Attorneys from the Toledo Bar Association have designed a Mock Trial Program for 6th grade students based on the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The trial, staged completely by students, was held Monday morning at St. Hyacinth school. Students served as judge, jury, plaintiff and defense attorneys and witnesses. Several Toledo attorneys met with students at the school for five classroom sessions, the final session being the actual Mock Trial.
The Mock Trial Program seeks to provide elementary students with an introduction to the basic legal process, and at the same time give the students an opportunity to develop and utilize important life skills such as teamwork and understanding different perspectives. The major components to the Mock Trial Program, designed to enhance students' social studies curriculum, are:
- Instruction and explanation regarding what is a trial, why a trial is necessary, who's who at a trial, trial order and trial rules.
- Preparation and planning for the actual student mock trial.
- A mock trial with student-only participation.
Trials were scheduled throughout at the school year at the following schools: St. Agnes, Eastside Central Elementary, Rosary Cathedral, Arbor Hills Junior High and Jackman Road Elementary. The students were presented with the following brief, and this became the basis for their Mock Trial.
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HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
v.
PROFFESSOR QUIRREL
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has brought a negligence claim against one Professor Quirrel, instructor for Defense Against the Dark Arts at the school.
It seems that on the most revered night of Halloween, and in the course of a school banquet, a dreadful mountain troll was released into the dungeon of the school, thereby causing mass panic among the students and faculty. In the course of the troll's wandering throughout the school, a first year student, one Hermione Granger, was cornered by said beast and has to be rescued by two male first year students, to wit masters Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Although they ultimately defeat the troll with a blow to the head, all three students were in grave danger at the time of said incident.
Hogwarts School has firm belief that Professor Quirrel allowed the dreadful beast entry into the school dungeon to create a diversion so that he might attempt to steal one Sorcerer's Stone, said stone hidden beneath a ferocious three headed hound named Fluffy.
Hogwarts School has a confession from PRofessor Quirrel, witnessed by Harry Potter and overheard by Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, in which he admits the he released said troll. In hi defense, however, Professor Quirrel claims that he is innocent of the charge by reason of insanity. In short, the Professor contends that a demonic evil wizard, known as Voldemort, had taken up residence in his turban and had control over him, forcing him to commit this insane act.
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There are a total of six sessions in the mock trial course of study. The attorney facilitators spend between 5-1/2 to 7-1/2 hours with the kids and teachers work with them for another 3 - 6 hours. Subjects covered during the lessons include:
- discussion of the need for resolving conflicts and learning the truth
- use of a staged incident to observe differing perspectives from witnesses of the same event
- introduction of key players at a trial & their roles
- that a courtroom looks like & the reasons for the way it is set up
- stages of a trial
- review of trial rules
- planning a case
- witness selection
- questions to ask a witness
- working in teams to plan perspective cases, judge & baliff review jury instructions and courtroom rules
- field trip to the Lucas County Common Pleas Court or visit from a local Judge
The final session is the Mock Trial, which may take any where from 2 - 4 hours. There are opening and closing statements, with witness testimony inbetween. The jury is instructed, deliberations follow and the verdict is read.
Posted 6/2/2003 11:31 AM LAH
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