Students participate in activities and discussions about the relationship of a democratic society to its legal institutions, and the issues of fairness and equality under the law and legal system. They learn how constitutional amendments such as the Fourteenth Amendment influence lawsuits, and they will apply concepts within the Bill of Rights to jury trials. Students conduct research to compare the U.S. jury trial system to trial systems in other countries.
Civics Lessons
Lesson Topic: Juries
Participating in the Jury System
B.B. Wolf v. Curly Pig Mock Trial
Mock Trial Script of Curly Pig vs the Big Bad Wolf
Goldilocks vs. the Three Bears
This scripted mock trial includes ideas for pre and post mock trial activities.
Krabbs v. Plankton Mock Trial
Students learn about the different roles and responsibilities in a court by participating in a mock trial.
The Problem of SpongeBob RoundPants
This short scripted mock trial for grades 4-6 involves SpongeBob suing Abercrombie and Fish for pants that don’t fit. Scripted parts allow the trial to move quickly to jury deliberations during which the student jurors actually decide the verdict of the case.
Yertle the Turtle Mock Trial
This mock trial exposes students to the mechanics of a jury trial, and stresses the importance of functioning as a juror.
The American Jury: A Voir Dire Simulation
Students participate in a simulation of the jury selection process
The Jury System
In this lesson, students identify pros and cons of jury trials and judge-only trials, plus develop and respond to questions that might help to ensure the selection of a fair and unbiased jury.
This is Our Town Too: The Jury Process
In this lesson students learn about the process of voir dire and the use of peremptory challenges. Through the study of three actual Supreme Court cases, students gain background information for a classroom lesson.
A History of Conflict Resolution and the Jury System
Students will gain an understanding of the modern jury system and historical methods of conflict resolution. They will compare and contrast the different trial methods of past and present, and analyze each as a way to resolve conflict. They will examine jury trials and the responsibility to decide the facts pertaining to key questions that jurors must answer. Then students will write a persuasive essay arguing for their preferred method of trial.