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Lesson Preparation
I. Learning Objectives
a. Students will be able to identify the Judicial Branch of Government and its
function.
b. Students will be able to engage in collaboration during a courtroom trial
simulation with the use of technology.
c. Students will be able to apply knowledge of court room procedures to a virtual
courtroom simulation.
II. Standards
a. Social Studies
i. Standard - 5.1.3.C - Define the principles and ideals shaping local
government.
1. Liberty / Freedom
2. Democracy
3. Justice
4. Equality
ii. Standard - 5.3.3.C
1. Identify services performed by the local governments
iii. Standard - 5.3.6.F
1. Explain how courts resolve conflicts
i. NCSS Theme: X Civic Ideals & Practices programs should include
experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and
practices of citizenship in a democratic republic, so that the learner can:
2. Identify key ideals of the United States democratic republican
form of government, such as individual human dignity, liberty,
justice, equality, and the rule of law, and discuss their application
in specific situations;
ii. NCSS Theme: VI Power, Authority, & Governance programs should
include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and
change structures of power, authority, and governance, so that the
learner can:
3. Recognize and give examples of the tensions between the wants
and needs of individuals and groups, and concepts such as fairness,
equity and justice.
III. Academic Language
a. The defendant in a case is an individual, company, or institution accused in a
court of law.
b. The plaintiff in a case is an individual, company, or institution who brings a case
against another in a court of law.
c. A jury is a group of people who decide the verdict of a court case. There are grand
juries, criminal petit juries, and civil juries.
d. An objection can be made by either side in a court case. It is the action of
challenging or disagreeing with something within the case.
Instructional Delivery
V. Anticipatory Set
a. On the final day of instruction on the Judicial Branch, students will be
participating in a full class virtual simulation of a courtroom trial.
http://www.scholastic.com/americanjustice/makeyourcase/
b. To engage students, the teacher will ask each student to take out their journals and
write down two things they remember from the previous two class days (the
previous two class days have focused on the Judicial Branch).
c. After about three minutes, the teacher will have students turn to a partner and do a
think-pair-share on the information they just wrote down in their journals.
d. The teacher will then ask for three volunteers to share what they wrote about the
Judicial Branch to the class.
VII. Closure
a. Once the simulation has been completed, the teacher will ask the students to
return to their seats.
b. With the use of their journals, students will be instructed to reflect on the
simulation by writing about the arguments that were presented from the defendant
and the plaintiff. Students will also be asked to write about the jurys final
decision on the case.
c. The teacher will review the case with the class in order to check for understanding,
and provide clarification.
Meeting Objectives
XI. Assessments
a. The student collaboration and answers throughout the simulation will be used as a
formative assessment to check for student understanding (objective a, b, c).
b. The writing in students journals will serve as a formative assessments and will
allow the teacher to check for understanding of the simulation (objective b and c).