Team+16+MNLI+12


 * Team 16**

Tammy Knoff, Ashland Middle School Ryan Lynch, Scituate High School Bill Lyon, Longmeadow High School
 * Names**

7-12
 * Grade Levels**

English Language Arts
 * Subject Areas**


 * Mock Trial Project**

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Is justice a definable term, or are there shades of grey? Does justice have a different definition for different people? Is justice blind? - How do character actions, thoughts, and words impact the outcome of a novel?

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As in a normal trial, there will be a prosecution side and a defense side. It will be the task of the prosecution to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of all charged offenses; the defense must produce evidence of some reasonable doubt to refute these claims. ======

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Several attorneys will be appointed to both sides of the case. All remaining students will be given the role of witnesses, which may include any of the major characters in the selected literary work. ======

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Attorneys on each side should work together to develop their side’s case and divide work evenly amongst team members. Attorneys will be responsible for writing, preparing, and executing the following portions of the trial: ======

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Each witness will be responsible for writing his/her own affidavit, which is a sworn statement detailing exactly who the witness is, what he/she does, where he/she lives and works, his/her relationship to the defendant, and his/her role in the defendant's life and/or business. Each witness’s statement will naturally be biased in one direction or the other (a prosecution witness, for example, will be much more inclined to support the prosecution's theories). Affidavits must be completely accurate in terms of relaying events from the book; though facts may be invented or embellished for the purposes of the trial, no facts may conflict with any of the events of the novel. In addition, witnesses will be called upon by attorneys to take the stand and testify; attorneys from each side will be responsible for practicing direct examination questions with their own witnesses to prepare them for trial (this process is called a deposition). Each witness, after testifying in direct examination, will be subject to questioning from the opposing side’s attorneys via cross examination. Witnesses, if deemed necessary by attorneys, may be subject to re-direct and/or re-cross examinations to further explore their testimonies. To be clear, ALL attorneys must participate equally in their side’s case, and ALL witnesses must be utilized by one side or the other. ======

Prosecution Side

 * 1) Direct Examinations (2-3 minutes per witness)
 * 2) Cross Examinations (To immediately follow each direct examination)

Defense SideRebuttal Witnesses (After examinations are exhausted, each side may recall any witnesses for rebuttal questioning to refute previous testimony)

 * 1) Direct Examinations (2-3 minutes per witness)
 * 2) Cross Examinations (To immediately follow each direct examination)

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Students will be provided the option of presenting their opening/closing arguments and witness examinations in a variety of formats. Suggestions for collaboration and execution may include any of the following: ======

Using video editing software, such as iMovie, Animoto, or MovieMaker
Our Project Wiki: projectmocktrial.wikispaces.com