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It is a paradox that the level of government which is closest to us is the level that we know the least about. Local government is overseen and managed often literally by neighbors, but what the neighbors do and how they do it remain unknown quantities to most people. It might well be the responsibility of the school system to place more emphasis on local government in its curriculum. The tasks of local government, while affecting us severely (where we live?), are often not excessively complicated.One such important task that can be studied in the classroom is zoning. Zoning is the dividing of the local jurisdiction into areas designated for particular uses; other uses are prohibited. For instance, some parts of the city or county may be designated for residential use, other parts for business, and still other zones for manufacturing.

Law-related education is experiencing a growing emphasis in school curriculum throughout the American school system. Educators see the need for it though most are not trained specifically in the law. Therefore, they need as much guidance as possible to help them create a curriculum that is relevant for their students.An excellent way to provide this help is through the development of a well-designed curriculum guide. There have been a few guides developed in law-related education in the last few years such as the one produced by the James Madison Institute on Law-Related Education at James Madison University (Curriculum Guide for Law-Related Education in the Secondary Schools of Virginia, copyright Virginia State Bar).