Mock Trial
Length: 70 weeks
Content-type: Text-based
Age/Grade: 7th – 12th Grades
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Welcome to Our Mock Trial Curriculum
Please click the images below for more information.

Getting Started with Our Mock Trial Curriculum
This Mock Trial curriculum for homeschoolers covers topics such as the Judicial Branch of the Government, the First Amendment, Contracts, Criminal Law, Tax Reform, and more. The course helps students understand the topic and develop their own mock trial, do assignments, take quizzes on the topic.
Overview
- 70 weeks
- Text-based
- 7th – 12th Grades
Supplies Needed
Corresponding lessons on SchoolhouseTeachers.com, access to the Internet, computer, printer, Bible, and a journal for notetaking and research
What to Do
Go to Class Lessons and download the lesson plan, and Mock Trial Law Introduction. Start with the Day 1 assignment. Follow the instructions each day on the lesson plan and check them off when completed.

Course Outline for Our Mock Trial Curriculum
Each mock trial unit spans one month and comprised of four weekly lessons. This course includes thirty units available for use at any time. The course also includes assignments, mock trial design lessons; occasional wrap-up quizzes; high school-intensive feature in select units; parent helps and resources.
Year One
- Weeks 1-2: The Judicial Branch
- Weeks 3-4: Tort Law
- Weeks 5-7: The First Amendment
- Weeks 8-9: Contracts
- Weeks 10-11: Criminal Law
- Weeks 12-13: Income Tax
- Weeks 14-15: Law Day—Emancipation Proclamation
- Weeks 16-17: Employers and Negligent Acts by Employees
- Weeks 18-19: Juvenile Law
- Weeks 20-21: Supreme Court Updates
- Weeks 22-23: Consumer Protection
- Weeks 24-25: Intellectual Property Law
- Weeks 26-27: Students’ Free Speech Rights at School
- Weeks 28-29: Social Media
- Weeks 30-31: The Year in Review
Year Two
- Weeks 32-33: The Statute of Limitations
- Weeks 34-35: Separation of Powers
- Weeks 36-37: Freedom of Speech
- Weeks 38-39: The Various Aspects of Property Law
- Weeks 40-41: Medical Malpractice
- Weeks 42-43: Studying Free Speech
- Weeks 44-45: History of Environmental Law
- Weeks 46-47: The Second Amendment
- Weeks 48-49: Marcellus Shale and Fracking
- Weeks 50-51: The Use of Evidence
- Weeks 52-53: Legal Malpractice
- Weeks 54-55: Supreme Court Updates
- Weeks 56-57: History of the Death Penalty
- Weeks 58-51: Religious Liberty
- Week 62: Fifth Amendment: Self-Incrimination
- Weeks 63-64: Evidence Law
- Weeks 65-66: Election Law
- Weeks 67-68: Immigration Law
- Weeks 69-70: Family Law

