CITIZEN SCHOOLS WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS and ORGANIZATIONS for THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CREATING This curriculum GUIDE: SUE SIMONE JAMIE ZEMBRUSKI BECCA MOSKOWITZ. GETTING TO WOW! 10 WEEK LESSON PLAN 12 -15 7. LESSON ONE PLAN 8. LESSON TWO PLAN 9. LESSON
CITIZEN SCHOOLS WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS and ORGANIZATIONS for THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CREATING This curriculum GUIDE: SUE SIMONE JAMIE ZEMBRUSKI BECCA MOSKOWITZ. GETTING TO WOW! 10 WEEK LESSON PLAN 12 -15 7. LESSON ONE PLAN 8. LESSON TWO PLAN 9. LESSON
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CITIZEN SCHOOLS WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS and ORGANIZATIONS for THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CREATING This curriculum GUIDE: SUE SIMONE JAMIE ZEMBRUSKI BECCA MOSKOWITZ. GETTING TO WOW! 10 WEEK LESSON PLAN 12 -15 7. LESSON ONE PLAN 8. LESSON TWO PLAN 9. LESSON
Direitos autorais:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Formatos disponíveis
Baixe no formato PDF, TXT ou leia online no Scribd
ApprentIceshIps are meanIngful learnIng experIences for apprentIces and volunteer CItIzen Teachers. ThIs WDW! plan, along wIth each IndIvIdual lesson plan, was carefully crafted to meet those goals. However, well desIgned currIculum alone does not ensure student learnIng. Students must be effectIvely engaged In order to learn; thIs can only be achIeved through hIgh qualIty InstructIon and plannIng. There are three key elements to successfully ImplementIng ApprentIceshIp currIcula:
1. PIannIng - most of the lessons In thIs guIde requIre specIal preparatIon, therefore, everyone should be clear on what needs to be done and who Is responsIble at least one week before each lesson. See the "ConsIderatIons for Campus 0Irectors" sectIon for steps to preparIng before Lesson Dne. 2. CommunIcatIon - Campus 0Irectors, Team Leaders and CItIzen Teachers need to communIcate each week to make crucIal decIsIons and be sure everyone knows what wIll happen In each lesson J. Assessment and AdaptatIon - no currIculum can prepare for every group of students. Therefore, use the weekly selfevaluatIon after each lesson so that adaptatIons to lesson plans can be made. Use the sectIons of thIs guIde In the followIng way to help create engagIng and meanIngful learnIng opportunItIes for your ApprentIceshIp; 1. 0escrIptIon of the WDW - the WDW descrIbed In thIs guIde has been successfully Implemented at least once In the CItIzen Schools program. The WDW Is real, provIdes added communIty value, Is publIc, allows students to teach back and has authentIc materIals and clIents. Please be sure you fully understand the WDW before you begIn teachIng your fIrst lesson. n many cases, partner organIzatIons would lIke theIr apprentIceshIps to focus on the same WDW. The NatIonal ApprentIceshIp 0epartment can provIde guIdance on partnershIp WDWs. 2. WDW TempIate - as was revIewed In the CItIzen Teacher TraInIng, the WDW Template wIll help to understand the New 8asIc SkIlls that wIll be taught and the products that wIll be created durIng the ApprentIceshIp. J. WDW PIan - the WDW plan offers the scope and sequence of lessons that wIll lead to WDW! n some cases, the actIvItIes for each lesson plan may need to be altered or adapted. 4. Lesson PIans - at least nIne detaIled lesson plans are Included In thIs resource guIde. These offer specIfIc actIvItIes, length of tIme to be spent on each actIvIty and goals and objectIves for each lesson. Lesson plans also offer guIdance on preparIng for each lesson. 5. AIternate ActIvItIes - for a varIety of reasons, the preestablIshed lesson plans may not be suItable for a certaIn group. ThIs sectIon offers actIvItIes of varyIng length that are suItable for dIfferent learnIng styles and group dynamIcs. CUFF CULU| CU 0E
Page 5 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
CDNSI0EPATIDNS FDP THE CAhPUS 0IPECTDP As the Campus 0Irector, your leadershIp Is Invaluable In creatIng a meanIngful experIence for the CItIzen Teachers, Team Leaders and apprentIces usIng thIs currIculum. As a manager, you need to ensure that the proper plannIng and forethought goes In to the use of thIs currIculum and the plannIng of each lesson. Therefore, It Is crItIcal that you revIew thIs guIde before handIng It over to your Team Leader. Your leadershIp Is also needed In addressIng any Issues wIth the currIculum that are encountered by the Team Leader and the CItIzen Teacher. t may be necessary to alter lesson plans or actIvItIes to suIt the strengths and weaknesses of Team Leaders, CItIzen Teachers or apprentIces. As a manager, you should use your experIence, thIs guIde and the guIdance of the NatIonal ApprentIceshIp 0epartment to make decIsIons that wIll lead to a successful ApprentIceshIp. 8elow Is a detaIled checklIst of thIngs to do before thIs apprentIceshIp begIns:
When ActIon Step Who does It Lessons It PeIates to 8efore ApprentIceshIp FInalIze WDW date Campus 0Irector PrIor to CItIzen Teacher traInIng 0urIng CItIzen Teacher FecruItment 0etermIne If weekly sessIons wIll take place at law fIrm or at the school Campus 0Irector and Attorneys PrIor to CItIzen Teacher traInIng 8efore the apprentIceshIp starts Secure transportatIon to and from law fIrms (and the court house for weeks 9 and 10) Campus 0Irector Lessons 110 8y week 2 of apprentIceshIp Secure addItIonal attorneys to help students wrIte theIr |ock TrIal talkIng poInts Attorneys Week 7 8efore recruItIng CItIzen Teachers Secure court room for dress rehearsal Campus 0Irector Week 9 8efore recruItIng CItIzen Teachers Secure court room for WDW Campus 0Irector Week 10 8y Week J Secure judges for |ock TrIal Attorneys Week 10 Start process durIng CItIzen Teacher recruItment Secure jury members for |ock TrIal Attorneys and CItIzen Schools staff Week 10
Page 6 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 8egIn process as soon as you can Secure volunteers to help run the |ock TrIals CItIzen Schools Week 10 8y week 7 of apprentIceshIp Create judge and attorney recognItIons CItIzen Schools Week 10
CDNSI0EPATIDNS FDP THE TEAh LEA0EP As the Team Leader and CItIzen Teacher support, you play two crItIcal functIons to help Impact student learnIng. The fIrst Is to provIde your expertIse In the fIelds of lesson plannIng, youth development and classroom management to your CItIzen Teacher and apprentIces each week. The second Is to communIcate effectIvely wIth your CItIzen Teachers (CTs) to be sure that the planned actIvItIes are approprIate to your apprentIceshIp group. DccasIonally, your or your CT may fInd that actIvItIes are not approprIate due to group sIze, personalItIes or learnIng styles. n these cIrcumstances, you should consult your Campus 0Irector and thIs guIde to help create alternatIve actIvItIes and plans.
CDNSI0EPATIDNS FDP THE CITIZEN TEACHEP As the CItIzen Teacher, you play two crItIcal functIons to help Impact student learnIng. The fIrst Is to provIde your expertIse and passIon to the learnIng experIences you provIde to students each week. The second Is to communIcate effectIvely wIth your Team Leaders (TLs) to be sure that the actIvItIes you are plannIng are approprIate to your apprentIceshIp group. DccasIonally, your or your TL may fInd that actIvItIes are not approprIate due to group sIze, personalItIes or learnIng styles. n these cIrcumstances, you should consult your Team Leader and thIs guIde to help create alternatIve actIvItIes and plans.
Page 7 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
LESSDN STPUCTUPE LDCIC
ApprentIceshIp learnIng Is unIque In that It Is experIentIal, hands on and has real applIcatIon for students and teachers. The lessons In thIs guIde have been thoughtfully planned to created experIences that match these requIrements. |ost have been successfully taught by at least one CItIzen Teacher. n many cases, there Is preparatIon Involved In creatIng each lesson, therefore It Is crItIcal E7EFYDNE (CItIzen Teachers, Team Leaders and Campus 0Irectors) revIew and dIscuss each lesson 8EFDFE usIng It wIth apprentIces.
Each lesson follows the same basIc structure. The followIng Is a brIef descrIptIon of the elements of a lesson plan and how to use them:
DvervIew: The fIrst page of the lesson plan overvIews the learnIng and lesson objectIves for each lesson, gIves a snapshot of the agenda, lIsts preparatIon and set up needs, vocabulary and materIals and equIpment needs. ln sm: whct yo need to do to be prepcred for ths lesson. PItuaI: ThIs Is typIcally a 510mInute long openIng actIvIty desIgned to prepare students for the apprentIceshIp and get them In the mInd set of the apprentIceshIp. The rItual should be used as a chance for students to get settled and prepared for the apprentIceshIp. t can also be used to practIce one skIll weekly that the apprentIces need to master for the WDW. ln sm: et them excted cnd help trcnston to cpprentceshp tme. Set Context: Usually fIve mInutes In length, the IntroductIon should communIcate to students: whct they are goIng to learn and do (I.e. share learnIng objectIves); why t s mportcnt to learn; how t relctes to theIr progress towards WDW!; and how the learnIng wIll happen (I.e. share the agenda). The IntroductIon Is also a tIme to clarIfy your expectatIons of students durIng the lesson. ln sm: dsplcy the cendc cnd tell them whct they cre don n ths sesson cnd how t relctes to ther WDW. 3-4 Content ActIvItIes: |ost lessons have three or four content actIvItIes that make up the bulk of the lesson (about 60 mInutes). These actIvItIes are often preceded by a short IntroductIon to the skIll, usually through modelIng or an explanatIon provIded by the CItIzen Teacher. t Is through the actIvItIes that students further explore and practIce the new skIll. PractIce Is essentIal for learnIng. ln sm: ntrodce the skll or nformcton cnd let them prcctce t. CIosInglTeach back: TypIcally lastIng fIve mInutes, the closIng Is an opportunIty to summarIze and reemphasIze what students have learned and why It Is Important. Student "teach backs" are the most Important part of the closIng, as they allow you to assess the degree to whIch students have accomplIshed the learnIng objectIves.
Page 8 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. ln sm: drve home the mcn pont of the lesson cnd cssess how well stdents ccheved the lecrnn ob]ectves.
CT Nanc. TL Nanc. Canpus. Daic.
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Plcasc placc a cIccl narl nci io cacI of iIc goals iIai you rcacIcd iIis wccl. 2. Plcasc circlc your lcvcl of pcrfornancc in cacI of iIc arcas lisicd. 1Jusi Cciiing Siaricd 2Cciiing io WOW! 3WOW! 3. Upon conplciion, plcasc givc io your Tcan Lcadcr io Iclp iIcn lciicr coacI you. GUIDELINES FOR USING THE CITIZEN TEACHER WEEKLY SELF-ASSESSMENT
Who fills it out: The Citizen Teacher
Preporo11on, 1ns1ruo11on, ond Co11oboro11on Goo1s Hou'd 1 do Todog?
My WeekIy PreparatIon 1 2 3 I sulniiicd ny next wccl's lcsson plan io ny ican lcadcr ioday so Ic1sIc can rcvicw wiiI nc. I arrivcd on canpus lcforc ny ApprcniiccsIip llocl and rcady io icacI.
TeacbIng My Lesson 1 2 3 My lcsson nadc lcarning visual, pIysical and fun. My lcsson includcd opcning and closing riiuals. My lcsson providcd a cIancc io usc rcsourccs associaicd wiiI our ApprcniiccsIip iopic. My lcsson includcd opporiuniiics io dcvclop and praciicc slills and vocalulary wiiI appropriaic scaffolding and coacIing. My lcsson includcd opporiuniiics io praciicc iIc 'ncw lasic slills' laid oui in ny WOW! plan. I providcd clcar and ncaningful rolcs for siudcnis in iIc ApprcniiccsIip. I providcd opporiuniiics for cacI siudcni io spcal pullicly. I providcd opporiuniiics for siudcnis io worl in snall groups. I olscrvcd cvidcncc of sirong icanworl during ny lcsson.
WorkIng wItb My ApprentIces 1 2 3 I lcarncd sonciIing ncw aloui ny siudcnis' livcs ioday. I dcnonsiraicd ny lclicf in iIc unliniicd poicniial of ny Apprcniiccs. I providcd supporiivc fccdlacl iIai rcinforccd ny Apprcniiccs aliliiy io lcarn and grow. I uscd appropriaic languagc, including lody languagc, wiiI ny Apprcniiccs.
