Stone Mountain Elementary Students Learn about U.S. Government through Mock Trials

 

Social studies came to life for Stone Mountain Elementary students as they participated in a mock trial experience developed and taught by trial attorney Pamela Pierro. The unique and interactive experience taught students about government, the U.S. Constitution, persuasive speaking and critical thinking. 

The students evaluated evidence, developed confidence in their public speaking abilities and argued their positions in front of their peers. They learned that the Sixth Amendment to the Bill of Rights guarantees their rights to a public trial, to have an attorney and to have their trials heard by a jury of their peers. 

For the mock trials, students were given a set of circumstances, a legal standard and witness statements. They were assigned to either a prosecution or defense team and challenged to determine how best to argue their case. During the trial, students presented their evidence, called witnesses to testify, argued their positions and asked the jury to render a verdict in their favor. When students were not trying their cases, they served as the jury for their classmates’ cases.