TITLE:  MAKING BINDING AGREEMENTS

AUTHOR:  Boyd Whitesides; Clearfield High, Utah

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:    11 - 12

OVERVIEW:  Contracts, offer, and acceptance are the basic
parts of the activities of a modern civilized society.
Students do not realize how many of their everyday
activities constitute making and keeping binding agreements.
Their entire lives will be made up of these important
aspects of the basic contract.

PURPOSE:  To thoroughly explore "offer" and "acceptance" in
relationship to making binding agreements.

OBJECTIVES:  As a result of this activity, the students
should be able to:
  1.  List the elements of an offer.
  2.  Describe how an offer is ended.
  3.  Explain the elements of an acceptance.
  4.  Know when a genuine offer and acceptance results in
      a binding contract.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
The Business Law Text
Newspaper articles concerning contracts
Resource Guide for Law

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:  Assign verbal topics where the
students explain to the class the following topics.  Each
student is considered an "expert" in the following topics
assigned.  (about 2-3 minutes per verbal topic)
  1.  What is a offeror and offeree?
  2.  An offer must be intended to create a legal
      obligation.
  3.  An offer must be definite.
  4.  An offer must be communicated to the offeree.
  5.  An offer ends at a stated time.
  6.  An offer ends at the end of a reasonable length of
      time.
  7.  An offer ends when rejected by the offeree or
      counter offer.
  8.  An offer ends when revoked or modified before
      offeree has accepted.
  9.  An offer ends with the death or insanity of the
      offeror or the offeree.
 10.  An offer can be kept open with an option -- (money
      down)
 11.  An acceptance can only be made by the person to
      whom the offer is made.
 12.  An acceptance must be unconditional and identical
      with the offer.
 13.  An acceptance must be communicated.
 14.  Acceptance by the offeree creates a valid contract.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  By being tested on these elements of
offer and acceptance which constitute contract law, the
students will take with them valuable knowledge which will
benefit them in their daily lives.  Many students return to
state the valuable knowledge gained in contract law and the
other aspects of business law.  This is the big payoff for
me in the field of law education.