Grade Level:
Middle
Overview:
In this lesson, students will role play real lawyers as they carry out a voir dire simulation for jury selection. They will draft lists of favorable characteristics of jurors beforehand to aid in their questioning. Then, students will be presented with a list of thirty potential jurors and will impanel either a six-person or a twelve-person jury based on the size of the class. By reflecting on the impaneled jury towards the end of the session, students will think critically about important juror characteristics, and identify factors – such as race, socio-economic status, and age – that may have influenced the voir dire process.
Time needed:
1-2 class periods
Materials required:
Voir Dire Simulation Lesson Plan
National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, National Council for the Social Studies: