>> IN OUR CONTINUING GRADUATE SERIES, TONIGHT WE TAKE YOU TO
BELLAMY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN CHICOPEE, EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS
ARE LEARNING ABOUT U.S. CIVICS, THE CONSTITUTION, AND HOW OUR
JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKS, THEIR CLASS WAS ADOPTED BY HAMPDEN
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ANTHONY GALOONEY'S OFFICE IN A MOCK
PROGRAM. >> THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF
AMERICAN GRADUATE, LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
A PUBLIC MEDIA INITIATIVE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING. >> THE BIG ARGUMENT OVER THE
SECOND AMENDMENT IS, WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE GUNS OR NOT, DOES
THAT MEAN ANYTHING CAN? >> JACK TEACHES EIGHTH GRADE
SOCIAL STUDIES AT BELLAMY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN CHICOPEE BUT THIS IS
NOT YOUR ORDINARY NAMES AND DATES KIND OF CLASS.
>> THEY DID NOT HAVE POLICE BACK THEN.
SO, THE SECOND AMENDMENT WAS CREATED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING
THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.
>> MR. PARPA LEFTIS TEACHING A CIVICS COURSE, LEARNING ABOUT
THE FOUNDING FATHERS, U.S. CONSTITUTION AND HOW THE
GOVERNMENT WORKS. >> HOW IS THE PART, THAT YOU
HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT, THAT'S NOT REALLY IN THE
CONSTITUTION. >> IT'S ABOUT A 56-MINUTE CLASS,
AND WE COVER EVERYTHING FROM THE ORIGINAL EARLY LOSS, THINGS LIKE
THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT AND WHEN THE EUROPEANS FIRST CAME TO
AMERICA UP THROUGH RECENT SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.
SUCH AS THE GAY MARRIAGE DECISION.
>> HOW DID THE FAMILY FATHERS FEEL ABOUT GOVERNMENT?
>> THEY DID NOT LIKE IT, THEY DON'T TRUST THE PEOPLE IN
GOVERNMENT. >> WE DO A BIT OF U.S. HISTORY
REVIEW, AND IF THEY HAVE ANY HISTORY IN THEIR BACKGROUND IT
WAS IN FIFTH GRADE, AND I LOVE THEM BUT SOME OF THEM DON'T
REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAD FOR BREAKFAST SO THAT'S NECESSARY IN
ORDER TO EXPLAIN, THE MORE COMPLEX FEATURES OF THE
GOVERNMENT. >> EXPLAIN THE STORY.
>> MR. PARMELEE SPENT YEARS ON THE RADIO.
>> 30 MINUTES OF CONTINUOUS MUSIC.
>> HE WAS A DEEJAY ON WAAF IN BOSTON, AND ON KC-101 IN NEW
HAVEN BUT IT'S HIS RADIO PERSONALITY THAT HELPS TO KEEP
THE KIDS' ATTENTION IN CLASS. >> HE'S REALLY FUN, HE'S A FUNNY
GUY BUT WHEN IT'S TIME TO WORK, HE GETS VERY SERIOUS.
>> PETER GONZALES HAS HAD TO BUCKLE DOWN BUT IT'S PAYING OFF.
HE'S GETTING A'S AND B'S IN THIS YEAR BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL.
>> WE DO NOTES, AND THEN WE DO WORKSHEETS AFTER THEM, AND HAVE
POP QUIZZES AFTER TO SEE IF WE GET THEM RIGHT, AND --
>> THIS YEAR THE ALREADY SOUPED UP SOCIAL STUDIES' COURSE GOT
ANOTHER EDUCATIONAL BOOST. THE CLASS WAS CHOSEN BY THE
HAMPDEN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, TO PARTICIPATE IN A MOCK
LAW PROGRAM. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ANTHONY
GALOONEY AND HIS TEAM ADOPTED THE CLASS VISITING THEM AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN THEY EVEN CAME IN AND
CONDUCTED A MOCK TRIAL WITH THE STUDENTS.
PETER, WAS THE PROSECUTOR. >> SO, WHAT I DO IS MAKE SURE
THAT I HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE TO PROVE THAT HE WAS
GUILTY. >> DID YOU?
>> YEAH. >> IT WAS JUST ORGANIZE AS THEY
WANTED TO MAKE THE FRONT OF THE ROOM LIKE WHERE THE JUDGE WOULD
SIT, AND WITNESSES WOULD BE ON THE SIDE, AND YOU WOULD HAVE THE
DEFENSE TABLE TO THE FRONT LEFT AND THE PROSECUTION TO THE FRONT
RIGHT, AND THERE WOULD BE WITNESS TESTIMONY, AND SOME OF
THEM HAD SCRIPTS AND OTHERS WOULD IMPROVISE, AND THEY WOULD,
ACTUALLY, ACT OUT THE DOMESTIC ABUSE CASE.
>> THIS STUDENT WAS ONE OF THE PROSECUTION'S WITNESSES.
