suggested courses. The attention is focused on close interrelation of the legal knowledge of junior pupils with the educational material of other disciplines.