Curated OER
What Are Legal Briefs?
Twelfth graders read examples of legal briefs and identify their components. Using the text, they develop a list of the components necessary for a brief and which ones they are going to use in the mock court activities. They also...
Curated OER
Whose God?
High schoolers investigate religious freedom in the U.S. They watch and discuss a Bill Moyers NOW video, take a Freedom of Religion quiz, write an essay, and participate in a mock trial and debate.
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Oral Arguments Online
Middle schoolers participate in their own mock oral arguments. They create their own opinions and discuss any opposing opinions. They write their own opinion for a case to end the lesson.
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Crime and Justice
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.
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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...
National First Ladies' Library
Safety or Civil Liberty? The Trial of Sacco and Vanzet
Students 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? Finally,...
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Japanese-Americans of World War II
Learners 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...
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After Ben Johnson: The Dubin Inquiry
Students create interview questions that could be posed to gather necessary information about the use of performance-enhancing drugs. They role-play a mock inquiry using the interview questions.
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Individual Rights - The Right To Equal Protection
Students examine the concepts of equal protection, discrimination, affirmative action, and racial profiling. They analyze the Equal Protection Clause, participate in a mock trial, and discuss the different parts of the trial.
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The First Amendment
Young scholars participate in a mock trial. Given the scenario, students prepare a cases concerning the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to assemble. In groups, young scholars prepare an opening and closing...
Curated OER
Research Activity for the Legal Brief
Students use extensive information about previous cases with related themes and depositions on the Street Law web site to gather information that will be used to write an effective appeals brief for whichever party in the case their...
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on Trial: Anonymous Sources, Promises of Confidentiality And Privacy
Students research the case of Matthew Cooper and Judith Miller, two reporters found in contempt of court for failing to divulge their sources. They participate in a mock trial as they consider the case from various points of view.
Curated OER
A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: A SIMULATION
Students discuss two computerized options to change the current U.S. government. In this Constitutional Convention lesson, students write a statement advocating for one of the choices and participate in a mock modern Constitutional...
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Social Studies: Native american Tribal Sovereignty
Students examine the issue of tribal sovereignty for Native Americans. Following a mock trial simulation based on the case of Johnson v. McIntosh, they write opinion papers based on the results of the Supreme Court decision in 1823.
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The Trial Process
Pupils explore the trial process as a guest speaker visits the classroom.
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Looting and its Punishment
Students research the concepts of looting and possible punishments. The outcomes of students research is important for this lesson. They write an article that publishes the results of new knowledge.
Curated OER
Shattered Glass Study Guide
Students view a movie about ethical journalism and Stephen Glass' rise at The New Republic. In this news ethics instructional activity, students view "Shattered Glass" and explore Glass' descent into an ethical black hole....
Curated OER
Navigating The Legal System
Learners identify personal rights allowed under the law in the United States. An exploration of the legal process leads students to describe how the American legal system works. This lesson is intended for learners acquiring English.
Digital History
Digital History: Standard Oil on Trial [Pdf]
The anti-trust case against Standard Oil, based on the Sherman Antitrust Act, pitted the federal government against the largest corporation in the United States. Read the trial preparation information including the arguments of the...