+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mock Trial

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students rewrite a traditional fairy tale to represent the viewpoint of the villain. They participate in a mock trial of that villain in which all regular court participants (judge, jury, defendant, witnesses, plaintiff, etc) play roles.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arrest- A Legal System Simulation

For Teachers 11th - 12th
What would your class do if a police officer arrested a student in class? This is exactly the anticipatory set that gets pupils engaged in a unit on the legal system. The plan is to get the officer to simulate an arrest, and then guest...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mock Trial

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils, after the traditional read and discussion of BEOWULF, put one of the the main characters on trial.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arrest

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners become active participants in the legal process as they take on the roles of witnesses, jurors, and defendants in a trial simulation. An understanding and appreciation of the legal system is fostered through the experience.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hero vs. Claudio: A Case of Slander

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research marriage customs of the Renaissance, discuss and debate the issues raised by Claudio repudiating Hero at the altar in the Shakespearean play Much Ado About Nothing, and then stage a mock trial accusing Claudio of...
+
Unit Plan
YMCA

Turning Courtrooms into Classrooms

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Turn the class into the next episode of Law & Order! Scholars work together to create a mock trial over the course of several weeks before going before a judge for the case performance. They take on different roles, go through...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Judges in the Classroom - Mock Trials

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners conduct a mock trial and follow established procedures role-playing attorneys, witnesses, judges, bailiffs, etc. Students examine documents, present arguments and decide a case in which a sea lion is on trial for eating fish.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science in the Courtroom: The Woburn Toxic Trial

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students role-play expert witnesses in a mock trial dealing with contamination of groundwater. They prepare for the role-play by studying the movement of groundwater and the transport of contaminants through computations, map exercises...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rebels Or Resisters?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers participate in a mock trial on the Whiskey Rebellion that took place in the state of Pennsylvania in 1794. They analyze the perspectives presented by both sides to determine whether the Whiskey "rebels" were guilty of...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crime and Justice

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students investigate what happens when someone is arrested. They engage in a mock trial role play about a burglary. They engage in the process of the Criminal Justice System from arrest to sentencing.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trial Simulation Project on First Amendment Cases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students engage in research and role play to discover the history and importance of certain First Amendment court cases. They act out the cases in different roles in order to understand different perspectives from the prosecution to the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charging Redchief

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Read and analyze the novel, Ransom of Redchief. They identify the elements of character development, and participate in a mock trial, creating the witnesses through the use of character development.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swiss Bank Accountability: Mock Trial

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use a variety of sources to construct a case defending and prosecuting the Swiss government for their role in Nazi gold transactions during World War II. They practice research techniques, persuasive writing and speaking.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese-Americans of World War II

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and Roosevelt's Executive Order. They listen to an audio file of the Fifth Amendment before holding a mock trial about the policy of internment of...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Direct and Cross-Examination

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students continue to prepare for their mock trial. In groups, they are introduced on how to properly cross and direct examine someone using the techniques. They practice each technique on one another and compete against other groups in...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Was Goldilocks Innocent or Guilty?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders act out a mock fairy tale trial. They use a fairy tale like "The Three Little Pigs", "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", "Hansel and Grete"l, and/or "Little Red Riding Hood".
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Juvenile Justice-Adjudicatory Hearing

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students list the role of the prosecutor and the role of defense counsel. They state the elements of robbery and defense of compulsion. Students conduct a mock hearing, following the sequence of steps in an adjudicatory hearing and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Case of the Plugged Toilets:

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students identify the process for settling a criminal dispute (how are the facts of the case presented; how is the dispute resolved?, and