Course Sample for Our Mock Trial Curriculum
Introduction
To the Parent/Teacher: How to Organize Your Class
This class can be taught at a brisk pace, where one legal concept or topic is discovered each month, a related case summary is provided to students in the second week, and a mock trial is held in the fourth week. This provides a lot of variety and keeps students interested.
Or the class can be taught at a slower pace, possibly leaving the mock trial itself until the end of the course (and can be adapted whether the course is a year-long one, semesterlong, or six weeks long—or anywhere in between). You can add enrichment activities or take your time teaching the concepts.
While a mock trial is included every month, it need not take the form of a full-blown mock trial. Instead, it could be a very informal acting out of parts, or involve writing an essay taking one side of the case, or having two parties debate the case in class. Feel free to be creative and do what works for your group, family, or co-op!
The following information should be reviewed with your students during the course of the mock trial class.
Who’s Who—or, What Role Will Your Student Assume?
There are a number of participants in the judicial system and an opportunity for all types of students to participate:
Judge/Justice—the person in charge of the courtroom. A judge presides over a trial court, while a justice presides over an appellate court.
Jury—a group of people who decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty (in a criminal case) or responsible for the injury (in a civil case). This is to be a group of the defendant’s peers, with no preconceived notions about the case, who listen to the evidence and make their decision.
Plaintiff—the person who believes he/she has been wronged and brings the case to court. (Civil cases)
Prosecution—government representative who brings the case on behalf of the people represented.
Defendant—the person accused of committing a wrongful act; the person being sued or prosecuted.
Attorney—the person licensed to practice law who will passionately argue the side of the case for which he/she is the attorney
Witness—a person who testifies in court under oath.
Bailiff—assists the judge in maintaining order in the courtroom and may administer the oath to witnesses.
During your class, you may assign roles to participants or you may allow the students to pick the role with which they are most comfortable. In that case, explain the various parts and ask the students to write their top three roles on an index card and give it to you. In my years of handling mock trials in this fashion, I have never had to assign a role that was lower than second choice to a student—and the vast majority of times, students have performed their number one pick! Isn’t God amazing that way?
Mock trials have a place for all types of students. Of course, the extroverted, confident child may be eager to perform the role of attorney. But what about the shy child? The bailiff or juror roles might be better suited. What about the younger child? Perhaps answering previously rehearsed questions as a witness would suit him. The older student? Challenge them in an appellate case or a have them work together with an ambitious younger student to prepare trial strategy and pertinent questions as a trial team. Gifted students, and those who are gifted, but have learning disabilities, thrive on the challenge of a mock trial.
Children who lack social skills can improve them by working as a team for a trial— whether lawyer, witness, or represented party, they must all work together toward a common goal. The activity involved makes it enjoyable and interesting to children with ADHD or autism. Children with reading or writing disabilities can be accommodated by having a lot of that type of work completed at home.
Steps in a Trial or Appeal
In the first week’s lesson, the student will learn about the difference between trial and appellate courts. If you are facilitating a mock trial, the makeup of your class will determine if your mock trial will be a trial or an appellate case. A very small class size would most likely necessitate an appellate case—although utilizing family members and friends may make a trial case possible. No matter what the case summary provided in a particular month, use your creativity to make the most of it. If you are not going to actually perform a mock trial with the materials, you can still have the students engage in a debate with that topic, or write a persuasive essay.
Steps in a Trial
Court is called to order by bailiff
Plaintiff Opening Statement
Defense Opening Statement
Plaintiff’s/Prosecution’s Witnesses—The bailiff swears in each witness. After the direct testimony is elicited, the Defense will have the opportunity to cross-examine each witness.
Defense’s Witnesses—The bailiff swears in each witness. After the direct testimony is elicited, the Plaintiff/Prosecution will have the opportunity to cross-examine each witness.
Plaintiff Closing Statement
Defense Closing Statement
Any jury instructions will be read by the Judge to the Jury
Jury Deliberations and Verdict Announced
Steps in an Appeal
Court is called to order
Appellant—Opening Statement
Appellee—Opening Statement
*Opening statements should incorporate a brief explanation of the case and what has happened thus far.
Appellant—Argument
Appellee—Argument
Appellant—Closing Statement
Appellee—Closing Statement
Justices discuss and reach a decision—whatever the majority decides. They will then announce their decision and can state the reasoning behind the decision (which is normally be reported in written form).

