Court Drama in 7th Grade Civics

The 7th grade Civics class taught by Mr. Pettersen concludes their unit on the judicial branch by participating in a mock trial. Each student participates by role playing as a judge, bailiff, witness, defendant, plaintiff, attorney, or member of the jury. The goal is to provide a real-world look into a trial by focusing on the steps that go into holding a trial and how the jury is able to reach a verdict.

This year, two students acted as attorneys in a civil lawsuit where a contractor had a low-priced porch built for an elderly couple. The porch succumbed to the weight of a teenage shoving match involving the couple’s grandson. The students in the jury must decide if the porch failed because of the contractor’s negligence or the teenage shoving match.