WorkIng wItb My Team Leader 1 2 3 I incorporaicd ny ican lcadcr's fccdlacl inio ny lcsson plan. I aslcd for suppori on siraicgics for worling cffcciivcly wiiI iIc siudcnis.
Otber ObservatIons (use tbe back II necessary):
CItIzen Teacber WeekIy SeII-Assessment
Page 9 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. When: Weekly at the end of each class. We recommend that the Citizen Teacher complete the form during clean up, while the Team Leader or one of the other Citizen Teachers supervises clean up or pack up.
If the Citizen Teacher asks to complete it later, it can be sent to them in electronic format.
This means the Team Leader is responsible for following up and ensuring they have the form in time for the weekly coaching session with the Citizen Teacher.
How to use the completed assessment:
1. Team Leaders The CTs assessment will help you coach the Citizen Teacher more effectively. Read the assessment before your weekly coaching session with the Citizen Teacher. Combined with your observations, provide the CT with feedback on how they can strengthen their teaching. Refer to and use the Coaching strategies from your Citizen Teacher Support Training. Example1: For instance, if they indicate that they are not making learning visual, physical and fun and they have a behavior problem, connect the two things for them AND give them strategies for how to integrate my visual, physical and fun things into their teaching to help them engage the students more.
Example 2: If they indicate they are using opening and closing rituals, but only rate themselves at a 1 on Howd I do Today?, this opens the way for you to coach them on how to strengthen these areas of their lesson plans. Share with your Campus Director, per their instructions.
2. Campus Directors and Regional Managers/Directors CDs review your CT Weekly Self Assessments during the first three weeks with the Regional Manager or Regional Director to help ensure a quality start to Apprenticeships.
CDs check in weekly with the TLs on the strategies they are developing to support their Citizen Teacher. Look for consistent areas of weak or non-delivery as places where you can target your coaching of the TL as they support the Apprenticeship.
RDs/RMs send copies of partnership apprenticeship CT Weekly Self Assessments each Friday to the National Apprenticeship Department.
Page 10 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WOW
WOW Stamp of Approval
REAL: 1) Students showcase the legal skills they learned through trying a real case 2) The Mock Trial takes place in a real court room with a judge and jury
ADDS VALUE: 1) Mock Trials provide a powerful volunteer opportunity for attorneys and law firms that make a positive impact on the academic and leadership development of middle school students 2) Mock Trials engage families, school staff, business and civic leaders and other stakeholders as volunteer jury members
PUBLIC: 1) Mock Trials are highly publicized events that invite the public to say WOW while watching apprentice attorneys conduct a trial in a courthouse
TEACH BACK: 1) Students will teach back their legal skills while conducting a Mock Trial 2) Students will receive on-going feedback from attorneys every apprenticeship session 3) Students will receive feedback from the judge on the day of the trial
The Citizen Schools Mock Trial WOW! will allow students to showcase their learning in front of real judge and adult jury in a court room. Students will deliver all aspects of the trial including opening statements, direct and cross examinations of witnesses and closing statements. Following the trial the jury will deliberate and the judge will decide the verdict.
Page 11 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Students will conduct a Mock Trial in the courtroom in front of a judge and a jury
Students will need Attorneys will need Attorneys will need to practice and know to assemble to assemble their parts for the volunteers to be supporting evidence, Mock Trial witnesses and the fact sheets etc. bailiff Getting to WOW! Template Learning Objectives 2. New Basic Skill Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it
1. New Basic Skill Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand What do I want to teach? I want to teach the students to develop and present a compelling case in a legal setting.
W O W !
P r o d u c t s
n e e d e d
f o r
t h e
W O W !
2. New Basic Skill Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read
Page 12 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Week Stage Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? Learning Objective: What will the students learn today? Activities 1 Learn new skills
MODEL Students and lawyers develop group norms Students will decide on a case to try Students will increase their understanding of what lawyers do
Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it 1. Mock Trial Team Laws 2. 5 Ws Exploration 3. Case selection
2 Learn new skills
MODEL Read and interpret the case fact sheet Identify the 5 Ws of the case Students will understand the flow of the Mock Trial Understand the various roles they can play in the Mock Trial Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it 1. Legal Lingo Review 2. Reading case fact pattern 3. Mock Trial Relay Race 3 Learn new skills
MODEL Students will use 5 Ws to determine witnesses theyll call for their direct examinations Understand the law they need to know in order to argue their case Understand burden of proof as it relates to their case Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it 1. Celebrity 20 questions 2. Witness selection 3. Understanding case law and burden of proof WOW Plan
Page 13 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 4 Produce
SCAFFOLD Review witness affidavits and develop 5 Ws for direct examination Understand the role direct examinations play in a trial Write a direct examination for their case Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it 1. Attorney introduction to direct examinations 2. Witness 5 Ws review 3. Writing direct examinations
5 Produce
SCAFFOLD Understand the role cross examinations play in a trial Understand the difference between cross and direct examinations Write a cross examination for their case Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand
1. Attorneys model cross examinations 2. Examine differences between direct and cross examinations 3. Writing of cross examinations 6 Practice
COACH Understand the role opening statements play in a trial Understand the role closing statements play in a trial Draft an opening and closing statement for the case Advocate for which role they want to play in the Mock Trial Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it 1. Attorneys model opening and closing statements 2. Students write opening and closing statements for the case 3. Students choose their top 3 roles theyd like to play for Mock Trial
Page 14 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 7 Practice
COACH Review and increase understanding of legal terms theyve learned Receive coaching on writing their talking points for the Mock Trial Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it 1. Legal Lingo Jeopardy 2. Mock Trial talking points 8 Practice
COACH Finalize their talking points for the Mock Trials Practice their speaking part in small groups Understand the flow of the Mock Trial
Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand 1. Students finalize writing their Mock Trial speaking parts 2. Small team dress rehearsal 3. Mock Trial overview 9 Practice
FADE Dress Rehearsal for WOW! Become familiar with the look and feel of the courtroom Develop excellent public speaking skills Do a Mock Trial dress rehearsal
Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand 1. Courtroom 5 Ws exploration 2. I see you-Speak Up 3. Mock Trial dress rehearsal
Page 15 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 10 Perform
FADE
WOW!
Page 16 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 1 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Citizen Schools Mock Trials Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Students and lawyers will develop group norms and trust. 2. Students will decide which case to try. 3. Students will be excited about learning how to be lawyers. Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand. 2. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it. Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: Mock Trial Team Laws 4. Activity: 5 Ws Exploration 5. Activity: Introduction to case choices 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 25 Minutes 15 Minutes 20 Minutes 10 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Provide 1 legal pad for each student. Have a large table/space big enough for everyone to sit together. Be in the room when students arrive. Be sure to set up seating so it alternates attorney/students. Select two cases for the Mock Trials and be prepared to introduce these cases to students. Prepare puzzle pieces for each participant from a poster board for the first activity. Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Law Attorney Lawyer Respect Courtesy Professionalism Focus Close ended Question Open ended Question 5 Ws who, what, when, where, how/why
Page 17 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Materials and Equipment Legal pad for each student Mock Trial 3-ring binder for each student with the following sections (Case materials, vocabulary, open ended questions, close ended questions, direct examinations, cross examinations, opening statements, closing statements Flip chart and markers to begin creating a legal vocab list Props for the 5 W's Exploration Puzzle pieces, markers, scotch tape Flipcharts as described in the activities below (vocabulary for team laws, five Ws flipcharts, etc.)
Page 18 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 1 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following on a piece of flip chart: "What is one movie or TV show that you've seen that has to do with lawyers or court?
Have each student and attorney stand and answer the question by stating, "may it please the court, my name is"
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Slowly, Clearly and Loudly! Have 1 student and 1 attorney be volume control (for more information on this, see "tips of the trade" on p. XX.)
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Team Laws Time: 25 minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Put up a flipchart with the word VALUES at the top and with the following words on it. Explain that as a group we are going to create our own Team Laws based on these values. Law Respect Professionalism Courtesy Focus
Divide the group into pairs (or groups of three) with one student and one lawyer in each group.
Give each person (students and attorneys) a puzzle piece. As a group, they select one of the values on the flipchart (respect, professionalism, courtesy or focus) and write it on one side of their puzzle piece.
Each person writes the following 3 things on their one Objective To create a set of shared norms and values that will govern group behavior
Page 19 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. puzzle piece: 1) Their name 2) A skill/positive characteristic they bring to the group 3) How they can show the value on their puzzle piece **Attorneys should discuss things like courtroom behaviors, courtroom language, the importance of standing when you speak, etc.
Allow 4 minutes to complete the puzzle pieces. When all the pieces are ready, students work together to put the puzzle together. Attorneys can help if time becomes an issue.
Each pair or group shares their values and how they will show it.
6. Explain to the group that we are going to live up to these values to make sure that we are successful as a team and as individuals. Hang the Team Laws up each session and remind group of their shared values. Activity 2: 5 W's Exploration Time: 15 Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Before the lesson, identify one volunteer (preferably not someone working with the students) to participate in this activity.
Tell the students that you are going to review fact patterns from different cases so that the group can decide on a case Define fact pattern both verbally and visually (The volunteer runs into the room, grabs an attorney's possession and runs out of the room.)
5 W's Exploration Tell the students that you need their help to figure out this crime. You are going to ask them both open and close ended questions to find out all the important information to solve this case. Introduce the five Ws (who, what, where, when, why) using a flipchart.
Use another flipchart to define open and close ended questions. Provide examples of each.
Using the flipchart, model open and close ended Objective To provide a fun activity to highlight the importance of the 5 W's - who, what, when, where, why/how To model data collection methods
Page 20 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. questions by asking the students questions about what just happened in the room.
Review the collected data and explain that this is the fact pattern for this crime. Activity 3: Presentation of cases Time: 20 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Explain that the students will now listen to two court cases, and choose one case which they will use for their Mock Trial.
Explain how the students will vote. After the presentations they will vote for their favorite case. Students will vote by walking to the number case that they are most excited about (Case 1 is against one wall, Case 2 an opposite wall). Each team gets to come up with 3 arguments to convince the other team to join your side. The majority of votes wins. If there is still a tie it can be broken by a toss of a coin or by having the Team Leader cast the tie-breaking vote.
Present the cases making them fun and interesting by using role plays, props, costumes, etc. (for more tips on this, see Tips of the Trade section p. XXX). (This should take ten minutes at the most.)
have the students vote and declare the winning case. To work as a group to select our court case from two choices.
Page 21 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Closing & Teach Back Time: 10 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back. Distribute the ringed binders with their dividers. As a group, review each of the sections of the binder. Explain to students that at the end of every session they will have time to organize their binders, filing their papers under the right divider. This will help them stay organized and to keep their information in order. Let them know that organization is a very important skill for lawyers and helps them keep track of the information they need to create the best case possible. Conclude by asking the students as a group to answer the following questions: What are the 5 Ws and why are they important to lawyers? What is the name of the case we will be working on?
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Team Leaders organize clearn up, having students place their legal pad and their binder with all necessary supplies in a designated location. One of the Citizen Teachers completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation to give to the Team Leader at the end of class.
Page 22 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Lesson # 2 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trial Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre Planning Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Read and interpret the case fact sheet. 2. Identify the 5 W's of the case. 3. Understand the flow of the Mock Trial. 4. Understand the various roles they can play in the Mock Trial. Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. . Opening Ritual 10 Minutes 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 5 Minutes 3. Activity: Legal Lingo Development and Review Laws 15 Minutes 4. Activity: Reading the case fact pattern 35 Minutes 5. Activity: Mock Trial Relay/Overview of roles 10 Minutes 6. Closing and Teach Back 5 Minutes 7. Clean up 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Attorneys work with the Team Leader to split the group into defense and prosecution groups. Groups should be split based on students strengths and behavior Sit around the table alternating attorney/student/attorney. Students sit next to their assigned attorney. Create materials for the Mock Trials Relay Race (see resource section) Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Please see Tips of the Trade section for tips on effectively teaching vocabulary terms Fact pattern Civil versus criminal cases Innocent until proven guilty v./versus Defense Defendant Prosecutor Verdict Innocent Guilty Case Plaintiff Defendant
Page 23 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Materials and Equipment Case fact pattern for each student on paper with holes so it can go into the binder Flip chart paper and markers Legal pad for each student Mock Trial Relay Race Kit (see resource section)
Page 24 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 2 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following question on a flip chart "How many brothers and sisters do you have?"
