What are Mock Trials
A fictional character, an historical figure, a scientist, a religious figure or an artist could all be put on trial accused of a relevant “crime” e.g. being most to blame for a negative event.
How does it work?
The activity needs to be planned and prepared in advance with different members of the class being allotted different roles (e.g. the accused, the lawyers, the witnesses, the judge and court staff). Any class member not given a different role becomes the jury.
A less labour intensive method is to play the accused yourself and to divide the class into three groups – the prosecution and defence who will argue the sides and ask you questions and the jury who will decide.
Across the curriculum
Mock trials work very well in English. Start young and put Goldilocks or the Big Bad Wolf on trial. Later it could be Lady Macbeth, Juliet’s parents or Henry V.
In history, there are many kings, rebels and explorers with mixed records to be examined…
Should scientists be held accountable for the consequences of their work? Decide in court!
If you approaching this from a citizenship perspective in secondary schools, we highly recommend the Young Citizens classroom resources