Status: Inactive
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 72307
Primary Type: Lesson Plan
The
State v. Protagonist: Criminal Mock Trial of the
Protagonist of "The Tell-Tale Heart"
This lesson is part three of a three-part lesson series. This lesson is designed to guide students through the judicial process in a mock trial as they
decide the fate of the protagonist in "The Tell-Tell Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe. Students will use textual evidence from the short story and an
informational text studied in lesson two to argue whether the main character is guilty of first degree murder, or is mentally insane. The jury will
provide the final verdict. Graphic organizers, tasks for each role, and rubrics are provided with this lesson.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 8
Intended Audience: Educators
Instructional Time: 5 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: mock trial, The Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe, portrait of a psychopath, argument
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Jury Rubric.docx
The State v Protagonist Graphic Organizers.docx
The State v Protagnist- Trial Roles.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to use appropriate and specific evidence from multiple sources (specifically "The Tell-Tell Heart" and the informational text "Portrait of a
Psychopath") to make an argument about the main character from "The Tell-Tale Heart's" guilt or innocence.
Students will be able to engage effectively in a range of discussions based on their role in the mock trial, come to discussions prepared, draw on evidence from
multiple sources to support their discussions, pose questions in response to others' ideas, acknowledge new information provided by members of their team, and
justify their own views in light of evidence presented by the opposing side.
Students will be able to follow the rules and procedures established for the mock trial.
Students will be able to present their claims and findings both in writing and through speaking about the main character's innocence or guilt in a focused, organized
manner with relevant evidence, sound reasoning, and well-chosen details.
Students will be able to present their claims and findings using appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation so that the opposing side and
jury members can follow their argument.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
This lesson is part three of a three-part lesson series. Before beginning this lesson, students should have read "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe and have
some understanding of characterization. In addition, they should have also read the article, "Portrait of a Psychopath" and completed all related activities. Both of these
lessons serve as building blocks to this culminating task, holding a mock trial proving the guilt or innocence (not guilty by reason of insanity) of the protagonist in "The
Tell-Tale Heart." These lessons have been attached as related CPALMS resources.
In addition, students should:
Know how to make a claim in writing and support the claim with appropriate and specific evidence
Understand the terms "opposing claim" or "alternate claim," how to anticipate what the other side might say in an argument, and how to distinguish the opposing
side's argument from their own
Work cooperatively with other students to finish assigned tasks and meet deadlines
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
Based on all of your evidence, should the protagonist in "The Tell-Tale Heart" be found guilty of first-degree murder, or should he be found not guilty by reason of
insanity?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
page 1 of 4 1. The teacher will begin with a think-pair-write-share activity in which the students brainstorm what they know about criminal court cases. After students write their
responses, they will share with a partner/small group, and then as a class.
2. The teacher will then explain to students that they will be participating in the mock trial of the protagonist of "The Tell-Tell Heart." In this criminal case, the main
character is on trial for murder. Because the protagonist already admitted his guilt at the end of the story, the purpose of this trial is to determine whether he should
be convicted of first-degree murder of the old man, or if he is able to take a lesser charge, the insanity plea (not guilty by reason of insanity).
3. After explaining the purpose of the trial, the teacher will guide the class in a mini-lesson on the components of a mock trial. This lesson should include a brief
discussion of the vocabulary and roles involved in a trial. Some information is provided on page one of the trial roles handout. Additional information is available
below:
Judge: A judge interprets the law and provides instructions to the jury. He/she decides which disputed facts (evidence) may be presented to the jury. The judge is
the person who presides over the trial to assure that the parties' rights are protected, and the attorneys follow the rules of evidence and trial procedure. If the
verdict is guilty, the judge determines the defendant's sentence (punishment). A sentence may include prison time, a fine to be paid to the government, and
restitution to be paid to crime victims.
Defendant: In a criminal case, the defendant is the person accused of committing a crime. Defendants do not have to prove their innocence. Instead, the
prosecution must provide evidence to convince the jury of the defendant's guilt. In order for the jury in this case to find the defendant guilty, the prosecution must
provide proof "beyond a reasonable doubt," which means the evidence must be so strong that there is no reasonable doubt that the defendant committed first
degree murder.
Defense Lawyer: The defense lawyer in a criminal case summarizes the evidence for the court which will be presented to rebut the case the prosecution has
made. In this mock trial, the defense argument will be the defendant is not guilty of first degree murder because he is mentally insane.
Prosecutor: During a trial, the prosecutor argues that the defendant is guilty of the charge for which he/she is being tried (in this case- first degree murder).
Jury: The jury is a group of approximately 12 people who listen to and analyze the evidence in a trial to determine a defendant's guilt or innocence.
Witnesses: Witnesses are called by each side (the prosecution and the defense) to provide information about the defendant, information that could support the
defendant's guilt (prosecution) or innocence (defense). Witnesses give information relating to specific events in the case, testify about a defendant's character, or
they can be an expert in a subject related to the case.
Opening Statement: An opening statement is the lawyer's introduction to their argument, including brief reasons to support their claim.
Closing Statement: A closing statement is a lawyer's conclusion to their argument. It summarizes their argument and all evidence presented, and is used as a
last plea to the jury to find the defendant guilty or innocent of charges.
Deliberate: Deliberate means to discuss evidence as a group (the jury) so that a decision can be made about a defendant's guilt or innocence.
Direct Examination: Direct examination is when a lawyer questions their client.
Cross-Examination: Cross-examination is when a lawyer questions a witness called by the other side. For example, when the defense cross-examines witnesses
called by the prosecution, or when the prosecution cross-examines witnesses called by the defense.
