California Career and Technical Education Standards

• PS.B.B9.1 Know the key elements of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and know ...
• PS.B.B9.2 Know the basic elements of all aspects of trial procedures.
• PS.FS.5.3 Use critical thinking skills to make informed decisions and solve problems.
• PS.FS.9.3 Understand how to organize and structure work individually and in teams for effe...
• PS.FS.9.6 Understand how team diversity can be leveraged to maximize team effectiveness.

California Academic Content Standards (Reinforced)

• ELA.9-10.LS.C.1.1 Formulate judgments about the ideas under discussion and support those judgments...
• ELA.9-10.R.CAGT.2.5 Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis...3

• Guilty or Not Guilty! - Hooks / Set

  Before students come into class, the teacher will write on the board: “Innocent until proven guilty!”

  Then, the teacher will begin to play the Jay-Z video "Guilty Until Proven Innocent"!

  While the video is playing (turned down low), the teacher will ask the students to observe the video and write their opinions (3 or 4 sentences) about the statement written on the board.

  The teacher will walk around the room for approximately 6 minutes while the video is playing to insure that students are staying on task.

  The video is used to engage students during the writing process.

  • Jay-Z - Guilty Until Proven Innocent ft. R. Kelly.wmv [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] The video is used to engage students during the writing process.
• Defining Terms & The "Outsiders" - Lecture

  First, the teacher will explain that the primary objectives of this lesson are to work cooperatively within a group, communicate their ideas clearly, and summarize their experience in writing.

  Next, explain that students will determine a verdict of guilt or innocence based on the evidence presented.

  Next, the teacher will define jury, judge, unanimous, verdict, guilty, innocent, reasonable doubt, evidence, and deliberation.  The teacher will also discuss the purpose of Sixth and Seventh Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. During this time the teacher will display the "     Vocabulary   " (PDF) words on the screen using an LCD projector and ask the students to take notes.

  Next, the teacher will distribute copies of “ Deciding by Group: You Are the Jury ” (PDF) Student Reproducible 1.

  Next, ask students to work individually by reading Part 1 and answering the questions in Part 2 without discussing the case with any other classmates.

  Next, students will watch the "Stabbing" clip from "The Outsiders".

  Finally, ask the students: Do you think the person with the knife was guilty or innocent? Ask student to raise their hands for “guilty” or “innocent”.

  • Deciding By Group - Student Reproducible 1 [ Download ] Deciding By Group - Student Reproducible 1
  • "The Outsiders" - Stabbing [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] The video depicts the aftermath of Johnny (one of the Greasers) stabbing Bob (one of the Socs).
  • Deciding By Group - Vocabulary [ Download ] Deciding By Group - Vocabulary
• The "Outsiders" Continued - Demo / Modeling

  Next, the students will watch the "Fight Scene" clip from “The Outsiders”.

  After the video clip, the teacher should ask the students: “Given the evidence you now have about Johnny, do you believe he is guilty or innocent? Ask students if their minds were changed?  If so, would additional evidence change your mind?

  As an extension, the teacher can ask the students how many of them have either read the “The Outsiders” book or seen the movie and whether their previous understanding of the evidence (the fact the Greasers had been tormented by the “Socs” (nickname for the Socials) made a difference in their opinion about whether or not Johnny was guilty.

  • "The Outsiders" - Fight Scene [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] The video reveals the reason that Johnny (one the Greasers) stabbed Bob (one the Socs).
• The Verdict - Group Work

  After students have completed Parts 1 and 2 Deciding by Group: You Are the Jury (PDF) Student Reproducible 1, the teacher will divide the class into groups of 12.

  Ask each group to work together to come up with a unanimous verdict based on the evidence offered and through discussion among the group members.

  After each group has come to a unanimous decision, ask students to complete Part 3 of Deciding by Group: You Are the Jury (PDF) Student Reproducible 1.

  • Deciding By Group - Student Reproducible 1 [ Download ] Deciding By Group - Student Reproducible 1
• Which One Is Better - Individual or Group? - Independent Practice

  After a whole group discussion, ask students to write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the experience of working individually and in a group and answer the following questions individually:

  What challenges did you face while working individually? What challenges did you face while working in a group?

  What were the advantages and disadvantages of working individually? What were the advantages and disadvantages of working in a group?

  What do you believe the difference is in the jury system between a judge deciding a case individually and a jury deciding a case as a group?
• What Have You Learned? - Check Understanding

  The teacher will use a flip-chart with the pre-written phrase "What Have You Learned" on the top page. 

  The teacher will then flip to the next page (and subsequent pages) that will have definitions to the terms jury, judge, unanimous, verdict, guilty, innocent, Sixth and Seventh Amendments.

  The teacher will go around the room in a "pop-corn" fashion and ask students to define the term that is being displayed on the flip chart and provide an example of the term from the activities they participated in during today’s lesson.

  The whole group will have a discussion by asking for 3-4 volunteers to share whether they were: 1) familiar with the Jay-Z video and 2) their "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" that was playing opinions about whether they Jay-Z "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" that was played at the at the beginning of class.
• Are You Ready To Be A Juror? - Closure

  The teacher will wrap the lesson by saying: "You've been provided a lot of information during our lesson today about Making Decisions By Group: The Jury System. Jury service is one of the most important civic duties you can perform. The protection of rights and liberties in local, state, and federal courts largely is achieved through the teamwork of judge and jury. You do not need any knowledge of the legal system to be a juror."

  The teacher will say, "However, jury service is a huge responsibility because the jury will decide whether a person is guilty or innocent based on the evidence presented."

  Finally, the teacher will say, "I hope you all will actively participate (in the jury system and understand your role in deciding cases."