Boston Massacre Trial

If you're teaching point of view, this is the instructional activity for you! First, decipher the writer's point of view from a primary resource, then compare and contrast the primary source with a secondary source to explore the...

Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...

Young lawyers put Goldilocks on trial as they develop an understanding of the legal system in the final instructional activity of this five-part series. After learning about key terms relating to litigation, students are assigned roles...

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...

The importance of considering multiple perspectives of the same event is the big idea in this exercise that focuses on the Boston Massacre. Class groups examine photos of four depictions of the massacre, an English and an American...

A courtroom can be a scary place for the uninitiated. Get familiar with the process using a helpful overview of the activities that take place prior to both civil and criminal cases.  The lesson explains the differences between...

A basic overview of the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence, this presentation provides students with key terms and facts about life in the thirteen original colonies. The final slide includes an assignment for students...

Whether out of choice or necessity, people want to know what will happen on a typical day in court. A helpful lesson walks scholars in the field of criminology through the trial process from opening statements to the final verdict. 

Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...

Learners interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Boston Massacre activity, students listen to a lecture regarding the massacre and Crispus Attucks. Learners respond to discussion...