Have each student and attorney stand and answer the question by stating "may it please the court my name is."
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Clearly, Slowly and Loudly! Have 1 student and 1 attorney serve as volume control.
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Legal Lingo Development Time: 10 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Let students know that it is very important to use "courtroom" manners. That is why we will say phrases such as "may it please the court" explain when and why this is used. This is a good time to review the team laws from last week.
When we speak we will introduce ourselves as an attorney would in court and in front of a judge (May it please the court, Your honor my name is ______ and I am an attorney for ________).
Review the flipchart with the vocabulary list. Use the list at the beginning of this lesson, and identify other key vocab words for the trial and post vocabulary terms visually (attorneys should adjust the vocabulary terms according to the case).
Ask students to define and provide examples from real cases or television shows that they are familiar with. After they provide an answer for each word/phrase, provide them with the correct definition.
Tip: Try to build on a the language students use. For Objective To build students understanding of legal terminology
Page 25 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. example, if a student says "A client "A client is a person who hired a lawyer." Say "yes, a client is a PERSON that the LAWYER works with " "Another name for a LAWYER is an ATTORNEY."
Activity 2: Reviewing the fact pattern for the case Time: 35 Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Have an attorney read the name of the chosen case, for example Cook v. Boston Central Charter School. Ask apprentices what predictions they can make from the name of the case by asking leading questions: zazHow many names are in the caption? Whose name is first? The plaintiff or defendant? What is in the middle of the title between the two names? The v. stands for versus and shows the two opposing sides in the case (a review of todays vocabulary).
Explain that the title also usually indicates the type of case (civil or criminal) and how you can tell that.
Ask the students to identify which type of case (civil or criminal) Cook v. Boston Central Charter School is and who is on each side (plaintiff and defendant).
Have an attorney read the fact pattern like a good story. Attorneys should ask questions after each paragraph to assess for student comprehension.
Tell the Apprentices that the facts of our case can be reviewed by answering 5 W's questions.
On the flip chart, write the 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where and Why/How) (There is a 5Ws worksheet inthat can be a template for this flip chart.)
Break the group into 5 teams-each team should have a different colored magic marker (1 for each person)
Have a person from each team stand in front of one of the 5 W's flip charts that are spread throughout the room.
Tell the students they will have 1.5 minutes at each station to write any information they remember from the fact pattern Objective To ensure that students know the 5 W's of their case To practice reading for understanding and interpretting data
Page 26 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. that is appropriate to the flip chart (so anything that has to do with WHO for example).
After every student has been to each 5 W's station do a group debrief. Highlight when students gave specific information. During the debrief students should fill in their Case 5 W's worksheet (see resource section.)
Conclude by reminding the Apprentices that this is the way lawyers organize information about a case.
Make sure students place all of their materials in their binders and remind them that they will be using the 5 W's for their case and witnesses every week!
Activity 3: Parts of a Mock Trial Relay Race Time: 10 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Begin by splitting the team in 2 groups "Defense and Prosecution." Explain that these will be the groups that the students break into for the rest of the apprenticesihp and the side they will take in the Mock Trials.
Determine a starting line and ending line. At the ending line tape/secure the "Parts Of A Trial Outline Sheet" (see resource section p. XXX). At the start line tape/secure the various components of a Mock Trial--make sure you mix these up and post them randomly. If space is an issue, you can do this as a seated relay race.
The goal of this activity is to be the first team to successfully fill in their Parts Of A Trial Outline Sheet.
Post and review the guidelines for the relay in the front of the room: 1. Only 1 person per team can cross the starting line at a time. 2. Players can only carry 1 Mock Trial component card at a time. 3. BE SAFE: No running, watch out for other people etc. 4. Once the team thinks their Mock Trial Outline is complete they must sit down and be silent.
Post an outline of the components of a Mock Trial and walk through this with the students. Explain it will be covered for the relay race. Give the students some time to look at it before Objective To provide students with an understanding of the components and sequence of a Mock Trial
Page 27 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. covering it.
When the race is over, attorneys check to make sure the outline is correct, any incorrect card placements will be taken off the outline and the team will need to fix their outline--once they've made the corrections they sit silently and attorneys check for accuracy.
The first team to successfully complete their Parts Of A Trial Outline Sheet Wins.
Closing & Teach Back Time: 5 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back.
1. Ask students to name the various roles lawyers play in the Mock Trial. 2. Ask students to name the 5 W's of their case (keep these posted visually).
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Have students place their legal pad and binders with all necessary supplies in a designated location. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
Page 28 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Lesson # 3 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trial Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Use the 5 W's of the case to determine witnesses theyll call for their direct examination. 2. Understand the law they need to know in order to argue their case. 3. Understand burden of proof as it relates to their case. Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read. 2. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it. Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: Celebrity 20 Questions 4. Activity: Witness Selection 5. Activity: Understanding case law and burden of proof 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 15 Minutes 30 Minutes 15 Minutes 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Sit alternating attorney/student/attorney. Students sit next to their partner attorney. The team laws should be posted visually. Prepare multiple copies of each witnesses affidavit. Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Affidavit Defense Prosecution Burden of proof Reasonable Doubt Preponderance of the evidence Materials and Equipment Flip chart and markers Legal and binder for each student Copies of witness affidavits
Page 29 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 3 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following question on a flip chart, what languages are spoken in your house?
Have each student and attorney stand and answer the question by stating may it please the court, my name is..
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Slowly, Clearly and Loudly! Remember to have 1 student and 1 attorney serve as volume control.
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom. ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities.) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Celebrity 20 Questions Time: 15 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Choose 2 attorneys to play a famous person (this person should be both age and culturally relevant). Tell students that lawyers need to be able to ask good questions, to listen to the answers and to interpret what people say. This activity will help us develop these skills.
Break students into 2 groups "defense" and "prosecution" and remind them that these are their groups for the Mock Trial. In small groups students work together to guess who the "celeberty attorney" is.
Every student must ask a question. Before they ask their question they say their name and what side they represent-- defense or prosecution. Students can ask their team for help in asking questions, but the student speaking must ask the question. The group only gets 20 questions.
At the end of the exercise, explain that today students will read affidavits (define the word for them) to determine which witnesses will be part of their case.
Objective To develop students ability to ask questions that lead to relevant information
Activity 2: Witness Selection Time: 30 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Page 30 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Students remain in the defense and prosecution teams, but work 1:1 with the attorneys. Starting from this point, the students will be partnering as much as possible with the same attorney every time. Each group has copies of every affidavit.
Remind the Apprentices that the facts of our case can be organized by answering 5 questions. Refer to the 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where and Why/How) and the answers that the students gave last week when they applied the 5 Ws to our case.
Distribute affidavits. Explain what an affidavit is: a written statement made under oath by a witness. Explain that our affidavits will describe the following information: 1) name of the person providing the affidavit, 2) his/her relationship to the Plaintiff or Defendant, 3) his/her statement of the incident as he/she saw/heard it occur and 4) his/her opinion of the Plaintiffs/Defendants innocence or guilt.
The prosecution/plaintiff and defense/defendant groups work with their attorneys work on half of the affidavits associated with the case. Have attorneys read the affidavits to their small groups. Have students identify key facts that support the plaintiff and circle key facts that support the defendant. Attorneys should stop reading after each paragraph to check for understanding and make sure students have identified key information. Explain that they will be responsible for stating the facts in their affidavit to the rest of the group.
For each affidavit, write the name of the witness and the 5 Ws on a piece of flipchart paper. Ask the student to record their key facts on the flipchart by the one of the appropriate 5 Ws for that witness.
Ask the student whether the witness supports the plaintiff or the defense in our case?
Objective To develop reading and data analysis skills To identify key witnesses for the trial Activity 3: Understanding the cases law and burden proof Time: 15 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Page 31 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Write the law that is of relevance to the case on a flip chart and highlight any key words to help increase students understanding of the law.
Ask students to explain how the law relates to their casehave them give specific examples related to the 5 Ws.
Provide an overview of the burden of proof and explain how it relates to the case. Explain that the preponderance of evidence standard is satisfied in a civil case if there is more than a 50% chance that a proposition is true. Explain that the beyond a reasonable doubt standard is satisfied if a reasonable person would not doubt that the proposition was true.
Objective To make sure students understand the law that is guiding their case For students to understand the burden of proof as it relates to arguing their case Closing & Teach Back Time: 5 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back. Have 1 student from each student teach back the difference between defense and prosecution?
Students answer these questions: What is an affidavit? What is burden of proof? What does 'beyond reasonable doubt' mean?
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Have students put their legal pads and binders away in the designated space. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
Page 32 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Lesson # 4 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trial Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Review relevant materials and brainstorm 5 W's for direct examination. 2. Understand what makes for a high quality direct examination. 3. Will work on writing direct examinations for their case. Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to independently develop and think through the main idea for a written piece. 2. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it. Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: Introduction to direct examinations 4. Activity: Witness 5 W's Review 5. Activity: Writing direct examinations 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 35 Minutes 10 Minutes 20 Minutes 10 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Sit alternating attorney/student/attorney. Prepare multiple copies of witness affidavits on paper with holes so that students can put them into their binders. Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Direct examination Open ended questions Close ended questions Reasonable doubt Preponderance of the evidence Materials and Equipment Affidavits for each witness The 5 W's worksheets for each witness that the students completed
Page 33 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 4 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following on a flip chart "If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go.
Every student and attorney answers the question by starting "may it please the court, my name is .."
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Clearly, Slowly and Loudly! Have 1 student and 1 attorney act as volume control.
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Introduction To Direct Examinations Time: 35 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Ask the students to divide up into Plaintiffs and Defendants counsel (2 small groups). Remind the students why we examine witnesses instead of only having them submit affidavits to the court.
Tell the students that the jury will decide on the case by reasonable doubt (ask for students to teach back what this means--give immediate feedback and build on their definition). Ensure that the students understand what they need to prove.
Introduce Direct Examination (Definition: Open-Ended Questions that encourage the witness to talk and explain what happened.). Tell the students that one way to conduct a direct examination is to form questions that begin with the 5 Ws. Give a demo of an open-ended question and ask a student to answer it. Point out that the student answered the question by explaining what happened.
Another attorney serves as a witness from the actual case. Provide an example of an open-ended question for the witness and the witness provides an answer. Ask the students what word made the question open-ended (it should be one of the 5 Objective To provide an overview of direct examinations and model this skill
Page 34 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Ws).
Ask for examples of direct examination questions from the students to ask the witness. (Poor questions can receive poor, one word answers from the witness or no answer at all until the question is correctly formed). *Tips of the trade: One way to engage more students in this activity is to have students who are not speaking show whether or not a question is open or closed by using their arms. An open ended question would be represented by creating a circle with their arms, and close ended questions would be shown by creating an X with their arms.
Activity 2: Review Witness 5 W's Time: 10 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Students should remain in defense and prosecution groups. Teams should review each witness and the 5 W's that connect to their witness--using the sheets they created last week.
As a team, students should do a quick review of each witness and the relevant 5 W's for that witness. Have the students split up the witnesses amongst themselves and then create the direct examination questions for their assigned witnesses. Objective To review relevant information that will help students formulate excellent direct examination questions Activity 3: Writing of Direct Examination Questions Time: 20 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Attorneys work 1:1 or in small groups with students to create the direct examination questions for their assigned witnesses. (Ideally there should be no more than 3 students per attorney). Attorneys review open ended questions and model a open ended question relevant to the student's witness.
Students brainstorm a open ended question for each of the 5 W's.Attorneys coach students in writing their question-- encourage good legal terminology/phrasing.
Students ask their attorney their questions using oral presentation skills (speak loudly, clearly, slowly, good eye contact and strong posture).
Attorneys model the type of answers you are looking for in a direct examination, pointing out what is a useful/not useful answer. Attorneys provide students immediate feedback on Objective To analyze data and create relevant questions based on that data To develop an understanding of open ended questions To strengthen public speaking skills
Page 35 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. their questioning and public speaking skills. Closing & Teach Back Time: 10 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back. Ask the students: Why is it important to ask open ended questions when delivering a direct examination? Ask students what you are trying to get a witness do do when asking open ended questions? (You want them to tell their story.) Have a student from defense and prosecution model 1 question that they created. How can you use open ended questions in school and other parts of your life?
Tell students that next week they will learn how to deliver a cross examination!
