Goals

To show students dramatic court scenes to build excitement about the mock trial and to have students engage in organizing their roles, tasks, and arguments for the mock trial.

 

Details

Duration: 90 minutes

Assessments: Student discussions, Student writing, Performance/presentation (i.e. speech, play)

Materials: LCD projector, DVD of "A Few Good Men" and "To Kill a Mockingbird"

 

Description

1. We first projected the PowerPoint, "Mock Trial Dramatic Court Scenes" for the students and asked them to think about the question projected. We then showed them two clips. The first was from the film, "A Few Good Men" and the famous, "You can't handle the truth!" scene. The second clip was from the film "To Kill a Mockingbird" with Gregory Peck during the trial scene, where Atticus was making his closing statement.

2. After showing the clips, we had a short discussion about why the court scenes in the two above-mentioned movies were compelling. We closed off the discussion reminding students to be as compelling as they could be during their mock trial.

3. We gave students the handout, "Mock Trial Organizational Chart" and explained to them that the organizational chart was something they would use synchronize their arguments for their assigned scenarios, so that the prosecution side and the defense side would understand the premise of each other's arguments.

4. As students began work on their Mock Trial Organizational Charts, we went around to each group and made certain that they understood their tasks and gauged how well prepared they would be for the Mock Trial.

Mock Trial Dramatic Court Scenes
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Mock Trial Organizational Chart
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Author Reflections

Showing students the dramatic court scene clips was a great way to get students excited about the possibilities with the mock trial. The organizational chart was something we passed out with the intent to help students organize themselves as a group more, but it confused many of them. So we had to go around and clarify to students how the chart worked. In the end, the chart ended up become an option for groups, while other groups figured out a way to organize themselves. Despite this "hiccup", the organizational chart was a tool students had in front of them to reference so that if they had no other way to organize their groups, they at least had one method.