More About Our Mock Trial Curriculum
Legal concepts are interesting to students! Through these lessons, students learn about the U.S. legal system through different cases, information on the court system, and more. This mock trial course ends with a mock trial allowing students to actively engage with the material.
The vision for this mock trial class is that students’ knowledge of God and His world will grow through study of the legal system. This course strengthens comprehension, logic/critical thinking, persuasive argumentation, writing, research, and public speaking skills. This mock trial curriculum teaches important information about the judicial branch of our government, as well as honing skills every person needs.
The mock trial lessons in this course target students in the middle school grades as well as high schoolers. You can also try these lessons with gifted, or just motivated and curious, younger students! My philosophy is that interested and motivated middle school students are able to learn at an amazingly high level. In the local mock trial classes I teach, it is not unusual to have even younger students (my classes often start at fourth grade) able to understand and articulate legal concepts, such as liability, negligence, intent, and the elements of specific crimes or legal theories. I have been so pleased when students told me that they enjoyed the depth of the class—even having one fourth-grade student tell me, “I liked how you didn’t talk down to us!” Much of the material will be fresh and challenging for older students as well.
Students learn basic concepts about the American legal system that will be built upon in later lessons in this mock trial curriculum. Basic monthly layout:
- Week One: Legal Concept
- Week Two: Case Summary
- Week Three: Related Skill
- Week Four: Case Holding (Outcome and Reasoning)
The first week of each month’s lesson plans teach about a particular legal concept (for example, negligence).
The second week provides a fact summary related to the legal concept for students to read and begin to prepare for the mock trial in which they will participate, or to write a persuasive essay taking one side of the case (or preparing to debate that side).
The third week of this mock trial course continues with reading a fact pattern, writing persuasively, expanding vocabulary, working as a team, interviewing witnesses, creating a “hook,” considering ethical issues, applying Scripture and Biblical standards, thinking critically, and writing creatively.
The fourth week provides the findings if the case is real, or the legal precedents for a mock case, so that the teacher can go over the findings with the student(s) after the mock trial or with regard to the debate/paper. At any time, you may see the need to go back into previous lessons to review particular concepts.
How to Use These Lesson Plans
Ideally, your child will be part of a group, such as a class or a co-op. If you’re not a member of a co-op or class, go round up some family friends! If you are not able to round up a group, do not despair. Your student will still learn a great deal about our court system and be able to hone his/her skills of persuasion in a debate in your home or by writing an essay. The same material is mastered—just using a different method.
Groups or co-op that meet weekly throughout the year, can use these lesson plans weekly, take advantage of the two weeks to prepare for a monthly mock trial, debate, or paper. If you do not want to have a monthly mock trial, you can take the enrichment ideas and add them to the weekly lessons. Then, you may want to choose one monthly topic/concept to focus on and do a mock trial at the end of the year or semester (depending on the length of your class). If you choose to wait for one big mock trial at the end of the class, you still have plenty of work for students—each month they can still write or debate the issues in the fact summaries.
Monthly mock trial lesson plans alternate between trials and appeals. Appellate cases consist of two attorneys arguing before a panel of justices, while trial cases involve witnesses, evidence, and a jury. If you have a small number of students, they can still debate or write essays regarding the issues in the trial cases.
And finally, you may choose to print off the lesson plans to be read by your student, or you may take the material and teach the lesson yourself—either way will work.

Transcript Information for Our Mock Trial Curriculum
It is my estimate that the mock trial materials provided weekly for twelve months should earn one-half (0.5) of high school credit.
I estimate that each weekly reading and assignment will take about one hour to complete. Once a month, if a mock trial is provided, there would be approximately six (6) additional hours of work to prepare for a mock trial, write a paper, or prepare for and engage in a debate.
This year, I am also beginning to provide a quiz at the end of the month to provide another format of evaluation of your student’s learning.
Thus, I estimate approximately ten hours per month of work, at a minimum, which provides 120 hours per year. If your student writes several long and complex papers or prepares extensively for several mock trials, there would be sufficient rigor to award one credit. Ultimately, as the parent or educator, it is your assessment of the individual student and his/her effort and understanding of the material that matters.
I will also occasionally provide additional enrichment activities that may increase the total time spent for your student. You may add books and articles about legal issues to have your student earn a full credit.
If you do not school year-round, feel free to use previous lessons provided in the archives.
— Deborah Burton

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Quick Start
1. Bookmark the course for easy access during instruction.
2. Click “View Lesson Plan” as available and organize as desired (on computer desktop or in a printed format). Lesson Plans for all courses coming soon.
3. Gather necessary resources, found on page 2 of the lesson plan.
4. Click “Go to Class Lessons” and get started.
5. Enjoy the course!
6. Utilize Applecore or your own record keeping system throughout the course.
7. Print a certificate of completion.
Need help? Check out our tutorials or click the live chat box in the corner of your screen.
Deborah Burton
Crystal Calhoun2019-09-06T22:03:10-04:00Deborah Burton
Lesson Designer
Deborah Burton is an attorney, wife, and homeschool mom—now with two graduates. She worked as an…
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