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Students should put their folders and binders in the designated area. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
Page 36 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Lesson # 5
Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trial Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Undeisland lhe puipose of cioss exaninalions 2. Understand the difference between direct and cross examinations 3. Work with attorneys to write cross examination questions for their case Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand 2. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: Cross Examination modeling/overview 4. Activity: Cross Vs. Direct Examinations 5. Activity: 1:1 direct examination coaching 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 30 Minutes 15 Minutes 20 Minutes 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Sit alternating attorney/student/attorney. Prepare a T Chart to compare and contrast direct and cross examinations. Print multiple copies of witness affidavits. Do all photocopying on paper with holes. Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Direct examination Cross examination Open ended questions Close ended questions Materials and Equipment Witness affidavits and identified 5 Ws Visual showing excellent Speak Up! (oral presentation) Skills
Page 37 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 5 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following on a piece of flip chart paper. My favorite meal that my family cooks is
Have each student and attorney stand and answer the question by stating may it please the court, my name is.
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Slowly, Clearly and Loudly! Have 1 student and 1 attorney act as volume control.
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Modeling Cross-Examination Time: 30 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Divide the students into Plaintiffs and Defendants counsel (2 small groups).
Remind the students why we examine witnesses instead of only having them submit affidavits to the court. Tell the students that the jury will decide on the case by a preponderance of the evidence (explain what this means). Ensure that the students understand what they need to prove. This could be a good opportunity to model cross-examinations through watching a great, SHORT law scene from a movie or television program.
Introduce Cross Examination (Close-Ended Questions that encourage the witness to answer in one word such as yes and no). Tell the students that one way to conduct a direct examination is to form questions that begin with the 5 Ws questionst aht begin with who, what, when, where, why/how. Give a demo of an close-ended question and ask a student to answer it. Point out that the student answered the question by providing a yes or no answer.
An attorney serves as a witness from the actual case. Provide an example of an close-ended question for the witness and the witness provides an answer. Ask the students which of the 5 Objective To increase students understanding of why lawyers do cross examinations To expose students to excellent cross examinations
Page 38 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Ws made the question open-ended. Ask the students how the closed-ended question began.
Ask for examples of cross examination questions from the students to ask the witness. (Poor questions can receive poor answers from the witness or or answers that helped the other side in the trial.) Activity 2: Cross Examinations Vs. Direct-Examinations Time: 15 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Tell the group that you are going to review the difference between cross and direct examinations. Attorneys should model some direct and cross examinations and have students identify which is which by using their gestures (see Tip of the Trade p. XXX). Draw a T-Chart on a flip chart with Cross Examination and Direct Examinations on either sideexplain to students that they need to identify.
Attorneys ask probing questions to guide students in identifying the differences between direct and cross examinations. Write students responses under the appropriate category direct or cross. Make sure that students understand the difference between the two by checking for understanding. Objective To ensure that students understand the difference between cross and direct examinations Activity 3: Small Group Cross Examination Coaching Time: 20 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Attorneys and students work 1:1 or in small group. . Attorneys coach students to remember the 5 Ws of their witness by asking open ended questions. Students can use the affidavits if necessary
Attorneys review close-ended questions and model a close- ended question relevant to the student's witness.
Students brainstorm a close-ended question for each of the 5 W's. Attorneys highlight that during the cross examination you want witnesses to answer yes or no and not tell a story. Model how attorneys will say Yes or no when conducting a cross examination. Attorneys coach students in writing their question--encourage good legal terminology/phrasing.
Students ask their attorney their questions using oral presentation skills (speak loudly, clearly, slowly, good eye contact and strong posture). Objective To provide students with the opportunity to write their own cross examination questions
Page 39 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Attorneys model the type of answers you are looking for in a cross-examination. Attorneys provide students immediate feedback on their questioning and public speaking skill. Closing & Teach Back Time: 5 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back. Ask the students: What are you trying to get a witness to do when you ask close ended questions? (Answer yes or noto help you prove your point.) Ask students 3 things that lead to an excellent cross examination. Have a student from the defense and prosecution share 1 of their questions.
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Have students put their legal pad and binder in the designated area. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
Page 40 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Lesson # 6 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trial Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Understand the importance of an opening statement and what makes an opening statement effective. 2. Understand the importance of a closing statement and what makes a closing statement effective. 3. Draft a closing and opening statement for their case. 4. Advocate for which role they want to play in the Mock Trial. Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read 2. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: Introduction to opening and closing statements 4. Activity: 1:1 opening and closing statement coaching 5. Activity: Mock Trial role advocacy 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 30 Minutes
25 Minutes 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Sit alternating attorney/student/attorney. Make multiple copies of witness affidavits. Do all photocopying on paper with holes so they can go into the binders. Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Closing statement Opening statement Materials and Equipment witness affidavits and 5 W's work sheet
Page 41 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 6 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following question on a piece of flip chart paper. What is your dream job?
Have each student and attorney stand and answer the question by stating, may it please the court, my name is..
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Clearly, Slowly and Loudly! Have 1 student and 1 attorney act as volume control.
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom. ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities.) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Introduction to Opening Statements Time: 30 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Explain the purpose and structure of opening statements.
Outline the parts of an opening statement: An opening statement is not an argument. It creates a roadmap for the jury of the evidence that will be cited by each side throughout the case. It includes names of witnesses specific to the case. It introduces who and what was involved. It explains where, when and how the incident happened. Explain why the case is happening based on the side you are representing (plaintiff/defense).
Modeling an opening statement Ask the students to listen carefully to what the attorney says when he/she models his/her opening statement and what examples he/she uses to prove his/her point. Have one of the attorneys deliver an opening statement from the students case while standing and facing the jury (modeling courtroom demeanor and oral presentation skills).
Ask students to listen and note the relevant information by the appropriate 5Ws question word. Afterwards, ask students to stand up and volunteer information--record this information on Objective 1. To provide students with an overview of opening statements and their importance to a trial 2. For attorneys to model an excellent opening statement for students
Page 42 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. a flip chart. Ask if any students can teach back the structure of an opening statement.
1:1 or small group writing The Attorney models the greeting and introduction to be used in an opening statement. Students work with their attorney to practice the greeting and introduction. Give students immediate feedback. When the students have formed a well-crafted greeting and introduction in their own words, all attorneys should help the student write the greeting and introduction down.
Next, introduce the jury to a summary of the relevant information. Repeat the steps above.
Remind the students of helpful language: phrases such as You are going to hear from these witnesses and The evidence will show and specific names of witnesses.
Ask one student to volunteer to practice delivering his/her opening statement. Encourage students to make eye contact, command respect and attention from the jury, and convey passion while reading the opening statement.
Give feedback on both their content and public speaking.
Explain that that Mock Trial, the opening statement will be delivered from a set of talking points or notes on cards rather than read from a piece of paper. Express your confidence in their ability to master and opening statement and to deliver it from talking points. Ask them how many songs they have memorized and connect this skill to the ability to prepare and deliver an opening statement without reading it.
DEBRIEF Have 1 student from each team read their opening statement. The entire group (all students and attorneys) should sit together to portray the jury. The jury provides feedback on each of the two statements. Activity 2: Introductions to Closing Statements Time: 25 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Page 43 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Ask the students what they think a closing argument is.
Use a flipchart with a definition to explain the purpose and structure of a closing argument.
Using a flipchart, outline the parts of a closing argument and note the similarities and differences between opening statements and closing arguments (this will be in a handout found in the resources ssection ask a student to read the handout to the group).
Model a closing argument from the Mock Trial case and ask students for their observations.
1:1 or small group closing statement writing Break groups into defense and prosecution teams. Assist students with writing their own closing argument. Proceed using the following steps:
Attorney models the topic sentence to be used in a closing argument to entire small group. Ask some students to volunteer to practice the topic sentence. Give students immediate feedback.
BREAK INTO 1:1 coaching. When the students have formed a well-crafted topic sentence in their own words, all attorneys should help the students sitting next to them to write the topic sentence down.
Next, remind the jury of the relevant testimony from the witnesses supporting your side. Repeat the steps above.
Remind the students of helpful language: phrases such as All of the evidence shows and We hope that you find the defendant It is appropriate for these phrases to be in the students own words.
Ask one of the students from each team to volunteer to practice delivering his/her closing argument. Encourage students to make eye contact, command respect and attention from the jury, and convey passion while reading the closing argument. Objective To help students develop their closing statement To strengthen writing skills Activity 3: Mock Trial Role Advocacy Time: 10 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
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Explain to students that they have now learned all of important roles needed to conduct an excellent Mock Trial. Ask students to review the different parts of a Mock Trial (reference the Mock Trial game), providing clarity and more information so that students understand each role
Tell students they will have 3 minutes to write the 3 roles they are most excited to play: Their top choice is 1, 2 nd choice 2 and 3 rd choice 3 (see role selection sheet in resources section). Make sure students know that they might not get their first choice, but all the roles are very important.
Tell them that attorneys will take their feedback, talk to the Team Leader and make a decision based on what is best for the team. They will know their assignments next week. Objective To provide students voice and choice in their role in Mock Trial To simplify the process of selecting student roles Closing & Teach Back Time: 5 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back. Ask students to: 1. review each part of a Mock Trial and what they do. 2. name 3 components of an excellent closing statement. 3. name 3 components of an excellent opening statement.
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Students should put their legal pads and binders in the designated area. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
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Lesson # 7 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trial Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Review all legal terms they've covered in the apprenticeship. 2. Receive coaching on writing their part of the Mock Trial. Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it 2. Students are able to identify the main idea of something they have read Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: Legal Lingo Jeopardy 4. Activity: Announcement of Mock Trial Roles 5. Activity: 1:1 Mock Trial role coaching 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 20 Minutes 5 Minutes 40 Minutes 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Create the Legal Lingo Jeopardy game. Attorneys recruit additional volunteers to ensure that students can work 1:1 with an attorney while crafting their speaking partsthis is a key week for ensuring a successful apprenticeship. Make multiple copies of witness affidavits. Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. See Legal Lingo Jeopardy game in resource section. Materials and Equipment Legal Lingo Jeorpardy set (see resource section).
Page 46 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 7 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following question on a piece of flip chart paper. "What is 1 legal term that that you've learned during this apprenticeship"
Have each student and attorney stand and answer the question starting with, "may it please the court, my name is."
SPEAK UP! REMIND STUDENTS TO SPEAK CLEARLY, SLOWLY AND LOUDLY!
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom. ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities.) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Legal Lingo Jeopardy Time: 20 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Split the group into 2 teams "Defense" and "Prosecution." Show students the Legal Lingo Jeopardy board that is posted in a place where both teams can clearly see it.
Use a flipchart to review the guidelines: 1. Flip a coin to see which team goes first. 2. Teams choose 1 category and 1 point value (for example Types of Cases for 300). 3. Each team has 15 seconds to come up with an answer. 4. If the team gets the correct answer they get the points, if the do not the other team can answer it, they have 5 seconds to answer it. 5. If a team gets the answer they choose the next category. If no team gets it, the opposite team chooses the next category.
Provide clarification for any terminology that students do not know or of which they need to strengthen their understanding, Focus on this vocabulary over the weeks leading up the Mock Trial. Objective To provide a fun activity that reinforces the legal lingo that students have learned during the apprenticeship Activity 2: Announcement of Mock Trials roles Time: 5 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
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Break the group into defense and prosecution teams. Explain to students that you've tried to honor their choices and that every role is important in the Mock Trial.
Announce the role to which each student has been assigned.
Once you've announced each students role, have the group transition to 1:1 coaching. Objective To prepare students for their individual roles in the Mock Trial. Activity 3: Mock Trial Role Coaching Time: 40 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Ensure each student knows his/her role during the Mock Trial. Review the themes/arguments that each team brainstormed last session. Attorneys work 1:1 with their student to assist them in writing talking points for their roles during the Mock Trial. (Refer to the packet of handouts to refresh students memories).
Encourage the students to use the concepts that they have learned in the last 5 weeks regarding opening statements, direct examination, cross-examination and closing arguments. Tips of the Trade: Dont write a script for students, find ways to coach them to write a professional piece that comes from their own language. Attorneys should take notes while students dictate their parts and then edit any writing together. Help them incorporate legal terminology by making suggestions that will increase the professionalism of their piece. Help them turn their initial drafts into talking points for the Mock Trial. Objective To transfer the learning of the apprenticeship to their speaking part development To provide stduents coaching on developing their speaking part for the Mock Trial
Closing & Teach Back Time: 5 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back.
Ask students to identify 3 words from Jeopardy that were difficult to answer and review their definitions. Have 1 student from both the defense and prosecution share a piece of their speaking parts with the team.
