Description
Mock trials don’t need to be daunting! Your students will absolutely love this assignment for any story or novel. Includes mock trial script, 30+ mock trial roles, an objection cheat sheet, an editable mock trial rubric, and more. Suitable for online learning with digital worksheets for Google Classroom®!
Included with this Mock Trial Assignment for Any Story or Novel:
- Legal Trial Slideshow – Microsoft PowerPoint®, Google Slides®, and PDF
- Various Mock Trial Role Descriptions for up to 30+ Students
- Mock Trial Objections Cheat Sheet
- Editable Mock Trial Judge Script – Digital & Print
- Editable Trial Time Table – Digital & Print
- Editable Role Outlines for Each Role – Digital & Print
- Universal 4-Level Mock Trial Rubric – Editable & Ready-to-Print
- BONUS: News Report Outline for Media Representative Roles
- Teacher Instructions for using this resource
How to use this Mock Trial Assignment for Any Novel or Story:
Guide students to a deeper understanding of the overarching themes and underlying message within any short story or novel using this exciting Mock Trial Assignment!
This resource includes everything you need to lead a successful and engaging Mock Trial Assignment with your students. Over 30 students can participate in this mock trial activity, and each student will have a role that will prompt them to critically examine the actions of any literary character.
You can begin this Mock Trial Assignment with the Legal Trial Slideshow provided. This slideshow will guide students through important terminology and key figures in the courtroom so that they can better understand the trial process. It also includes descriptions with videos that explore each step of a legal trial.
You can then assign student roles using the Mock Trial Assignment Role Descriptions provided. There are 32 roles provided; if you have fewer than 32 students, you can eliminate duplicate roles. If you have more than 32 students, you can duplicate roles. Assigning roles can be done at random or by selecting the roles that are best suited for each student in your classroom.
Students will use the Mock Trial Assignment Role Outlines to prepare for their roles. Each outline has a unique set of instructions and includes all of the guidelines necessary to prepare students for a successful mock trial. These outlines include:
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Key talking points for opening and closing statements
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A detailed facilitator script for the judge
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Guidelines for how to conduct oneself during the Mock Trial Assignment
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Differentiated graphic organizers for writing a news report (media representative roles)
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A trial timetable (timekeeper role)
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Researching specific identities (witness roles)
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Guidelines for direct examination and cross-examination
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Instructions for written response
All of the Mock Trial Assignment Role Outlines are formatted for Google Docs® and editable in order to customize to meet the unique needs of your classroom.
This resource also includes an Objections Cheat Sheet for the prosecutor and defense attorneys to reference during the Mock Trial Assignment.
Finally, to assess this activity, a universal rubric has also been included. This 4-level rubric is formatted for Google Docs® and editable in order to customize to meet the unique needs of your curriculum. A ready-to-print rubric has also been provided.
Note that in addition to preparation periods, the duration of this Mock Trial Assignment is approximately 75-90 minutes. Please see the instructions within the resource for further directions.
✨ Kindly note that due to copyright restrictions, this resource is not editable, except for the files specifically labelled as editable. This is a common practice within the online marketplace in order to protect the clip artists and software providers that have authorized their intellectual property for the development of this resource.
See what other teachers are saying about this Mock Trial Assignment:
“I used this resource as a cumulative task for a play we studied and my class could not stop talking about it. They were completed engaged the entire time and all of the students talked about how the mock trial was the highlight of the semester for them. I will absolutely use this assignment again!”
– Samantha M.
⭒ For classrooms utilizing Google Classroom® ⭒
To access the digital version of these worksheets, simply follow the instructions within the resource to copy the files directly to your Google Drive®.
Verified owner
Tiffany C. (verified owner) –
This was a great product to help students create a mock trial.
Tiffany C. (verified owner) –
This was a great product to help students create a mock trial.
Katy A. (verified owner) –
This was useful and informative; I was able to use it as a guide for my own mock trial assignment. I wish it had been editable.
Katy A. (verified owner) –
This was useful and informative; I was able to use it as a guide for my own mock trial assignment. I wish it had been editable.
AnnMarie G. (verified owner) –
It is a great resource and a great time saver. The fill-in-the-blank format made it easy for my students.
AnnMarie G. (verified owner) –
It is a great resource and a great time saver. The fill-in-the-blank format made it easy for my students.
Ashley T. (verified owner) –
I loved using this as a quick fill-in activity for my students. It was easy to adapt for my blind/ low vision kids.
Ashley T. (verified owner) –
I loved using this as a quick fill-in activity for my students. It was easy to adapt for my blind/ low vision kids.
Kristin M. (verified owner) –
What a great resource! I had done a debate unit earlier in the year and my students wanted to do a mock trial. This fit the bill and was so informative and FUN!
Kristin M. (verified owner) –
What a great resource! I had done a debate unit earlier in the year and my students wanted to do a mock trial. This fit the bill and was so informative and FUN!
Coffee Obsessed Teaching (verified owner) –
Great way to help engage all of my students in a class mock trial.
Coffee Obsessed Teaching (verified owner) –
Great way to help engage all of my students in a class mock trial.
Tiffany L. (verified owner) –
My students really enjoyed this resource.
Samantha M. (verified owner) –
I used this resource as a cumulative task for a play we studied and my class could not stop talking about it. They were completed engaged the entire time and all of the students talked about how the mock trial was the highlight of the semester for them. I will absolutely use this assignment again!
Kathleen K. (verified owner) –
Super easy to use and follow. Makes holding a mock trial a breeze!
Alicia D. (verified owner) –
This resource was very helpful with the culminating activity for our Serial podcast unit. Seniors completed a mock trial. The materials were helpful in preparing students for the trial and helping them organize their information in preparation for the trial itself.
Heather W. (verified owner) –
This resource was great practice for my students after reading a story and before beginning argumentative writing. Thank you so much!
Alexandra B. (verified owner) –
I used parts of this activity to prepare my students for their mock trial PBL project. It was a great resource for them!
Daniel B. (verified owner) –
this really helped me to guide students through structuring their mock trials on different texts.
Jennifer R. –
This resource has been so helpful in preparing for a mock trial. The only issue I had was opening the files (as mentioned by others); however, I got in touch with TPT customer service and they promptly sent me working links.
Renee S. –
This resource is thorough and clear. It helped me guide my students through the mock trial analysis of Fahrenheit 451–since we are all first-timers!
Eryn H. –
This resource is amazing. It is organized and easy to follow. It helped my own mock trial be a success.
Eliana K. –
This resource is thoughtfully designed and very easy to implement in the classroom. The directions are clear, and the activities kept my students engaged while reinforcing key skills. Thank you for creating such a helpful and high-quality resource!
D G. –
This resource was easy to use and worked well with my students. Clear structure and engaging content.
Ann Marie T. –
I used this at the end of Of Mice and Men and the kids LOVED it. They got so into the activity and pulled great quotes and evidence from the text. This was ready to go and had great resources explaining the trial process. The only thing is I believe the videos take place in Canada and there’s obviously subtle differences in the system, but a quick discussion with the kids cleared that up. LOVED this resource. I’ve told my colleagues about it.