WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

Stephen Dunn
Social Studies Instructor
Lake Forest High School
Lake Forest, Illinois
(847) 234-3600 ext. 280
UNIT OBJECTIVES
  1. To introduce students to the ethical foundations of the western worldview.

  2. To engage students in a series of trial simulations based on the norms of specific societies; including Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, and the modem United States.

  3. To encourage students to make critical judgments of the trial systems under consideration.
UNIT ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW
  1. Students will participate in a simulation of a trial by ordeal, write a reflective in-class essay on the simulation, and participate in a meaningful class discussion on the simulation.

  2. Students will participate in a simulation of a Greek trial by democratic vote, write a reflective in-class essay on the simulation, and participate in a meaningful class discussion that compares and contrasts the trial by ordeal and the Greek trial by majority vote.

  3. Students will participate in a simulation of a United States jury trial and participate in a meaningful class discussion that compares and contrasts this system to the others being considered.

  4. Students will critically examine selected book excerpts that summarize the ethical foundations of the modem worldview and the value of the United States jury system.