Learning Goals
Students will be able to generate compelling civic questions about a criminal case and fairness in the justice system.
Students will be able to gather and evaluate credible evidence from witness statements, exhibits, and case-file sources to build a trial argument.
Students will be able to construct and revise claims and counterclaims about the criminal case using evidence and reasoning.
Students will be able to analyze objections, charges, and courtroom roles to explain how trial procedures shape the use of evidence and fairness.
Students will be able to communicate an evidence-based position clearly and respectfully in a live mock trial performance and case conference.
Products
Individual Trial Argument Portfolio
Each student compiles a trial-prep portfolio that shows independent mastery of the case through a clear claim, evidence log, credibility analysis, counterargument, rebuttal, and reflection. The portfolio proves that the student can build and defend an evidence-based position before the team trial.
Live Mock Trial and Case Conference
Student teams present a full mock trial with attorneys, witnesses, jurors, and a bailiff, then lead a case conference that compares arguments and identifies where the strongest evidence supported the verdict. The performance depends on each member’s research and reasoning feeding into a collective public defense.
No rubric has been generated yet.