After receiving numerous text messages and MyFace posts from a fellow student, a high school freshman sues his/her classmate for intentional infliction of emotional distress and the school system for negligent supervision.
I have used this in my 7th grade class for the last 4 years. It has differentiated instruction throughout. Eager beavers volunteer to be attorneys. They spend researching the case, the law and reviewing witness statements. The next level of students provide excellent witnesses. I speak privately with them to help them understand ramifications of their views and statements. The last group are the jurors. The jury pool quickly realizes that they are the most important part of the mock trial. Listening, taking notes and not talking are vital.
This scenario is very good for my age group. The witness statements leave lots of gaps for attorneys to explore and expose.
I usually spend 3 days on the trial and 2 days on the verdict and debrief. But as we finish the Law unit, there are plenty of references to fall back on. I recommend this activity.
