Lesson Plan #1:     Your Own Classroom Court

Goal: To allow students the opportunity to further their knowledge of the law and its legal proceedings. To experience "trial by a jury of your peers" in simple matters. To give each student a job in the courtroom and to vary these positions throughout the year.

Objectives: Students will be able to explain and identify the names of jobs available in a typical courtroom.

Procedure: In order for the classroom court to work, you, the teacher must keep in mind that you are the one who is responsible for the class. You must clearly decide how much weight you want the court to have. One way to help you decide is to talk to one of your fellow teachers or your principal. As a class, decide on appropriate sentences for guilty verdicts. Again, you must be the voice of reason. After you have agreed upon the sentences, post them in the classroom so that everyone can refer to them. Next you will need to define the offices of the court and the length of office. Some possibilities for jobs are: judge, jury, bailiff, court reporter, defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, and substitutes. It is necessary to have substitutes to take the place of an officer who might be absent on court day. It might be a very good idea to present your courtroom to the parents in a letter or at open house. Ask for their input, maybe some of them could be good resource people. Try to present this as close to the beginning of a court session as possible. Keep your administration informed as to what you are doing. After you feel comfortable with the model ask them to sit in on a case. Hold nominations for positions. Decide on an appropriate number of names for each position. Draw up a very simple ballot and have a secret ballot. This might be a way a parent could help out in the classroom or you may wish to count them yourself. Stress that just because you weren't picked this time you will have other chances throughout the year. Have a very simple "swearing-in" ceremony for all court officials. Set a particular day for holding court. Perhaps you might like it every Wednesday afternoon or every Friday morning. But do set a specific time as the students will begin to prepare their cases and need to know when to be ready with their information. You will probably like to go through a few Mock Trials first to give the class a taste of what is to come. After each court case evaluate students' performance. The first couple of times you may wish to do this with the whole class as your listeners. If you are really energetic, you can give written feedback to each of the officers, after each case.

Be sure that the court sentences agreed upon by the class are followed. Set a time limit when the sentences must be served. Your court report will have to document everything. This will be the main source of information regarding each case. The court records must remain in school. You may wish to lock them up so they are kept in a safe place. That way if someone is absent, you will still have the information necessary to proceed.

Tying it All Together: Ask the student how they feel the court is going. Try to do this at least once a month. Don't be afraid to admit something isn't working. The students may have some very creative ways to improve the proceedings. What do you as the teacher perceive to be the greatest component of the court? What is the greatest weakness? How will you work on maintaining the good while also working on trying to correct the weaknesses? Did you accomplish your goals? Was the experience fun? What would you change in the future? What might be some of your recommendations to others setting up their classroom courthouse?

This AskERIC Lesson Plan was submitted by Rita Irene Esparza of St. Joseph, Sacramento, California.

Lesson Plan #2:     Why a Mock Trial?

Purpose: While learning the details of trial process and procedures, students are also developing a number of critical skills that are universally necessary, including critical analysis of problems, strategic thinking, questioning skills, listening skills, skills in oral presentation and extemporaneous argument, and skills in preparing and organizing material. Of particular interest is the high level of cooperation among students needed for successful mock trials. Recent research findings indicate that such findings indicate that such cooperative learning activities encourage significant cognitive achievement among students from a variety of backgrounds and also improve student attitudes toward school and each other. Other positive results include challenging students, encouraging field trips, and using resource persons (visits to court houses and visits by judges and attorneys are a natural accompaniment to mock trials). And, mock trials are fund. Participation in mock trials helps students to understand better the roles that the various actors play in the justice system and also the difficult conflicts those persons must resolve daily in performing their jobs. On a more complex level, mock trials also provide students with an excellent vehicle for the study of such fundamental law-related concepts as authority and fairness. Through participation in mock trials and analysis of the activity, students gain an insiders perspective on court room procedures. Mock trials help students gain a basic understanding of the legal mechanism through which society chooses to resolve many of its disputes.

Materials: If you have access to an attorney who will help with a guest visitation during your mock trial program he/she would be able to get the various forms which you can then reproduce. You may also contact National Institute for Citizen Education in the Law 25 E. Street N.W. Suite 400 Washington D.C. 20001 (202) 662-9620. For information on case materials designed especially for mock trials contact Social Studies School Service 10200 Jefferson Boulevard Culver City, California 90232.

Activities: A mock trial project should involve every student in the class for the entire unit. Students not assigned specific, active roles quickly lose interest. The trial itself has room for roles other than attorneys and witnesses. They include judge, clerk, bailiff, jury members, court artist, and camera operator.

Lesson Plan #3:     The Most Dangerous Murder Trial

Activities: After reading "The Most Dangerous Game," divide students into groups: prosecution, defense, witnesses, and jury. You could also include a judge (or you be the judge) and a bailiff. The prosecution and defense will determine who the witnesses are and design questions to ask them. The witnesses must be knowledgeable of the parts their characters play in the story (they could be captives on the island or Rainsford's friend Whitney). The jury will listen closely to each side and draw a two-column chart: one side for guilt, one side for innocence. The trial will proceed like that of a normal court hearing. At the end, the jury decides if Rainsford is justified in his killing of Zaroff or not. For the students who actually paid attention and read the story, this is a fun activity.