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes
Page 48 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Have students place their legal pads and binders in the designated storage space. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
Page 49 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Lesson # 8 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trials Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Finalize their talking points for the Mock Trials. 2. Deliver their speaking role in small teams.
Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand. 2. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it. 3. Students will understand the flow of the Mock Trial and who speaks when. Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: 1:1 speaking part development coaching 4. Activity: Small team "dress rehearsal" 5. Activity: Mock Trial Flow Overview 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 30 Minutes 15 Minutes 15 Minutes 10 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Sit alternating attorney/student/attorney. Create a Mock Trial flow chart. (See resource section for template.) Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Judge Jury Baliff
Materials and Equipment Mock Trial flow chart
Page 50 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 8 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following question on a piece of flip chart paper. "What is one thing you are excited for about the Mock Trials?"
Have each student and attorney stand and answer by stating, "may it please the court, my name is.."
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Clearly, Slowly and Loudly! Have 1 student and 1 attorney act as volume control .
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the classroom. ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities.) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: 1 parts development coaching Time: 30 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Ensure each student knows his/her role during the Mock Trial.
Review the themes/arguments that each team brainstormed last session.
Attorneys work 1:1 with their student to assist them in writing questions and statements for their roles during the Mock Trial. (Refer to the packet of handouts to refresh students memories.)
Encourage the students to use the concepts that they have learned in the last 5 weeks regarding opening statements, direct examination, cross-examination and closing arguments. Tips of the Trade: Coach students in adding drama to their speaking parts. Help students think about who in the courtroom they should look at when, help students with hand gestures, suggest legal phrasing to help professionalize their talking points. Objective To provide stduents coaching on developing their speaking parts for the Mock Trial To transfer the learning of the apprenticeship to their speaking parts development
Activity 2: Team dress rehearsal Time: 15 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
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Divide group into defense and prosecution. Review the order that students will be speaking--make sure that you provide a visual of the Mock Trial flow in the small group. Explain to the students that they are all going to run through their pieces in order--tell students that they should try to do their piece perfectly, like they will during the Mock Trial.
Reinforce excellent oral presentation skills (eye contact, spekaing clearly, loudly and slowly, posture, use of hand gestures).
Reinforce the "drama" of the Mock Trial and how students can add drama to their part of the trial.
Attorneys and students provide each student feedback on their speaking part. (Include both positive and constructive feedback) Students should write down their feedback. Objective To provide students an opportunity to practice their speaking part. To provide students feedback on their speaking part in small groups. Activity 3: Mock Trial Flow Overview Time: 15 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Get the entire group-both defense and prosecution together. Explain that you are going to go over the flow of the Mock Trial to prepare students for the courtroom visit next week.
Give each student a copy of the Mock Trial flow chart.
Define judge, jury and baliff for students and show where they sit in a courtroom. Have attorneys model these different roles.
Have group read the flow chart outline. Encourage different students to read various pieces. Following a reading of the flow chart do a "initial run through."
Attorneys role play each of these three roles - the judge, jury and baliff. Designate an area from which witnesses and one from which the attorneys would speak.
The group should do a run through of the Mock Trial flow.
When a student's time comes, she/he moves into the attorney's place and delivers the first line of his/her speaking part.
Explain to students that they will see the real courtroom next week and will do a full dress rehearsal then! Objective To provide students an overview of the Mock Trial in preparation for the court house visit
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Closing & Teach Back Time: 10 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back. Ask the students to 1. Name some of skills necessary to have great Speak Up skills. 2. Name some things they are nervous about when thinking about their Mock Trial. 3. Name some things they are excited about when thinking about their Mock Trial.
Remind the students that they will be meeting at the courthouse next week and how they will get there.
Stress the importance of students studying their speaking parts so that they know them for next weeks dress rehearsal Xerox a copy of the students talking points and have them bring a copy home to study.
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Have students put their legal pads and binders in the designated area. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
Page 53 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
Lesson # 9 Name of the Apprenticeship: Citizen Schools Mock Trial Name of the Citizen Teacher/Law Firm or Agency
Pre-Planning
Lesson Objectives: What do we need to get done today? By the end of the lesson, the students will: 1. Become familiar and comfortable with the look and feel of the courtroom. 2. Develop excellent public speaking skills. 3. Do a dress rehearsal of the Mock Trial. Learning Objectives: What will the students learn today? By the end of the lesson, the students will have learned: 1. Students are able to speak loudly, slowly and clearly enough for the audience to understand. 2. Students are able to develop a clear research question and hypothesis that connects to it. Agenda based on the lesson plan. Post in the room for the students to see. 1. Opening Ritual 2. Review Agenda and Set Context 3. Activity: Courtroom 5 W's 4. Activity: I See You--Speak Up! 5. Activity: Mock Trial Dress Rehearsal 6. Closing and Teach Back 7. Clean up 10 Minutes 5 Minutes 10 Minutes 10 Minutes 40 Minutes 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Preparation and Space Set up: Print a large visual that shows the flow of the Mock Trialwho is speaking and in what order. (See resource section. Post the Mock Trial flow in the courtroom so the students can see it. Create 2 different sets of colored index cards with 1 of the following words per card: judge, jury, bailiff, defense, prosecution, witness. Vocabulary What terms or concepts will you introduce in this session? Post these for the students to see. Judge Jury Bailiff Defense Prosecution Witness Materials and Equipment Copies of students talking points for the Mock Trial Mock Trial flow chart Index cards for Courtroom 5 Ws exploration (see below)
Page 54 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Lesson # 9 Planning the Lesson Opening Ritual (It should be tied to the focus of your Apprenticeship and this session if possible) Time: 5 Minutes Post the following question on a piece of flip chart paper. "The first thing that came to my mind when we entered the courtroom was"
Have students and attorneys stand and answer the question by stating, "may it please the court, my name is."
Speak Up: Remind students to speak Clearly, Slowly and Loudly! Have 1 student and 1 attorney act as volume control.
Set the Context and Review Agenda Time: 10 Minutes Provide Apprentices with a visual agenda written on flipchart paper and taped up in the courtroom. Tape the Mock Trial flow chart up in the courtroom. ACTIVITIES (Please factor a 5 minute break in the middle of 1 activity or in between 2 activities.) Time: 60 minutes Activity 1: Court Room 5W's Time: 10 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
Working in a large group an attorney should define or explain each of the following 1 at a time: Judge, jury, baliff, defense, prosecution and witness. After the attorney describes/defines these roles again, have the students teach back via flashcards. Make sure all students understand these courtroom roles!
Divide group into defense and prosecution teams. Each team should have 6 index cards with the roles from above written on the card (have a different color for each team.
Tell the group that their challenge is to place their index card where they think that person sits during the trial.
Once a team thinks they've correctly placed all of their cards they check with their attorney--if they are right they sit at their bench in the court room, if they are wrong, the attorney tells them which cards they need to switch.
Make sure everyone knows where the correct locations are and who does what there. Objective To ensure that students know the various people who will be in the court room, what their role is and where they will be seating Activity 2: I See You-Speak UP! Time: 10 Minutes
Page 55 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives. Divide the group into their defense and prosecution teams. Give the group 2 minutes to review their speaking partstell the group they are going to present the first 3 sentences/questions to the group while modeling excellent Speak Up skills.
Using a flipchart, review and Model excellent Speak Up skills: 1. Speak loudly, clearly and slowly. 2. Keep feet in one place. 3. Dont fidget. 4. Use good hand gestures. 5. Maintain eye contact.
After 2 minutes of review; students and attorneys will sit in the jury boxat this point review the order of the trial and who speaks when.
Have the person whose turn it is to speak stand on the opposite side of the jury box and deliver their speaking partexplain to students that this is not where they will stand for the trial and that we are practicing our Speak Up skills so that they will be understood on the night of the Mock Trial.
Hand out 3 colored index cards to people in the jury box. Explain that people with index cards will hold their card above their heads when a colleague is delivering their part.
When the speaker gets eye contact with a person with a card, that person lowers their card. The person delivering their speaking parts goal is to lower all 3 index card while modeling excellent Speak Up skills. Students who do not have an index card can be volume control.
Provide immediate feedback on their Speak Up skills. Tell students they are going to do a dress rehearsal, the goal is to do a perfect run through of the Mock Trial
Objective For students to practice an entire run through of the Mock Trial To recognize areas to practice /improve for the Mock Trial Activity 3: Mock Trial Dress Rehearsal Time: 40 Minutes Includes demonstration, guided practice, individual or group practice. Be sure and link to your learning objectives.
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Have guest attorneys play the judge, baliff and jury.
Explain to students that we are going to do a dress rehearsal-- the goal is to do a perfect Mock Trial, as if we were doing it for real. Review the Mock Trial flow chart as a large group. Place students in the correct location
Attorneys coach students--for example, make sure they know when and how to transition and where they are going. Provide immediate feedback--if a student's voice is too low, tell them. If they are not maintaining eye contact tell them! If a student needs to re-work a piece of their speaking part, allow them to do so and then immediately try the new piece.
Immediately after the dress rehearsal provide students with positive and constructive . EXTRA ACTIVITY - TIME PERMITTING: Do a second run through of the trial If you do not have time, do an immediate run through of trouble areas. For example, if there was a transition between speakers that was rough, have those students do their transition again. If a student reads from their notes, have them read again and make better eye contact. Objective A final review of all of the skills we are going to use in our mock trail. Closing & Teach Back Time: 5 Minutes Review what you covered in this session and tell them what is coming for the next session. Be sure students learned by having one or more of them teach back.
Ask each student 1 thing they need to practice to make sure they do their best during the Mock Trial Provide a handout with an overview of what will happen on the day of the Mock Trial for them to take home and read. Make sure that all student has a copy of their speaking parts/talking points to bring home to study for the trial
Clean Up Time: 5 Minutes What roles can you designate for each student to build team accountability? Make sure that the courtroom looks better than it did before the group arrived. Team Leader assists with clean up. One Citizen Teacher completes the CT Weekly Self-Evaluation.
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TIPS OF THE TRADE The following are tips from former Citizen Teachers on how to maximize student participation, behavior and learning during each apprenticeship session.
Activity Name: Vocabulary Development Time: Who this is Good For: All Students Description of the Activity: Ensuring that every student understands all of the vocabulary and legal terms that are built into the Mock Trials is critical. The following are some tips to help increase vocabulary development.
1. You are the professional: This curriculum guide provides an overview of the Mock Trials apprenticeship. You are the legal experts. Use your expertise to decide when and how to introduce vocabulary.
2. Make it visual: Vocabulary terms need to be posted visually! Use flip chart paper and colored markers If you are covering multiple terms, expose them to students one at a time so that they can focus on that word Once youve covered a work keep it posted visually in a WORD WALL so that students are reminded to use it
3. Build on students experience/knowledge: Students may have a basic understanding of some of the terminology, build on their existing knowledge. Ask probing questions to have them define the word. For example, Who has ever heard of innocent until proven guilty? Where did you hear it? What do you think it means? Word recognition: If students cannot define a word, ask them to identify a word within the word. For example, Defendant what word does this look likedefense what does defense mean? So what do you think the defendant does? As the expert it is important that you fill in the gaps of the students definition so that they understand the full meaning of the terms
4. Make it real: Make sure students understand the word as it relates to their trial and the work they will be doing.
Activity Name: Movie Magic Time: No more than 10 minutes Who this is Good For: All students Description of the Activity: One way to get students excited about the legal process is by watching a clip from a movie (examples include To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, A Few Good Men etc.). Choose a clip from a movie that highlights what students are learning during that session. Some weeks that you may choose to show a video clip include. Week 1: A movie of a great law scene in the first week is a great hook, or way to get students really excited about being a lawyer. Week 5: A clip that models and shows the difference between direct and cross examinations. Week 6: A clip that models and shows the difference between opening and closing statements. Week 8: A scene from a movie that will get the students excited for their trial. Video Scavenger Hunt: To maximize on learning from a video clip, create a scavenger hunt, or ask students to look for specific things while watching the film. You can post these items visually on a piece of flip chart paper.
