Students are presented with a situation in which a person is accused of committing a crime. They will then identify the people in the courtroom who are responsible for ensuring due process in determining the person’s innocence or guilt.
Salem Witch Trials
This lesson centers around a short play in which the accused person is given an obviously unfair trial. Students are asked to discuss why they think the trial is unfair, and propose measures to rectify the problems they found. It leads naturally into a discussion of why we have due process guarantees under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Seeking Facts to Solve Mysteries
In this lesson, students will discuss the difference between fact and opinion. They will role play a mock trial, decide the case, and justify their decision. Students will discuss why facts are more reliable than opinions, and understand why courts rely more upon facts than opinions.
Brown v. Board of Education Lesson Collection
On May 17, 1954 the Brown v. Board of Education decision was made. This landmark Supreme Court decision declared that laws establishing separate public schools for black and white children were unconstitutional. The Brown v. Board of Education ruling overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation in public schools. To support teachers as they commemorate this important anniversary in their classes, the Share My Lesson team has selected a variety of free lesson plans, educational resources and classroom materials about equity, particularly in schools.
A Famous Kansas Child
In this lesson, students will read about a Kansas child involved in a famous United States Supreme Court case. They will think critically to form opinions about equality, segregation, and integration, and will distinguish between fact and opinion.
What is the Judicial Branch?
This lesson exposes students to the judicial branch and the power of judicial review. They will read about an actual Supreme Court case, Torcaso v. Watkins, to see how the judicial branch used its power of judicial review to strike down an unconstitutional state law.
Battle for Truth: It’s Your Witness
Students will use role playing to learn about the procedure and purpose of questioning witnesses for determination of fact in the adversarial process. They will discuss the evolution of justice over time, and so come to understand the historical motivations for our current system.
Mock Trial Plan
In this lesson, students will stage a mock trial to resolve a hypothetical dispute. They will develop an understanding of the trial process, the roles of those in the courtroom and their importance to the administration of justice, and the significance of their constitutional protections.
Teaching About Due Process and the Law
In this lesson, students will be presented with various cases of discrimination. They will identify the discriminatory practice, and discuss the difference between permitted and illegal discrimination. The instructor might then lead discussion about the difficulties in drafting laws that ensure no discrimination while not interfering too much with private citizens’ freedoms.
Voir Dire Simulation
In this lesson, students will role play real lawyers as they carry out a voir dire simulation for jury selection. They will draft lists of favorable characteristics of jurors beforehand to aid in their questioning. Then, students will be presented with a list of thirty potential jurors and will impanel either a six-person or a twelve-person jury based on the size of the class. By reflecting on the impaneled jury towards the end of the session, students will think critically.