July 13, 2011
May 28, 2014
Vol 13 No 28
Goldilocks on Trial Recipes
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Little Kitchen Helpers
Around Town
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KEEN: The Power of One 3rd grade SOAR students deliberating the trial of Goldilocks. The trial was the culmination of their “Magic in Fairy Tales” unit in which the class explored the crimes committed in various stories.
Photo courtesy City of St. Charles School District
Local third graders put Goldilocks on trial By Chris Bennett, communications coordinator, City of St. Charles School District Most children wouldn’t consider going to juvenile court a fairy tale experience, but the 3rd grade Seeking Opportunities in Accelerated Resources (SOAR) program from St. Charles School District would beg to differ. On April 22, as part of the “Magic of Fairy Tales” unit, the 3rd grade SOAR students took part in a mock trial at the St. Charles Juvenile Justice Center in which they examined the case in the popular fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. By using the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story as a reference point, the students learned about various aspects of the American justice system court procedure, classification of crimes and the roles and responsibilities of various court positions such as judge, jury foreman, bailiffs and witnesses. Once a solid understanding of the justice system is built, the students audition for roles either in the story, such as Goldilocks or the bears, or for roles in the court system. “It’s a really neat way for the kids to learn about the law and court procedures,” said Janet Stahlschmidt, SOAR instructor. “We have been doing the trial as part of our fairy tale unit for seven years, but have only gone to the St. Charles Juvenile Justice Center for the past three years.” The process of going to trial closely resembles real life. The class acts as the grand jury to decide if a crime was committed and if the accused should be brought to trial. Goldilocks, played
by Graham Irwin, student, was indicted on criminal trespassing, criminal damage to property and theft. Once the charges have been announced, the students go to work preparing for the trial by crafting opening and closing statements, preparing witnesses and deciding on strategy. Both the prosecution and defense teams felt that witness preparation was vital to the outcome of the trial. With the majority of the evidence being circumstantial, the case had all the makings of a he said, she said trial, with the outcome hinging on the words of the witnesses. “There were a few times throughout the trial where both teams had to changes their line of questioning because witnesses said things they didn’t expect,” said Lily Turnbull, who played the defense attorney for Goldilocks. “This made it closer to real life, but it made the case harder than we thought it would be.” For this particular trial, it seemed the proof was in the porridge. “We wanted to prevent Goldilocks from saying she ate the bears’ porridge and sat in their chair,” Turnbull said. “It was too bad that we didn’t practice enough and Goldilocks admitted to eating the porridge.” The admission of eating the porridge played a big role in the case as Goldilocks was found guilty on all three charges. Goldilocks punishment for her crimes was to pay $140 to repair a broken chair and to buy ingredients for
more porridge. “It’s important to talk through everything with your witness before they are on the stand,” Irwin said. “We didn’t go through everything and it hurt us in the end.” Not only does the unit serve as a way for the students to gain a fundamental understanding of how the justice system works, but it also gives them an early glimpse into what a law based career could be like. For a few students, a career in law seems like a strong possibility. “Now, I think I want to be a lawyer,” Mika Reisinger said. “My mom said I would be good at it since I argue with her all the time.”
Business
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Chambers Annual BBQ
School
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Graduation Ceremonies
Million Dollar Arm photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Movie
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