Page 58 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Activity Name: Volume Control Time: Who this is Good For: All Students Description of the Activity: Volume control is a role that students can play when observing their peers oral presentation (Speak Up) skills. Attorneys should assign this role to students and only students who are identified should play the role. It is good to switch your Volume Control people frequently. 1. Explain to the group that youre selecting 2 students to be Volume Control. Volume Controls job is to NON- VERBALLY let people know whether they are using their Speak Up skills, especially speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear them 2. If a person is not speaking loudly enough to be heard, Volume Controls job is to take 1 hand and raise it up and down 2 times. This is meant to serve as a quick and silent reminder to the speaker to raise their voice. Activity Name: Open or Closed Time: Who this is Good For: All students Description of the Activity: One important skill students learn during the law apprenticeship is how to use open and close ended questions. This student role is a way to engage students while they are listening to their peers practice open and close ended questions, while ensuring that students understand the difference between these types of questions. 1. Explain to the group that you are going to select 2 students to be Question Masters. The Question Masters job is to decide whether or not their peers are asking open or close ended questions. 2. For open ended questions the Question Master will make a circle by putting their 2 hands together above their heads. 3. For close ended questions the Question Master will make a X by crossing their 2 arms. 4. When you introduce this role, model example open and ended questions and show how the hand signal that goes with both. Activity Name: Teach Back Time: 5 Minutes Who this is Good For: All students Description of the Activity: Every apprenticeship session should end with a Teach Back. Citizen Schools believes that by having students Teach Back what theyve learned they increase their mastery over the material they are learning. Teach Backs are one of the most important pieces of your weekly lesson plan; make sure you take advantage of them!
Some helpful hints for leading excellent Teach Backs
1. Sequencing Questions: Given the 5 minutes you have for Teach Backs, this guide provides example questions you might ask students. When asking Teach Back questions, remember the following format: What, So What, Now What What: Start with asking what questions that will allow students to reflect on what they did and learned during the session. For example, what did we learn about cross examinations today So What: After the students have reflected on what they learned, help them understand its relevance to the apprenticeship or the So What? For example, Why do you think it is important that we have excellent cross examination questions? Now What: Help students understand how they can use what theyve learned to integrate into their Mock Trial by asking Now What questions. For example, What are 3 things you will remember to do when delivering your cross examination during the Mock Trial?
Page 59 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 2. Example Teach Back Activities: Below are example activities that you can use to maximize student learning through reflection. Remember to be creative in your teaching and think about how you can engage diverse learners!
Speed Round: Pose a series of review questions and call on students at random to answer -- providing wait time after each question to allow students to think before you select someone to respond. After each response, give the rest of the class a chance to agree or disagree with the answer. You might have all students WRITE their responses on individual chalkboard/whiteboards/papers before calling on anyone.
Minute paper: Give the students a writing prompt, such as, "list as many examples as you can of vocabulary related to the trial." If time permits, ask students to share their responses with the class. Collect and review the responses to make modifications to future instruction.
Sticking point: At the end of the lesson, each student provides you with a question left unanswered or a concept left unclear (on an index card, maybe). Give the students a writing prompt such as, "What about cross examination do you still have questions about after today's lesson?" Alternatively, after teaching your students the concept of a sticking point, just ask "what is a sticking point for you after today's lesson?"
One sentence summary: Ask the students to answer in one sentence, "what was the key point of today's lesson?" If time permits, ask students to share their responses with the class. If a wide discrepancy exists, you will want to reflect on why that might have happened and how your instruction can be more focused around a concrete goal for the next day.
Paired summary: Place the students in pairs to discuss a specific prompt for a short period of time (1-2 minutes). Each pair should jot down key points of their discussions and then share them with the class at large.
Activity Name: Vocabulary Games Time: 5- 10 Minutes Who this is Good For: All students Bingo One great way to review vocabulary is with a game of Bingo. It takes a bit of preparation, however. One great online resource to make this easier is www.edhelper.com. If you get an account there, you can type in all your words and definitions and easily print out bingo cards.
If you need to make your own Bingo cards use the attached table as a template. Simply fill in vocabulary words in the squares on each card. Make sure that not all the cards are the same.
How to play: Pass out the cards and remind the students of the rules of Bingo. You will read out definitions and if they have the matching word on their card, they should put an X in the box containing that word. Call out the definitions in a random order and have fun! A student can get bingo by filling a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. When a student has bingo, they should yell Bingo! once and once only. Then reinforce your vocabulary lessons by having the winning student say which words gave them the bingo. This is also a chance to make sure that the student chose the right words to fit the definitions.
You can use the same cards for multiple games by using the small check boxes within the Bingo squares for each game. When you switch games, students are marking the next box over.
Memory
Page 60 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Another great way to review vocabulary is with a game of Memory. This is also pretty preparation intensive and can be greatly sped up through www.edhelper.com. Just use the flashcards function to print out single sided cards. Then cut them up and discard all the blanks.
If you need to make your own memory cards, use the attached table as a template. Simply fill in vocabulary words and definitions on separate cards. Then print them out and cut them up. All cards should be blank on one side. You will need a deck of cards for every 2 students.
How to play: Put students into pairs and give them each a deck of cards. Have them shuffle the deck and then lay out all the cards facedown in a grid on the desk/table. Students should take turns flipping up cards and trying to make a match (a word and its definition). If a student makes a successful match game, then s/he gets an extra turn. The student with the most cards wins. Its best to play for the best two out of three games with this activity, since there is some luck involved.
Vocabulary Relay This game is great fun and requires less preparation, but you do need a lot of space to play it safely. You need to create big cardseach with a word or a definition. Use different colors for different teams. Post all the words on one side of the room and the definitions on the other. Designate another place for matches made for each team.
How To play: This is another game with many variations. Here is one fairly structured one. Assign a color to each team; for example the pink sheets are for Team A and the blue sheets for Team B). Team A is trying to make matches with the pink sheets and Team B is trying to make matches with the blue sheets. The students line up. One person races off to the stack of words and takes one of the appropriate color. They then run to the stack of definitions and try to find the matching one of the appropriate color. They then take their match and post it up on the matches wall. Then they run back and tag the next person. The team to make correct matches of all their vocabulary words first, wins.
Jeopardy This game is great to play as a full group or in teams and it requires less preparation then others. Simple print out sheets of paper with vocabulary related questions on them and put point values on the back of each one. Post these up on the board with the point values showing.
How to play: There are so many ways to play this game. With 10 students, it works to make 2 teams (unless your Apprenticeship already has natural teams).
Quiet Style Have each team sit in a row or cluster together, and appoint one spokesperson for the team. This could be a rotating role with students switching seats every round so that everyone has a chance in the hot seat. Teams alternate turns choosing questions/point values and answering them. The whole team can confer for a limited time (10-15 seconds) and then you take the spokespersons answer for the team. Wrong answers equal lost points and are tossed to the other team.
Louder Style One variation of this is the hot spot and it gets students to be quicker with their answsers. Every round, one person from each team is invited to the hot spot. The students stand with their buzzer hands out and the teacher reads the question. The students smack the table (or improvised buzzer) with their hands if they know the answer. The person with the first buzz gets to answer the question. This variation can great A LOT of excitement, but it can also create controversy over the calls on who got to the buzzer first. As with the other version, wrong answers lose the
Page 61 of 62 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. team points and the question goes to the other team.
Word Storms This is a fun but quiet way to reinforce the spelling of your vocabulary words and to get your students to be creative with language. No real preparation is needed you just need a list of the words and paper/pencils for the students.
How to play: Make sure all the students have pencils and paper. Write a vocabulary word up on the board (make sure to spell it correctly!). Tell students that they have a limited time (2-3 minutes) to make as many words as they can out of the letters in that vocabulary word. They cannot reuse letters inside a single word, but every new word can pull from any of the letters in the vocabulary word.
For example: BUSINESS Total: 15 1. bus 2. Buses 3. In 4. Bin 5. bins 6. Bun 7. buns 8. Sin 9. sins 10. Sub 11. subs 12. Use 13. uses 14. Us 15. Is
You can have students compete against one another and try to make the most words. Or you can have the class work together to get the highest score possible by adding their individual scores up.
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ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES No curriculum will work for every students. Remember you teach students, not curriculum. Use this section of the guide for ideas for alternative activities that address special learning and teaching styles, and group dynamics. If you create one for your students, we would like to know about it. Please make sure that your Team Leader gives your plans to the National Apprenticeship Department help us grow this part of the Mock Trials Curriculum.
Activity Name: Time: Who this is Good For: Description of the Activity:
Activity Name: Time: Who this is Good For: Description of the Activity:
Activity Name: Time: Who this is Good For: Description of the Activity:
Page 1 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
A resource guide for teaching quality law apprenticeships. Version 1.0 SEPTEMBER 2006
Page 3 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. LEGAL LINGO JEAPORDY 4 2. LEGAL VOCABULARY BINGO I 6 3. LEGAL VOCABULARY BINGO 2 7 4. 5WS OF THE MOCK TRIAL CASE TEMPLATE 8 5. PERSAUSION MAP GRAPHIC ORGANIZER TO HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR SPEAKING PARTS 10 6. MOCK TRIAL ROLE SELECTION BALLOT 11 7. PARTS OF A TRIAL 12 8. PARTS OF A TRIAL RELAY RACE 13 9. SAMPLE TRIAL ORDER FOR A MOCK TRIAL 14 10. SAMPLE TRIAL PROCEDURE FOR A MOCK TRIAL 15 11. CASE MATERIALS: COMMONWEALTH V. BORDEN 19 12. CASE MATERIALS: OBRIEN V. INTERNATIONAL PLACE HIGH SCHOOL 39 13. CASE MATERIALS: COOK V. BOSTON CENTRAL CHARTER SCHOOL 46 14. CASE MATERIALS: THE NOT SO PRIVATE SCHOOL 50
Page 4 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. LEGAL LINGO JEAPORDY People In The Court Room Parts Of A Trial Legal Lingo Its In The Case 100 Pts. 100 Pts. 100 Pts. 100 Pts. 200 Pts. 200 Pts. 200 Pts. 200 Pts. 300 Pts. 300 Pts. 300 Pts. 300 Pts. 400 Pts. 400 Pts. 400 Pts. 400 Pts.
Attorneys should create the following Jeopardy Chart on a Large piece of flip chart paper so it all students can see the categories and point values
Please see the next page for example questions and answersfeel free to change to best meet the needs of your students and case! LESSDN FESDUFCES
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People In The Court Room Parts Of A Trial Legal Lingo Its In The Case 100 points- Judge Q: The person who presides over a case and announces the verdict 100 points-closing statement Q: This part of the trial occurs after the presentation of evidence and is a summary of the facts of the case 100 points- open ended questions Q: These type of questions allow the witness to tell their story 100 points- Fact pattern Q: A written document that provides all of the details and 5 Ws of a case 200 points-Jury Q: A sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial verdict and a finding of fact on a legal question officially submitted to them, or to set a penalty or judgment in a jury trial of a court of law. 200 points-direct examination Q: When a witness is called to the stand to tell their story and lay out facts that support your case you are delivering a? 200 points- prosecution Q: The legal party responsible for presenting the case against an individual suspected of breaking the law in a criminal trial. 200 points- Affidavit Q: A formal statement of fact written by a witness 300 points- defendant Q: This person is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute. 300 points-cross examination Q: The interrogation of a witness called by one's opponent when you are trying to get simple one word answers 300 points- innocent until prove guilty Q: People involved who are suspects in a crime and brought to court are _______________
300 points- Plaintiff Q: The person who brings a case to court and is looking for some type of remedy, for example money is the?
400 points-Bailiff Q: This person is the law enforcement arm of the court. They keep order in the court, serve legal process or other court documents, and take charge of juries when the court is not in session. 400 points-verdict Q: The formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge 400 points- burden of proof Q: This term relates to the prosecution who need to convince the court that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt 400 points- v. or versus Q: When you read the title of a case you can determine whether it is a civil or criminal case by
(source www.wikipedia.org retrieved July 14, 2006)
Page 6 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. LEGAL VOCABULARY BINGO I
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CItIzcn 5chnn!s Mnck TrIa! Rn!c 5c!cctInn
Namc: __________________________
Tcam: Dcfcnsc nr PrnsccutInn (!casc cIrc!c)
P|ease rate uhlch ro|e ou uant to |a ln the mock trla|. Each student ul|| hate at |east 1 seaklng art ln the mock trla|
Iul a 1 foi voui fiisl choice Iul a 2 foi voui second choice Iul a 3 foi voui lhiid choice
RLMLMLR: Youi Cilizen Teacheis and Tean Leadei viII nake lhe finaI decision on vhal ioIe vou viII pIav lased on vhal is lesl foi lhe lean. We viII lake voui choices inlo consideialion.
