Trial 1: Edgar Allan Poe's Trial of the Narrator

One of my favorite trials is the Trial of the Narrator for Poe's "Tell Tale Heart": this not a novel idea - But I must say it is still one of the students' favorites: I am copy and pasting the Intro to this Project. If you want the entire assignemtn with the rubrics, message me and let me know:

Murder After Midnight!!!

The Old Man has been murdered!  His caretaker, name and age unavailable, has confessed to the deed. 

Read the article “An important distinction: ‘Not guilty by reason of insanity’ and ‘diminished capacity’.”  Use the information to find out more about legal insanity.

Instructions

The class will be divided into teams of lawyers, and each team will either be assigned to the prosecution (who will try to prove the caretaker guilty of murder) or the defense (who want to prove his innocence by reason of insanity).

                       

Your job is to come up with three or four evidence-based arguments that will help your case.  Each group will receive a graphic organizer to record pieces of evidence. You must use citations (quotes) from the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” to justify your responses.

Presentation:

Each group will present its findings to the class at the “trial.” When you present, take turns so that someone reads off the pieces of evidence and someone else explains what point this evidence proves. Make sure everyone in your group presents something out loud in front of the class. Keep taking turns until you’ve presented all of your evidence and arguments. At the end of your presentation, someone in your group should present a closing statement that summarizes the main points of your arguments. http://serc.carleton.edu/woburn/resources/video.html

After all groups have presented their ideas, the judge (a.k.a. your teacher) will decide which team made a better case and used the evidence most effectively.

Visual Aid:

Each group should construct a visual aid presentation using slides or a Prezi to reinforce its presentation of evidence.

Assessment:

Assessment will be rubric-based.  Using the rubric as a guide will help you to do your best work.

Reasons for Practicing Law in the classroom

Argumentation and writing are major parts of ELA Common Core State Standards. I have found that putting literary characters or writers on trail for certain crimes that were part of the conflict of the plot serves multiple purposes:

 1. Students have to analyze the plot with the lens of of searching for evidence to support their claim of guilt or innocence.

 2. Students have to read informational texts and watch informative video clips in search of laws and precedence for their character's case. IN my trials, students have to quote both the literature and informational texts.

 3. Trials force students to infer, predict, analyze evidence, evaluate it for how it could apply to their claim and create questions, ideas and solutions. As well as, look at plot points with hypothesis and hypothetical scenarios in mind. Making those connections and synthesizing their own ideas, reaches the higher order thinking skills in the Blooms hierarchy.

 4. Having students work in pairs or teams, write our their case in report format or as briefs, debate, and present their findings hits standards in every single category of the common core ELA standards. 

5. Students utilize collaborative technology like google docs and slides while researching their case, putting together the report and creating their presentation.

 6. Students who do not present act a jurors- they are not passive audience members. They must take notes and constructively critique the trials for viable claims supported by adequate and well explained evidence.

 A Little Research For Support!  http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.tntech.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=507612746&site=ehost-live


Coming Trials:
1.  Poe- "The Tell Tale Heart"- Trial of the Narrator- innocent by reason of insanity or guilty of first degree murder?
2. S. E Hinton's The Outsiders:   Hypothetical: Had Jonny Cade lived and been tried for murder, could he have used the "Self Defense" argument in his defense case for killing Bob?
3. Alexander Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo- Is Edmond Dantes guilty of murder, Kidnapping and any other number of crimes, or were all the misfortunes of his foes the will of God?
4. Sir Arthur Conan Doyal: Is Sherlock careless with the lives of the people involved his cases? Should be held accountable?  If so in what way or what charges?