Put Your Theory on Trial

By Liam Lachance, Dawson College

At a Glance

Discipline

  • Social sciences
  • Humanities

Instructional Level

  • College & CEGEP
  • University

Course

  • English Reading and Writing (603-101-MQ)
  • Literary Themes (603-103-DW)

Tasks in Workflow

Social Plane(s)

  • Individual
  • Group
  • Whole Class

Type of Tasks

  • Experimenting & conducting inquiry
  • Analyzing
  • Debating

Technical Details

Class size

  • Small (20-49)

Time

  • Single class period (< 90 mins)

Inclusivity & Accessibility

  • Diversity of engagement
  • Variety of action & expression

Instructional Purpose

  • Exploration & inquiry

Overview

The purpose of this activity is for students to develop critical thinking skills and actively engage with a new theory through roleplay. Students learn written rhetorical skills, interpretive skills for ‘good’ or ‘flawed’ argumentation, and how to combine and present research with other academics.

Students reorganize the classroom and populate the scene of a lawsuit on the validity of a theory that was recently introduced by the teacher. The students volunteer to fill a variety of roles that range from witness and juror to security guard and lawyer.

This activity works well at end of class as the culmination of a jigsaw assignment and can help students actualize the proponents of a theory that was introduced by lecture in the beginning of the class.

Citation to others: Jessica Cadieux from the English department had a similar exercise related to the Salem witch trials. This activity also draws from Paulo Freire’s “student-teachers” pedagogy, and bell hooks’ concept of “engaged pedagogy”, where teachers grow with students.

Instructional Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Integrate evidence to support a claim in their writing;
  • Edit various research papers so they cohere into one concise argument;
  • Recognize that their contribution to the class is necessary for it to function / develop confidence with their peers;
  • Understand value of experimentation with ‘unfinished’ ideas in writing drafts

Workflow & Materials

Workflow

Activity Workflow

View on CourseFlow
Collection

Paper & Gavel

Liam Lachance

Collection

Overview of Courtroom Seating

Liam Lachance

Contributor's Notes

Benefits
Challenges
Tips
Benefits
  • This activity can apply to any course from any field that is introducing a theory. Works to expose strengths and weaknesses of any claim.
  • Motivates an incredible solidarity between students, perhaps because the group success relies on a variety of types of contributions (the quiet writers and the extroverted lawyers, for example);
  • Energizes a class that has little interest in the topic or is just tired;
  • Works well as a ‘call-back’ to reference the lawyers’ arguments during later lectures
Challenges
  • It’s sometimes difficult to ensure that both lawyer benches are balanced, so that one side doesn’t get eviscerated during the debate (joining the losing team yourself can sometimes help, or in choosing the lawyers yourself);
  • Moving the furniture can sometimes be tricky, especially getting enough chairs for jurors in front;
  • Finding a way for the gallery to contribute can be difficult; still unsolved in my opinion.
Tips
  • Reveal the roles slowly, one-by-one, by writing on the board, to build suspense for the next role / build interest in participation; give the judge and security instructions before beginning, so that they feel comfortable running the entire debate, while you sit in the back and take notes of the arguments made;
  • From your back row seat, raise hand when a lawyer has gone on too long, so that the judge intervenes; cross-examinations work extremely well if you have a shy, brilliant student;
  • After the trial, and the jury’s decision, debrief with the entire class, asking how each role was for the student, and explaining that it is difficult to argue from a forced or reductive position, as they had to in this exercise (x is good / bad), to inspire them to develop critical thinking skills / ability to discern credible/flawed theory or hypotheses.

Applied Strategies

Debates

Knowledge sharing and analytical reasoning

Jigsaw

Distributed expertise and knowledge sharing

Two-Stage Assessment

Individual assessment, group feedback