Page 12 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
PARTS OF A TRIAL I. Opening Statements A. Plaintiff B. Defendant II. Plaintiffs Case A. Witness Number 1 i. Direct Examination ii. Cross-Examination B. Witness Number 2 i. Direct Examination ii. Cross-Examination III. Defendants Case A. Witness Number 1 i. Direct Examination ii. Cross-Examination B. Witness Number 2 i. Direct Examination ii. Cross-Examination IV. Closing Arguments A. Defendant B. Plaintiff
Jury Deliberations and Verdict
Page 13 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved.
PARTS OF A TRIAL GAME V. Opening Statements A. _________ B. Defendant VI. Plaintiffs Case A. Witness Number 1 i. Direct Examination ii. ________ Examination B. Witness Number 2 i. ________ Examination ii. Cross-Examination VII. __________ Case A. Witness Number 1 i. ________ Examination ii. Cross-Examination B. Witness Number 2 i. Direct Examination ii. Cross-Examination VIII. __________ Arguments A. Defendant B. Plaintiff
Jury Deliberations and ________
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Commonwealth versus Borden
Fact Pattern
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS v. BETTY BORDEN
Saturday, March 2, 2002, Riverdale Middle School held a student dance. Veronica Vixen, the victim, and the defendant, Betty Borden, both attended. During the dance, Veronica, who is taller than most of the other girls in the class, was hanging out with her friends on the soccer team. Veronica then made a suggestive comment towards Bettys boyfriend, Archie Amore, as Betty and Archie walked by. Veronica and Betty got into a scuffle; the exchange was mostly verbal, but there was some pushing back and forth between the two. Veronicas friends eventually broke up the scuffle. As Betty walked away, she yelled back to Veronica, Youd better watch your back! Im going to get you for this!!
Monday, March 4 th at Riverdale Middle School, Betty saw Veronica speaking closely with Archie in the hall. Betty was angered by the sight, but did not interrupt she was late for class.
Later that same day, Betty was headed for art class when she remembered that she had left her scissors, which she was required to have, in her gym bag back in her locker. Betty ran back to her locker to get them. On her way from her locker to art class, with the scissors in her hand, Betty spotted Veronica in the hall. The hallway was all but empty because 5 th period had started and everyone was in class. Veronica caught sight of Betty at that same moment and immediately began teasing Betty about Archie and about their argument on Saturday night. Betty proceeded to yell back at Veronica, becoming very enraged. The two quickly approached each other and in no time, were again engaged in a loud, verbal scuffle.
During the confrontation, the girls moved toward a set of doors on the east side of the hallway. Betty had her back toward the doors; Veronica was on the other side, facing Betty. The doors were locked with a chain and a padlock. There was a puddle of water in front of the door due to a leak in the roof directly overhead.
All of a sudden, Veronica moved toward the Betty. The scissors in Bettys hand made contact with Veronicas lower abdomen. The two girls fell to the ground Case haterIaIs
Page 20 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Veronica over Betty. The scissors could be seen sticking out of Veronicas abdomen. Both girls began screaming for help. The art teacher, Ms. Grundy, and the Janitor, Jughead Jones, were the first to rush to their aid.
Page 21 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Affidavits
AFFIDAVIT OF VERONICA VIXEN I, Veronica Vixen, declare as follows: 1. I am thirteen years old and live at 23 Cook Street in Dorchester, MA. 2. Everything that is written in this affidavit is true. 3. I am in the seventh grade at Riverdale Middle School and am captain of the soccer team. 4. I have known Betty Borden since we were in third grade. 5. Betty has always been jealous of me probably because I excelled in sports and Betty never has. She is always picked last in gym class. 6. On March 2 nd at the dance, I said hello to Bettys boyfriend Archie. Ive known Archie forever and we
Page 22 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. just stopped dating a little while ago. I knew that Archie had been out of school for a week with the flu and wanted to see if he was feeling better. 7. While I was talking to Archie, Betty started giving me dirty looks. I put up with it for a while, but then I had had enough. 8. I went over to Betty and asked her what her problem was. Betty started saying that she knew what I was trying to do. I kept telling her that I didnt know what she was talking about, but she kept getting more and more upset. Then she pushed me and yelled that I should leave Archie alone and never look at him again. 9. Betty is totally nuts. I wasnt trying to get Archie to break up with Betty, I was just trying to be nice and see how Archie was feeling. 10. I thought Betty just needed some time to cool down, so when I saw her in the hallway on Monday I thought I would try to act like nothing had happened. 11. I asked Betty if she had gotten everything out of her system or if she wanted to go another round. I was totally joking. 12. The next thing I know, Betty turns red and starts yelling that I should show her some respect.
Page 23 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 13. Maybe I lost my temper too because I started following her down the hall yelling that she was out of line. We started to argue, just like we did at the dance. 14. Betty started calling me names and said that I was a bully. That made me really angry and I wasnt planning on touching her, but I wanted to make her listen to me, so I started to move closer to her. 15. I wasnt moving all that fast, but suddenly I slipped in a puddle of water and started falling toward Betty, whose back was against the doors. 16. I was afraid of falling and hurting myself so I extended both of my arms in front of me, thinking that I could stop my fall by grabbing onto Betty or to the doors that were right behind her. 17. I dont remember all that much. I do remember that as I was falling forward, Betty was yelling at me that she wasnt going to take it any more. 18. Suddenly I felt this awful pain in my stomach and when I looked down there was a pair of scissors in me! 19. As I lay there on the floor, I looked up at Betty and she had blood on her hands. 20. I remember yelling for help and then seeing the janitor and Miss Grundy.
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I declare under the penalties of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct based on my knowledge, information and belief. Executed this ___ day of March, 2002.
________________________ Veronica Vixen
WORCESC\3649\2.2297136_1
Page 25 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
AFFIDAVIT OF BETTY BORDEN I, Betty Borden, declare as follows:
1. I am thirteen years old and live at 72 Savin Hill Place in Dorchester, MA. 2. Everything that is written in this affidavit is true. 3. On March 2 nd , Archie and I went to the school dance. While we were there, we ran into Archies ex- girlfriend Veronica Vixen. 4. Veronica is much bigger than I am and is really strong. 5. Everyone else seems to think that she is a great girl, but shes nothing more than a bully. Shes always pushing me around and trying to make me look like a wimp in front of Archie. Its not fair!
Page 26 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 6. At the dance, Veronica made a bunch of really rude comments towards me and Archie. I was very embarrassed and sick of her behavior. 7. Even though she is much bigger than I am and Im scared of her, I went right up to her and told her to stop it. 8. I think she was surprised that I finally said something, because she didnt say anything at first, but then she started yelling back at me and we started pushing each other. 9. After a little while her friends from the soccer team pulled her away and Archie pulled me away. 10. Maybe I yelled something at Veronica when I walked away with Archie, but I dont remember what I said. 11. On Monday, I saw Veronica bothering Archie again by his locker. I know that Archie wants nothing to do with her, but he feels sorry for her so he puts up with her. 12. I wanted to say something to Veronica then, but I was late to class and didnt want to relive what had happened at the dance all over again. 13. Right before my art class that day I realized that I had forgotten my scissors in my locker. I had taken them home over the weekend to work on a project. I
Page 27 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. ran to my locker, found the scissors and started to go to art class. 14. All of the sudden, Veronica appears out of nowhere and shes headed right for me and looks very mad. There is no one else in the hallway so I start feeling a little scared. 15. Veronica immediately starts teasing me about what happened at the dance and starts saying things about Archie. 16. It made me mad that she was saying things about Archie so I started yelling back at her and pretty soon we were pushing each other back and forth. 17. Veronica started saying that Archie was going to break up with me and that the only reason he started dating me was so that I could help him with his homework. 18. I think I yelled that Veronica was nothing more than a bully and that people only pretended to like her because they were scared of her. I also said that I hated her and that I was going to make sure that everyone knew what a mean person she was. 19. All of the sudden my back was up against doors that I knew were locked (because they are always locked). I started to get really scared and just wanted Veronica to leave me alone.
Page 28 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 20. The next thing I knew, Veronica started moving toward me with her arms outstretched like she was going to strangle me. 21. I must have swung my arms up to protect myself and I guess thats when I stabbed her with the scissors. I had forgotten that I even had them in my hand. 22. Veronica fell against me and then to the floor. I started yelling for help right away. The janitor and the art teacher were the first to come and help Veronica. 23. Im really sorry about what happened to Veronica. I am not a violent person. Ive never gotten in trouble before. 24. I am a good student who is active in school, Im in the Chess Club, on the Debating Team and in the Marching Band.
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I declare under the penalties of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct based on my knowledge, information and belief. Executed this ___ day of March, 2002.
AFFIDAVIT OF WANDA GRUNDY I, Wanda Grundy, declare as follows: 21. I am the art teacher at Riverdale Middle School in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Page 30 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 22. I live at 7 Massachusetts Avenue, Apartment Thirty- four in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 23. I have been teaching at Riverdale Middle School for two years. Before teaching at Riverdale, I was the art teacher at Crumbsfield Grammar School where Betty Borden was one of my students. 24. Once at Crumbsfield Grammar School, Betty accused another student of attacking her. After a very long investigation, we determined there had been no attack. 25. The student that Betty accused of attacking her was bigger than her. I think she just lied about the attack. 26. On March 4 th , I was teaching my fifth period art class. Betty Borden was supposed to be in that class, but wasnt. 27. I heard a loud commotion outside of my classroom. I told the students to stay in their seats while my assistant Mr. VanGogh and I stepped out into the hallway. 28. Across the hall from my classroom and down about two classrooms I saw Veronica and Betty engaged in a scuffle.
Page 31 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 29. Before I could break up the fight, I saw Veronica slip and stop herself from falling by putting her hands on the door behind Betty. 30. I then saw Bettys hand move upward and jab up into Veronicas stomach. Both girls fell to the floor. 31. When I ran over to Veronica I saw the scissors sticking out of her abdomen. Her back was wet and I stepped in water as I knelt down to help her. 32. Betty never should have taken the scissors out of my classroom. I never give students homework on the weekend so she had no reason to have the scissors in her locker. 33. I know Veronica is a good girl and would never hurt anyone.
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I declare under the penalties of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct based on my knowledge, information and belief. Executed this ___ day of March, 2002.
________________________ Wanda Grundy
WORCESC\3649\2.2308177_1 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
SUFFOLK, SS. Dorchester District Court 0203CR4416
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AFFIDAVIT OF JOE JONES I, Joe Jones, declare as follows: 34. I am the janitor at Riverdale Middle School and have worked there for almost 10 years. 35. I know most of the students at the school and talk to them when they are changing classes. 36. Ive talked to Betty several times and she is very smart. I sometimes play chess with her after school to help her practice for the chess club. 37. On March 4 th I heard Betty and Veronica arguing in the hallway. I knew that Betty rarely yelled so I figured something must really be wrong. 38. Because my door was closed I couldnt hear all of what was being said. I opened the door and went out into the hallway. 39. I saw Veronica backing Betty up against the locked doors while yelling at her.
Page 34 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 40. I was afraid Vernoica was going to attack Betty and just as I started down the hallway toward them thats exactly what Veronica did! 41. Veronica lunged at Betty and Betty raised her hands to protect herself. It looked like Betty had something in her hands but I couldnt tell for sure. 42. Both Veronica and Betty fell to the floor and both were yelling for help. 43. I ran over to them and thats when I saw the scissors sticking out of Veronicas abdomen. The next thing I knew Miss Grundy was next to me yelling for an ambulance. 44. I tried to see if Betty was hurt at all but she wouldnt let anyone near her. Her face was really white and she never stopped looking at Veronica. 45. Betty kept trying to stand up but kept slipping. I realized that she was slipping in water from the leak in the roof. 46. Im sure that Betty never meant to hurt Veronica and was just trying to defend herself.
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I declare under the penalties of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct based on my knowledge, information and belief. Executed this ___ day of March, 2002.
________________________ Joe Jones
WORCESC\3649\2.2308198_1
Page 36 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
1. I am thirteen years old and live at 87 Savin Hill Place in Dorchester, MA. 2. Everything that is written in this affidavit is true. 3. I went out with Veronica Vixen for about six months last year. 4. Veronica was always jealous if other girls talked or looked at me. Sometimes she would get rough with girls that she thought were interested in me. 5. I did not like Veronica when she acted jealous and I got sick and tired of her behavior so I broke up with her. 6. I started seeing Betty a few months ago. Betty is very different from Veronica and I can really talk to her about stuff.
