Democracy Now
Final – Unit Plan
Target group – Self contained high school Government class
Unit Court system
In this unit students will be able to understand, the role
and function of each court , how
citizens are part of the court process through Jury duty how court cases are structured , and the
Constitutional amendments that pertain to the Judicial process .
Standards addressed
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive
topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence
Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly,
supplying the
most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the
strengths and
limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the
audience’s knowledge
level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
After students acquired the
background knowledge mentioned above ,students will perform the
following task
Task : We have been examining
how the court system works now we will be doing our own mock trial in class.
Each group will be required to gather evidence and outline an opening
statements as well as arguments that will be made during the trial
Case : George Zimmerman , a
neighborhood watch volunteer is being charged with second degree murder .The 29-year-old is charged with shooting 17-year-old Trayvon
Martin in February. Zimmerman has claimed self-defense and is pleading not
guilty. Below are resources that you will be using as pieces of evidence
Resources
Helpful resources for the prosecution
"I Know He Was Scared": Trayvon Martin’s
Girlfriend Recounts Phone Call Right Before Fatal Shooting – DN clip
Helpful resources for the defense
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb2krQ1zzGY George Zimmerman Interview **FULL** 7/18/2012
George Zimmerman Trayvon Martin 911 Call
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aVwPqXc-bk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODGzTLA0JSg&feature=related
Witness Says Trayvon Martin attacked George Zimmerman
In order to further help them prepare for the mock trial
students will be shown clips from Philadelphia , 12 angry men and the great debaters .
Students will also go to the court house at city hall so that they can see an actual
hearing
Lisa, thanks for posting and including your links. I did a mock trial as a student and it taught me a lot—I got a whole new, less abstract sense of the challenges of being a prosecutor or defense attorney—and I think your students will have a really rewarding experience. It's so great that your lesson includes everything from a field trip to news and movie clips to an activity. I think you selected great movies to clip. Maybe you have planned this but didn't include it, but I wonder what sort of Do Now you could do to familiarize them with the complex concepts.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteAlright, I just tried to comment and hit preview and then my comments disappeared! I'm rewriting them, but if you end up getting my comments twice, I apologize! Here are my thoughts:
Topic: I think this is a great topic that will pique their interest in court and legal proceedings, which are often perceived as boring, dry, and nit-picky.
Task: I like the idea of doing a mock trial. I think it will help them think more deeply about how courts work than if they just learned about it through a reading.
Media: I love the use of Twelve Angry Men (haven't seen the other supplementary film clips)! I also like the idea of taking them to see a hearing in action. Seeing the different examples of court proceedings will help them create a more official tone in their own mock trial. I also think that you picked useful stories from all the coverage of the Trayvon Martin case; they really focus on the evidence of the case.
Question: Will the kids have a chance to do a writing assignment after hearing the evidence in the mock trial so they can share their own views?
The DN! clip mentioning the anonymous caller is a good way to show how it is important to look at a variety of sources to gather information. I never knew about that! I also think it's a great idea to show the movies '12 Angry Men' and/or 'The Great Debaters'...really shows how debates and courtroom discussions develop. I'm wondering if you could create a worksheet or chart for students to copy so they could narrow down the constitutional amendments that pertain to each process. For example: the right to assemble is shown in The Great Debaters prior to the debate. That might help with a homework assignment relating to the judicial process.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteAh, the mock trial! This is great at any age -- I played judge when a fourth grade class put the Big Bad Wolf on trial for destroying the three little pigs houses. Having the research and prepare their own statements is a great idea; give them the sense of being on a legal team. I wonder if you could find paralegal or know a lawyer who could come in and give some background on just how important this stage is.
Leading with a movie clip, to draw them in, is a good idea. Give them the big idea. Bringing it down to their own age group with Treyvon Martin is powerful.
Going to an actual case is what they need to put their research in the real-world perspective, and that fits into the Common Core Standards as well.
A reflection piece coming out of each stage could be a good tool for checking comprehension.
Interesting project!
--Maureen
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThis lesson plan seems so exciting! I know students feel very passionately about this particular case and relating it to a complex system like our judicial one is not a easy task. I think your media choices provide the students with a wide range of opinions. You are clearly showing both points of view and allowing students to choice their position. How many students per group? Maybe you can have students write a piece as if they were a journalist covering the story? Also, perhaps they can also act as the judge and come up with a verdict using the evidence from your mock trial?
- Henya Goldstein
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic for a high school government class. The mock trial is a fabulous way to get students engaged and interacting with the material and each other. Maybe ELA teachers would work with you to have the students read the play '12 Angry Men' by Reginald Rose ahead of your current topic.
I would love to hear the students comments after visiting an actual trial. I wonder if they realize the Hollywood version of a trial is much more exciting that actually being in a court room.
Great work!
Ellen
Lisa, wow, talk about differentiation! No doubt this gets the students moving! This way they can really put this experience in their memory bank and say they've learned something today! The use of "12 Angry Men" is so apt here. Nice!
ReplyDelete-Jane Yuk Fung Lam
Dear Lisa,
ReplyDeleteSo often we are unable to create an environment where our students are able to grapple with the information they have gathered.Your mock trial task truly supports the many learning styles we have in our classroom.
I would only suggest a framework/ graphic organizer / outline for the students when gathering their research information.
Also, sentence starters, mock trial appropriate language posters in the classroom, for all students to refer to to help guide the verbal response.
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. I always love role playing because students create an emotional connection to the content. This is a great topic also because the students are about Trevon's age. I liked the references to other books including 12 angry men. I would also include a movie reference or something fictional, because its fun, which is a terrible reason to add something but I always think that when kids enjoy themselves they remember things better.
Thanks!
-Stacy
Thank you ladies for all your wonderful tips and suggestions
ReplyDeleteDear Lisa, you bring the lesson to life with the many ways you let your students enter this topic. They get to learn about the various view points the media presented on the Treyvan Martin case, they get to read articles that outline the background to the law, they get to learn more by researching for the mock trial and finally, they get to go to court to experience a court case. It will be a lesson they wont forget so quickly. Given that Martin was a youth not much older then your students and that it is a fairly recent story, I’m sure the students will be captivated.
DeleteUsing so many different types of media would let you do a little bit of media literacy here and there if you choose to. I imagine you could incorporate questions from the question your media palm card that we used in class. I hope you will think about this and not shy away from using the opportunity that your gathered media allows you to have here.
Your PD peers have sent some great comments to you here and I can hardly add to them except that I hope that you will think about incorporating media literacy in your lesson.
Thanks.
Take care.
Simin
Lisa, you do an amazing job writing this unit plan. You give your reader background knowledge of your previous lesson and how you are going to use that lesson to supplement student learning. A mock trial is an excellent way to teach students the process of how the courts work rather than just using an older case and going throughit. You bring this lesson to life since it is so current and relevant. Great use of media resources to give both sides of the story so that way students aren't just basing your their opinion on their feelings but rather on evidence.
ReplyDelete