Jury Trials In The Classroom

Kids will love exploring the justice system with the fun characters and stories found in More Jury Trials in the Classroom, the long-awaited companion book to the best-selling Jury Trials in the Classroom. Four new trial simulations are introduced, including a modern-day version of the tortoise and the hare story and a reenactment of a trial featuring Susan B. Anthony. The simulations in this book let students delve into criminal and civil law with motivating cases that mirror situations in history, folklore, and literature. In the roles of attorneys, members of the jury, defendants, witnesses, and courtroom personnel, students prepare and conduct cases. They also will learn to use statements of fact and witness affidavits to determine guilt or innocence.

Transform your classroom into a courtroom and get ready for students to take part in a great learning adventure. The six trial simulations in this book let students delve into criminal and civil law with motivating cases that mirror situations in fairy tales, nursery rhymes, literature, and history. In the roles of attorneys, members of the jury, defendants, witnesses, and courtroom personnel, students prepare and conduct cases. They will learn to use statements of fact and witness affidavits to determine guilt or innocence. The book is divided into three sections that: define the types of courts in the U.S. court system; explain how to carry out a mock trial; and give six ready-to-use court cases, including all necessary documents. The court cases allow students to understand both criminal and civil trials, with three types of each case. The cases allow you to stage trials involving Hansel and Gretel, John Wilkes Booth, Little Miss Muffet, Romeo and Juliet, Jack and Jill, and Little Red Riding Hood. Don't miss this opportunity to teach critical thinking and teach students how to weigh opposing points of view. The exciting results will motivate students to exercise their reasoning skills, polish their communication skills, and apply knowledge of the legal system. This will become one of your favorite classroom adventures. For more judicial activities, see Blind Justice and On Trial. Grades 5-8

Electing the President is a motivating, hands-on simulation that lets students experience the exciting process of electing the President and Vice President of the United States. As the two parties square off, students take on the roles of candidates, convention delegates, and members of the Electoral College. Updated to reflect the most recent Census data, this book includes complete teacher instructions and all necessary student handouts to provide an easy-to-stage simulation that can be used with small or large groups.

Common Core State Standards for Grade 9: Language Arts Instructional Strategies and Activities is designed to help teachers address Common Core standards using effective, research-based instructional strategies in combination with ready-to-use activities. These strategies include identifying similarities and differences, writing summaries and taking notes, creating non-linguistic representations, and suggestions for homework and practice. There are a variety of suggested texts as well as identified text exemplars that can easily be used with the strategies and activities. Some additional key features of this book include: Each instructional strategy is described in detail and includes lists of activities that would complement the strategy. A list of standards and strands is given for each grade level. Chapters are designed to focus on specific strands and contain lists of detailed activities for the standards within the strand. Many activities address multiple standards within the activity. Each activity contains focus standards and many contain suggested works. Standards citations are listed at the end of each activity. Many standards are addressed more than once throughout the strands. Sample activity formats and questions can be found in the appendix.

Mock trials help students gain a basic understanding of the legal mechanism through which society chooses to resolve many of its disputes. Participation in mock trials helps students to understand better the roles that the various actors play in the justice system. This handbook explains how to prepare for and conduct mock trials in the classroom and introduces simplified rules of evidence and includes a sample judging form.

The importance of simulation in education, specifically in legal subjects, is here discussed and explored within this innovative collection. Demonstrating how simulation can be constructed and developed for learning, teaching and assessment, the text argues that simulation is a pedagogically valuable and practical tool in teaching the modern law curriculum. With contributions from law teachers within the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa and the USA, the authors draw on their experiences in teaching law in the areas of clinical legal education, legal process, evidence, criminal law, family law and employment law as well as teaching law to non-law students. They claim that simulation, as a form of experiential and problem-based learning, enables students to integrate the ’classroom’ experience with the real world experiences they will encounter in their professional lives. This book will be of relevance not only to law teachers but university teachers generally, as well as those interested in legal education and the theory of law.

Two outstanding Texas trial lawyers—one of whom is now an equally respected district judge—have written On the Jury Trial, a “must have” reference for any trial lawyer aspiring to excellence or seeking to maintain it. Thomas M. Melsheimer and Judge Craig Smith have crafted a narrative-driven advice guide for trial lawyers to hone their craft. Chapter topics include voir dire, opening statement, preparing witnesses, cross examination, using exhibits, closing argument, jury research, and more, with excellent examples and “do’s and don’ts” provided throughout. Think of this book as the senior law partner’s memo to associates on how to really try a case. Looking for fly-on-the-wall insight into world-class trial preparation and strategy? Here it is. A behind-the-scenes tour of the inner workings of the judicial process? This book has you covered. Its combination of advice, illustration, and commentary is every bit as valuable as it is unique. Every litigator should have this book on the shelf, no matter the state in which they practice. The jury trial is a critical component of our democratic society, and its use in civil cases is unique to the United States. It is truly an example of our participatory democracy in action, and yet the jury trial is under attack from all sides, most notably from special interest groups who seek to have more cases decided by individual judges or by arbitration. These efforts have resulted in a decline of civil jury trials all over the country. A decline in the jury trial is a decline in justice. To preserve the jury trial, we must preserve the skills of trying a case effectively and efficiently. On the Jury Trial, in no small way, will add significantly to that effort.