3/22/23: One of the Most Engaging and Exciting Critical Thinking Class Activities I Could Have Ever Imagined!

​Hello, Teacher Superheroes!

I wanted to share one of my best lessons and activities that I have ever created.

It’s called “Criminal Trials and Convictions, Students as Lawyers” and for the past 10 years since I created this activity, class periods have flown by!

Directions/synopsis:
Students will get the opportunity to be lawyers and prosecute or defend an accused person in a criminal trial (11 cases total). Each group will consist of 2 lawyers (prosecuting and defending), and an accused person (3 students total). The teacher will act as the judge and guide the jury as they vote on the verdict. The majority vote determines the verdict.

This activity includes the following types of cases:

• Grand theft auto
• Home burglary
• Reckless endangerment
• Theft
• Aggravated assault
• Murder
• Manslaughter
• Medical malpractice
• Armed bank robbery

The activity bundle includes:

• Handouts for each student with key details & evidence for each case (in sets of 3, one for each person in the group)
• PowerPoint presentation with activity instructions

To get students more comfortable to argue in court, these powerful courtroom scenes from movies are perfect! (I strongly recommend previewing each clip in its entirety to make sure it is appropriate for your audience).

Here are the clips:

• 17 Again Movie clip 
• A Few Good Men (whole movie)
• Trial Scene from To Kill A Mockingbird

For the past 10 years since I wrote this engaging lesson and activity, class periods have flown by and students forget that they’re actually learning because we’re having so much fun!
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Here’s a YouTube video explaining how the activity works and the cases involved!

Please leave a comment with Facebook below, email us here, or message us on Facebook here and let us know how it went in your classroom!

Students even forget that they’re actually working and learning because we’re having so much fun!

Click here to download a preview of the lesson and here to get it at TPT!
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As always —keep changing the world!
Charlie with Shining Scholar Education
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