Judicial Learning Center
The Judge and the Jury: Trial by Jury
Why is it so important to have a trial by jury in the American judicial system? This right is one of the hallmarks of American democracy, but it also comes with the responsibility of serving on a jury if called. Young legal scholars...
Miama-Dade County Public Schools
Middle School Mock Trial Competition
Objection! Scholars participate in a mock trial to gain an understanding the ins and outs of court procedures. Using the Jessie Jones v. Palm City court case, they role play each specific part of the trial, learning how courts operate...
Curated OER
Convince that Jury (Inspired by Roald Dahl's
What happened to a murder case when the police eat the murder weapon? After reading Roald Dahl's dark and ironic short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," students write a persuasive essay to convince a jury that the wife who killed her...
Missouri Center for Career Education
Mock Trial Jury Worksheet
What is the role of the judge in a trial? What schooling is required to be a judge? How much do judges typically earn? Class members research the job descriptions, education required, and salaries of law-related occupations including...
iCivics
We The Jury
A jury must decide: are the names of two businesses so similar that one is hurt by customer confusion? Learners play the role of a juror who must decide—and convince others—whether Trio Taco and Trio Pizza are too similar. Using...
Curated OER
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 activity of this five-part series. After learning about key terms relating to litigation, students are assigned roles and reading...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Beowulf Mini-Mock Trial Manual
For this Beowulf worksheet, students identify a crime and prepare the prosecuting and defense case to present to the class "jury."Â Students must follow court procedure and use court terminology as they present their case.
Curated OER
Mock Trial
Students, after the traditional read and discussion of BEOWULF, put one of the the main characters on trial.
Curated OER
The Amistad Case: A Mock Trial
Students hold a mock trial. In this Amistad case lesson, students prepare for and participate in a mock trial regarding the Amistad case and determine the fate of the Africans recovered on the ship.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
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 students engaged in a unit on the legal system. The plan is to get the officer to simulate an arrest, and then guest...
Law Focused Education
Objection! Your Honor Game
Objection! Scholars research the rules and regulations of trial law. Using a trial game simulation, class attorneys choose whether to object to questioning during various trial scenarios. Once objecting, they must also choose the...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Mock Trial Preparation
Students 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...
Curated OER
Trial Simulation Project on First Amendment Cases
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...
Curated OER
Rebels Or Resisters?
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...
Curated OER
Tension Between Conflict and Compromise
Learners prepare for and participate in a debate and mock trial regarding laws broken during the Boston Tea Party. Several primary documents and a homework chart are included.
Curated OER
Courts in the Classroom: Ritter v Stanton
Learners read the case briefs of Ritter v Stanton. They simulate the trial with classmates taking various parts such as appellant, appellee, bailiff, and justices. After conducting a mock argument, they write their own opinion for the case.
Curated OER
Hydraulic Mining Offline Lesson
Students utilize a variety of source materials to explore reasons for supporting or opposing hydraulic mining. A mock court hearing is held where a decision to allow the continued use of hydraulic mining is made.
Curated OER
Mock Trials/Five Themes of Geography
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concepts related to the teaching major themes of Geography. They participate in a role playing activity using the context of a court case. The lesson includes a time set for teacher...
Curated OER
Environment: Mock Trial
Pupils role-play a trial regarding the taking of family property for a new water purification plant. Among the roles are the judge, attorneys, witnesses, plaintiff, mayor, and jury members. Once both sides present their case, the jury...
Curated OER
Juvenile Justice-Adjudicatory Hearing
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...
Curated OER
The O.J. Verdict
Students research the main points of the accusations against O.J. Simpson, the prosecution and defense strategies and the outcome of the infamous murder trial. They participate in a mock trial, view a film, read articles and consider how...