Page 37 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 7. Since I started seeing Betty, Veronica bothers her a lot and wont leave us alone. 8. Veronicas behavior has put a lot of pressure on me. I feel that I cant go anywhere. I know that Betty has also felt a lot of pressure because of Veronicas behavior. 9. The first time that Betty ever stood up to Veronica was at the dance on Saturday. Veronica was so mad and embarrassed that she just walked away when the argument was broken up. I had a sinking feeling, though, that Veronica couldnt just let it go. 10. I didnt see what happened between Veronica and Betty at school on Monday. 11. I did see Betty running down the hall after 5 th period and she looked really pale and sick. I thought she didnt feel well and was going to go home. 12. I dont think Betty even saw me as she was running down the hall because she didnt even talk to me. 13. I heard rumors in school that day that Veronica had been stabbed and I was really worried about Betty so I went by her house after school. 14. I know Betty is not a violent person and if Betty did hurt Veronica it must have been in self-defense.
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I declare under the penalties of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct based on my knowledge, information and belief. Executed this ___ day of March, 2002.
________________________ Archie Amore
Page 39 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. 2002 Fourth Amendment Search Case
OBrien v. International Place High School
Statement of Facts
On March 7, 2002, a teacher at International Place High School in Boston, Massachusetts saw two students leave the girls bathroom on the third floor giggling together. One of the two girls was the plaintiff, sixteen-year-old Jen OBrien. The other girl was Tanya Erzen, a senior. The teacher, Nancy Herman, entered the bathroom and found it full of cigarette smoke and saw cigarette butts in the garbage can. School rules prohibited smoking in the bathrooms and stated that students could be disciplined and/or expelled for smoking in prohibited areas. Ms. Herman reported her observations to Vice Principal Theodore Chopper. Vice Principal Chopper then summoned the two girls to his office for questioning. In response to questioning by Mr. Chopper, Tanya Erzen admitted that she had been smoking in the bathroom. Jen, however, denied she had been smoking in the bathroom and claimed that she did not smoke at all. Mr. Chopper asked Jen to come into his private office and demanded to see her backpack. Opening the main compartment of the backpack, he saw a pack of cigarettes, which he removed from the backpack and held before Jen as he accused her of having lied to him. As he reached into the backpack for the cigarettes, Mr. Chopper also noticed a package of cigarette rolling papers. In his experience, possession of rolling papers was associated with the use of marijuana. Expecting that a search of the backpack might reveal further evidence of drug use, Mr. Chopper searched the backpack very thoroughly.
Page 40 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Mr. Chopper discovered a small amount of marijuana in a plastic bag, a number of empty plastic bags, a quantity of money in one dollar bills, and a wallet belonging to Tanya Erzen. Mr. Chopper removed these items, placed them on his desk and said to Jen Ive found more evidence that youre lying. He then continued his search, opening a small interior compartment that was zipped shut, and discovered letters to Jen as well as a photograph. Mr. Chopper read all of the letters and inspected the photograph. He then notified Jen that she was going to be expelled. Mr. Chopper subsequently notified Jens parents and the School Board that Jen was expelled for dealing drugs at the high school. International High School has the following written policy that applies to all students: For the protection of other students in the school grades nine through twelve, the school board shall expel any student whenever it has been established to the satisfaction of the board, or the superintendent or the principal, that the student has on school premises, or at school sponsored activities (including trips), used, sold, been under the influence of, been in possession of narcotics or other hallucinogenics, drugs, or controlled substances classified as such by Act 590 of 1971, as amended.
On March 10, 2002, Jen and her parents brought a civil rights suit under 42 U.S.C. 1983 against Mr. Chopper and the International Place School Board, alleging that the defendants actions violated the Fourth and the Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The trial in this matter is scheduled for May 23, 2002.
Page 41 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Affidavit of Vice Principal Theodore Chopper My name is Theodore Chopper and I am the Vice Principal of the International Place High School in Boston. I have been the Vice Principal for two years, and I was a math teacher for twelve years before that. I am married and have two children. On March 7 th , Ms. Herman (a long-time teacher and friend of mine) came to me and told me she had seen Tanya Erzen and Jen OBrien acting suspiciously near the girls bathroom. When she went into the bathroom she found it was filled with smoke and there were cigarette butts in the trash can. She thought that the girls had been smoking and suggested I speak to them. I called them into my office, and while Tanya admitted shed been smoking, Jen just lied. I took her backpack from her and searched it, finding extensive evidence of drug dealing in addition to cigarettes. In an interior compartment of her backpack, I found letters, which I read to see if they mentioned drugs. I found several references to things like, Friday nights gonna be great, but no clear discussion of drugs. I knew she would have to be expelled. Not only had she been smoking in the bathroom, and lied to me, but her backpack revealed her drug dealing. I told her she was expelled immediately and then I informed my superior, the Principal, as well as the School Board. I have known Jen OBrien for about two years. I first met her when she was brought to me for discipline for skipping class. Ive always thought she seemed like a trouble-maker and this incident proved I was right. I had heard about Jen before I met her, because she does not get along well with other students in the school or with other teachers. At faculty meetings when we discussed problem students, Jens name
Page 42 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. sometimes came up. My colleagues reported that Jen was often late for class, unprepared and even disruptive. The other teachers say they dont have the time or energy to waste on Jen. One math teacher that Im friendly with says that Jen is very gifted in math and thinks that she is bored in many classes.
Page 43 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Affidavit of Nancy Herman My name is Nancy Herman. Im a Social Studies teacher at International Place High School; Ive taught there for five years. Im not married and do not have children. On March 7, 2002, I saw Jen OBrien and Tanya Erzen rushing out of the girls bathroom, and giggling. I went into the bathroom just after they left and it was filled with cigarette smoke. I also saw five or six cigarette butts in the trash can. Ive seen Tanya smoking before and Jen is always hanging around with her. I thought that she had been smoking again and so I went to see Vice Principal Chopper. I told him what I saw and that I thought Tanya needed to learn a lesson about smoking. I didnt stay when he called the girls in and I was a little surprised to hear that Jen OBrien was expelled. She seemed like a good kid.
Page 44 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Affidavit of Jen OBrien My name is Jen OBrien and I am sixteen years old. I live with my parents in Boston, Massachusetts and I go to International Place High School. High schools boring, except for one math class, and I cant wait to graduate and get out. On March 7 th , I was in the bathroom with my friend Tanya and we were talking about this guy who had just asked me out. Tanya was smoking, which she does some times and I dont mind, but I dont smoke. I mean, sometimes I have a puff of her cigarette, but I dont buy cigarettes myself. Tanya offered to braid my hair and I turned away from her. I think she took a brush out of my bag to brush my hair and she braided it. As she was finishing my braids, she said Uh-oh, and I thought I heard the voice of a teacher out in the hall. It sounded like Ms. Herman, our social studies teacher who really didnt like Tanya because Tanya hated social studies and never did her homework. I went to get a drink of water and Tanya put the brush and stuff back in my backpack and then we left the bathroom. The next thing I knew, the vice principal was calling us into his office and accusing us of smoking in the bathroom. I told him that I didnt smoke, but he didnt believe me. He pulled me into his private office and closed the door behind us. Then he grabbed my backpack and opened the main compartment even though it was zipped shut. On the top of my backpack was a pack of cigarettes, which I thought might have fallen in there when Tanya was putting things away. Mr. Chopper grabbed them and waved them in my face, saying: You little liar, I knew you smoked. He said, Ive always known you were a trouble-maker and now Ill be able to prove it. Then he said: Let me see what else I can find and he searched every inch of my backpack. I kept telling him the
Page 45 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. cigarettes werent mine and I thought they were Tanyas, but he wouldnt listen to me. He even opened the smallest inside pocket of my backpack where I keep personal notes from friends and he read everything in that pocket. I was really embarrassed and I felt like it was really not fair of him to read my personal notes and look at the pictures I had in there, because those were my personal things. I dont where the marijuana and empty plastic bags came from. I think Tanyas wallet ended up in my backpack when we were in the bathroom and picking stuff up quickly. Maybe Tanya accidentally put that stuff in my backpack. All I know is, it wasnt mine.
Page 46 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. Cook V Boston Public Schools
LEGAL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FACT PATTERN
Spring 2006
Cook v. Boston Central Charter School
For several years, there has been an increasing problem with weapons and violence at Boston Central Charter School. For example, in April 2005 a fight started among several students on the playground during recess and knives were drawn. Two students were stabbed, including Jake Williams, who was then in the seventh grade. A teacher, Mr. Sullivan, witnessed the stabbing, and was able to call for help in time to save both boys. Unfortunately, both boys were seriously injured. Jake received a deep cut on his arm and its movement is now limited. His budding basketball career is over.
After the April 2005 fight, Ms. Estes, the principal of Boston Central Charter School made a zero tolerance rule for weapons possession on or near school grounds. The rule reads as follows:
RULE: Possession of a weapon by a student within 1,000 feet of school grounds will lead to immediate expulsion of the student. For the purpose of this rule, a weapon is any instrument which may inflict serious bodily injury.
The zero tolerance weapons rule was announced to the entire school at an assembly held in late April 2005, and was published in the Student/Parent Handbook in August 2005. Every student receives a copy of the handbook, which must be read and signed by each student and his or her parent or guardian. Every student in the school received the handbook, and signed and handed in the signature page from the back by the end of the first week of school.
Tracey Cook was an eighth grader at Boston Central Charter School. On the morning of September 15, 2005, Traceys mom packed her lunch, as she usually did. Lunch that day was chicken breast leftover from dinner the night before, chips and a yogurt. Traceys mom also included a spoon, fork and table knife, wrapped up in a napkin, in the lunch bag. During morning recess on the playground, Tracey decided to eat part of her lunch for a snack. She took out the yogurt and then pulled out the napkin- wrapped utensils. The knife fell out onto the blacktop. Jake Williams, who had returned to school by this time after recovering from the stabbing, picked up the knife and handed it back to Tracey.
Before Tracey could put the knife away, Mr. Sullivan saw it. Seeing the flash of a blade, Mr. Sullivan grabbed Tracey and brought her to the principals office. Ms. Estes,
Page 47 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. wanting to set an example, expelled Tracey from school in accordance with the zero tolerance rule of weapons.
Tracey and her mother are now suing the school to have her readmitted. Trial is set for May 11, 2006.
Page 48 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. AFFIDAVIT OF AMY COOK
My name is Amy Cook and I am the mother of Tracey Cook. On the morning of September 15, 2005, I packed a lunch for my daughter Tracey. The lunch which I prepared for my daughter included chicken breast leftover from dinner the night before, chips and a yogurt. I also put in the lunch bag some utensils; a spoon, a fork and a table knife which I wrapped in a napkin. Later that morning while I was at work I received a telephone call from the principal at Boston Central Charter School. The principal, Ms. Estes, asked me to come to the school to pick up my daughter and bring her home. When I arrived at the school Ms. Estes told me that she had expelled Tracey from the school for bringing a weapon into school. When I asked Ms. Estes what the weapon was, she showed me the table knife which I had packed with Traceys lunch. I told Ms. Estes she was being silly and that I had packed the knife in a napkin as part of Traceys lunch. Ms. Estes said that the schools policy on zero tolerance for weapons was clear and that she had to make an example of Tracey. I remember seeing a Student/Parent Handbook at the beginning of the school year. Shortly after the expulsion I suggested to Tracey that she write to Ms. Estes requesting to be readmitted to the school. Ms. Estes denied her request.
Page 49 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. AFFIDAVIT OF EVE ESTES My name is Eve Estes and I have been the principal of Boston Central Charter School for the past eight years. Over that time, I have noticed an increased problem of weapons and violence at school. In April 2005, two students were stabbed on the playground during recess. One of the students stabbed was Jake Williams. My main concern is for the safety of students of Boston Central Charter School. After the fight in which Jake was injured, I instituted a zero tolerance rule for the possession of weapons on or near school grounds. I announced the rule to the entire school at an assembly held in late April and I published the rule in the Student/Parent Handbook in August 2005. I think that the rule is very clear. All of the parents and students in this school, including Amy and Tracey Cook, signed the student handbook containing the rule. On September 15, 2005, Mr. Sullivan brought Tracey to my office. Mr. Sullivan told me what happened and showed me the knife that Tracey brought to school. I immediately enforced the zero tolerance rule and expelled Tracey from school. In my mind, a knife is a knife and Tracey broke the rules. Although I do not think Tracey brought the knife to school to hurt anyone, I believe her expulsion should stand.
Page 50 of 59 CITIZEN SCHOOLS MOCK TRIALS 2006 Citizen School Inc. SEPTEMBER 2006 All rights reserved. The Not so Public School
Fact Pattern
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