>> I WAS A COP, AND SHE TOLD ME TO GO UP AND I HAD TO SAY THAT I
FOUND A WEAPON UNDER THE CHAIR, AND THEN THE LAWYER, WAS ASKING
THE QUESTIONS. >> VICTORIA PEREZ IS ONE OF SIX
CHILDREN, AND HE SAYS THAT SCHOOL USED TO BE, WELL, NOT HIS
THING. BEFORE YOU MET HIM, AND WERE IN
HIS CLASS, WHAT KIND OF A STUDENT WERE YOU?
>> I WAS A LAZY STUDENT. DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS.
I TALKED A LOT. WHEN I GOT INTO THIS CLASS, I
PAID ATTENTION, AND HE MADE ME WANT TO LEARN THE SUBJECT.
>> AND NOW, VICTORIA, IS AIMING FOR THE HONOR ROLL.
CAYLEE FARRELL, AN A AND B STUDENT IS THINKING ABOUT A
CAREER IN LAW. >> WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE LAW THAT
YOU LIKE? >> LIKE I LIKE HOW YOU CAN ARGUE
YOUR POINT, AND HOW, LIKE, YOU CAN PROVE WHAT YOU THINK IS
RIGHT. >> DYLAN LABONTE IS NEW TO
BELLAMY MIDDLE, HE PLAYS FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND
LACROSSE, AND SAYS THAT THIS CLASS IS BETTER THAN HE HOPED
FOR. >> WE WERE LEARNING ABOUT THE
DOUBLE JEOPARDY, AND NONE OF US HAVE HEARD OF THAT BEFORE, AND I
THINK THAT HE'S GOING TO HELP ALL OF US IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
>> WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE? >> MIDDLE SCHOOL, IN GENERAL.
>> MATTHEW FRANCIS IS THE PRINCIPAL OF BELLAMY MIDDLE
SCHOOL, THE SCHOOL RECENTLY MOVED UP FROM A LEVEL 3 TO A
LEVEL 2, AND A STATE DESIGNATION DETERMINED BY TEST SCORE AND IS
OTHER FACTOR, IT'S A BIG IMPROVEMENT, THE WHOLE SCHOOL IS
PROUD OF. MR. FRANCIS SAYS THE U.S.
CIVICS' CLASS IS PART OF A STRATEGY TO ENGAGE STUDENTS WHO
MIGHT OTHERWISE GET OFF TRACK. >> IT'S A VERY DYNAMIC GROUP,
BUT THEY ARE, SOMETIMES, I DON'T WANT TO SAY LOST, BUT THEY
STRAY, BOTH BEHAVIORALLY AND ACADEMICALLY, AND WE THOUGHT
THIS WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD PROGRAM FOR THEM, TO KIND OF
HONE IN ON SOME NEEDS THAT THEY MAY HAVE IN ORDER TO TRANSITION
TO HIGH SCHOOL BETTER. >> THE KIDS WERE NOT ONLY ABLE
TO APPLY WHAT THEY LEARNED IN THE CLASSROOM BY DOING THE MOCK
TRIAL, BUT THEY ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A FIELD TRIP TO
THE HAMPDEN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURTHOUSE IN SPRINGFIELD.
>> IN THE REPORT, WED TRIALS. >> DA GALOONEY SAYS HE LOOKS
FORWARD TO IT EACH YEAR. >> IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
INTERACT WITH THE KIDS AND PRESENT A DIFFERENT FACE FOR THE
COURT SYSTEM AND FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE HOPE THAT IT GIVES THEM A SENSE OF WHAT LAWYERS DO AND
JUDGES DO AND WHAT THE DEFENSE LAWYERS DO.
WE HOPE IT PROVIDES THEM WITH INSPIRATION FOR THEIR FUTURES.
>> THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE HAS KEPT THIS STUDENT FOCUSED IN SCHOOL.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME IN
MIDDLE SCHOOL? HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE THEM TO
KEEP GOING? >> I WOULD JUST TELL THEM, DON'T
LET ANYBODY PULL YOU DOWN TO KEEP ON FIGHTING, WHAT YOU WANT
TO DO FOR WHEN YOU GET OLDER. >> AND DYLAN ISN'T SURE YET IF
HE WANTS TO BE A LAWYER BUT HE'S DRIVEN TO SUCCEED.
>> I KIND OF HAVE A PROMISE THAT I HAVE TO KEEP.
>> WHAT'S THE PROMISE? >> MY GRANDMA PASSED AWAY
EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND SHE LOVES FOOTBALL SO I HAVE TO GET IN THE
NFL. >> WHILE MR. PARMELEE IS NOT
CALLING PLAYS IN CLASS, HE'S KEEPING DYLAN AND THE REST OF
THE STUDENTS FOCUSED. >> HE'S FUNNY.
THAT'S THE SOCIAL, THE BEST SOCIAL STUDIES' TEACHER I HAVE
HAD. >> DO YOU THINK THEY WILL BE
READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL AFTER THIS?
>> YES, I WILL MISS THEM, SORT OF BUT THEY WILL BE READY IN
HIGH SCHOOL.