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Lesson 5: In the Courtroom: Understanding the Players and the Action
Young lawyers put Goldilocks on trial as they develop an understanding of the legal system in the final lesson of this five-part series. After learning about key terms relating to litigation, students are assigned roles and reading...
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Introduction to Mock Trials
Fifth graders participate in a mock trial and explore the vocabulary of a courtroom.
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Espionage and Sedition Acts: Mock Trial
Bring to life the severity of the Espionage and Sedition Acts through a mock trial. Learners have prior knowledge of WWI and the context of these acts. An anticipatory set gets the class discussing the ethics of wartime dissension, and...
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"Whispering Wires": Public Law vs. Individual Civil Liberties
High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether or not...
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Street Law – Model Lesson Plan
Need a model plan for a mock trial? This four-page outline lists the goals, preparation, methods, and format of that activity.
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Mock Trial
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.
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Why a Mock Trial?
Students participate in a mock trial. They discover how U.S. courts resolve conflicts.
BBC
EU, UN, and Commonwealth
Find out how international government organizations work to face global issues. Learners examine if major organizations like the EU, UN, and Commonwealth are effective at tackling big issues like animal protection. They think about the...
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Mock Trial Preparation
Learners work together to help prepare for a mock trial presentation. As a class, they identify and discuss each part of a trial and participate in a mini-demonstration to help visualize the steps. After completion, they write a...
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Stolen Car Mini-Trial
Students participate in a mock trial about stolen cars. In groups, they take turns representing their clients and examining how a court operates. Other students act as the jury and share their reasons for the verdict they deliver.
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Opening Statements -- Mock Trial Preparation
High schoolers prepare for their mock trials in the classroom. As a class, they are introduced to the elements to be included in an opening statement. They make their own statements and present them in front of the class. They make...
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Mock Tribunal in Action
Students role-play as members of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. They participate as members of the prosecution, defense, and other parties involved with the trial of alleged war criminals.
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Arrest- A Legal System Simulation
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...
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Arrest
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.
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Did Jack break the law?:
Students identify the process for settling a legal dispute, identify key players in a legal dispute (who presents the facts; who makes the final decision) and determine what makes a decision fair.
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That's MY Pencil: Simplified Mock Trial
Learners identify the process for settling a legal dispute, identify key players in a legal dispute (who presents the facts; who makes the final decision), and determine what makes a decision fair.
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Mini-Mock Trial
Students read through accounts of a teenage boy's use of a personal watercraft vehicle. They discuss the presented evidence and consider the varying details of the defendant, plaintiff and witnesses. They come to an agreement and state a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Plyler v. Doe: Can States Deny Public Benefits to Illegal Immigrants?
Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...
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Tort Liability: Mock Trial
Young scholars explore the trial process and the tort concept of host liability.
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Science in the Courtroom: The Woburn Toxic Trial
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...
National First Ladies' Library
Safety or Civil Liberty? The Trial of Sacco and Vanzet
High schoolers investigate the Sacco-Vanzetti trial and develop a basic understanding of the issues involved. Then they write an essay taking a stance on the Sacco-Vanzetti trial: was the trial fair? were the two men falsely accused?...
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Opening Statements (Timed Writing) Model Lesson Plan
Students review purpose and timing of opening statements in mock trials, discuss particulars of what should be included in opening statements, and write individual opening statements based on facts of their case.
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Torts
Students examine tort law and defenses to negligence claims. They read case studies, participate in a mock trial, answer questions about the case summaries, and present information to their group about tort law.
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Family Law - Child Abuse and Neglect
Students continue to examine child abuse and neglect laws in their state. In groups, they discuss the reasoning behind the child abuse laws and how to increase awareness. They participate in a mock trial to practice their negotiation...