Verdict: A verdict is a decision made about the guilt or innocence of the defendant based on the evidence presented during the trial.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Preparing for the Mock Trial (Approximately 2-3 class periods for collecting evidence, writing and revising arguments, and practicing for the trial):
1. The class will be broken up into four groups for this activity: Defense, Prosecution, Jury, and Witnesses. A list of role responsibilites will be provided to each group
outlining their jobs.
Defense: Responsible for collecting evidence from the texts that support the protagonist is mentally insane (not guilty by reason of insanity). The defense lawyers
will also write out their opening and closing statements. After writing their arguments, they will receive peer feedback from their groups to make pertinent
revisions. The teacher will also provide written and/or verbal feedback as well so that students can write a final draft prior to going to trial.
Prosecution: Responsible for collecting evidence from the texts that support the protagonist is guilty of first-degree murder. The prosecution lawyers will also
write out their opening and closing statements. After writing their arguments, they will receive peer feedback from their groups to make pertinent revisions. The
teacher will also provide written and/or verbal feedback as well so that students can write a final draft prior to going to trial.
Jury: Before the trial, the jury is responsible for collecting evidence from the texts (the short story and the informational text "Portrait of a Psychopath") that could
potentially support each side's argument. As the defense and prosecution each argue their case during the trial, the jury will take notes on the actual evidence each
side provides/presents. After the trial, the jury will decide the verdict of the protagonist based on evidence presented during the trial.
Witnesses: May include-the protagonist, the police, neighbors (character witnesses), and expert witnesses (a psychiatrist who could give insight into mental
illness). Before beginning the trial, the class will create a list of witnesses, and the defense and prosecution will decide which witness will be examined for their
side. The witnesses will assist their side with creating and answering questions that will serve as evidence in their case. Here are some examples of questions
students may generate for witnesses:
1. Protagonist: (Defense) How did you feel whenever you saw the old man? What was happening at the time that the police arrived at the residence of the old
man? (Prosecution) How did you kill the old man? Do you believe this was an appropriate reason to commit such a heinous crime?
2. Neighbors: (Defense) What did you notice about the interaction between the old man and the defendant? (Prosecution) What caused you to call the police to
come to the old man's residence?
3. Psychiatrist: (Defense) What characteristics do you look for when diagnosing someone as having a psychopathic disorder? Does the narrator fit any of those
characteristics? (Prosecution) Is it typical for psychopaths to go through great lengths to plan a murder and concealment of the body?
4. Police: (Defense) Did you notice anything unusual about the defendant when you arrived at the old man's residence?(Prosecution) What did the narrator say
when you questioned him about the old man's whereabouts?
2. After students are assigned to their groups, they will work collaboratively to collect evidence in support of their position. As students are working collaboratively in
their groups, the teacher will circulate through the groups, providing guidance and assistance as needed. The teacher will give groups specific feedback as they
complete their graphic organizers, guiding them through finding evidence from "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "Portrait of a Psychopath" that will best support their
argument. In addition, the teacher will assist groups with determining which evidence could be used from each text so that each side (prosecution and defense) can
anticipate the opposing argument and refute it during cross-examination.
3. Each group is responsible for completing their evidence worksheet/graphic organizer prior to going to trial. The teacher can provide written or verbal feedback prior
to going to trial.
4. Before students begin the mock trial, the teacher should go over with students the rubrics that will be used to assess their performance (please see Independent
Practice section, step 4 for more information).
page 2 of 4 Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
The summative assessment will be the mock trial.
1. The judge will begin with presenting the reason for today's trial, proving the level of guilt of the protagonist in "The Tell-Tale Heart." A court case protocol is
included in the attached handout, outlining the order of events and role of each participant. After each side has argued their case, the jury will decide the verdict of the
protagonist.
2. Be sure to rearrange the classroom before the day of the trial to resemble a courtroom.
3. If possible, encourage students to dress professionally for trial (ex: suits, dresses). Remind students that court is a serious matter, and we show respect to the
judge and the court by wearing business attire.
4. Rubrics should be used to assess student proficiency. An excellent presentation trial rubric can be found at this link in the Resources and Preparation tab. This
rubric can be adapted to meet the requirements for most of the roles students will perform except for those serving as jurors. (This resource is provided by
ReadWriteThink.org, a website developed by the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, with support from the Verizon
Foundation.) Teachers can use and adapt the attached jury rubric handout to assess students' participation as members of the jury.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
After students complete the mock trial, the class can have a debriefing discussion in which they discuss what they have learned about conducting a mock trial, the
different roles that are involved, the importance of using relevant evidence when supporting their case, and the importance of anticipating the other side's argument
and the ability to address or refute that argument using relevant evidence.
Summative Assessment
The summative assessment will be the mock trial.
The judge will begin with presenting the reason for today's trial, proving the level of guilt of the protagonist in "The Tell-Tale Heart." A court case protocol is included
in the attached handout, outlining the order of events and role of each participant. After each side has argued their case, the jury will decide the verdict of the
protagonist.
Please see the independent practice section for additional information.
Formative Assessment
The majority of formative assessments and feedback to students will be done through conferencing with groups as they prepare for the mock trial, focusing on their
textual evidence and the effectiveness of their argument. If students are having difficulty, the teacher will provide intervention to the small group as needed. Specific
conferencing may include:
Providing written and/or verbal feedback on the lawyers' graphic organizers to help them prepare to write their opening and closing statements.
Providing written and/or verbal feedback on the lawyers' opening and closing statements so that students can write a final draft prior to going to trial.
Providing written and/or verbal feedback for other student roles' on their work on their assigned graphic organizer prior to going to trial.
Checking in on students' textual evidence and guiding groups in collecting evidence to support their argument and addressing the other side's claims.
Helping students to revise questions to include open-ended questions that can be answered with text-based support.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Students may use an interactive persuasion writing tool found at ReadWriteThink.org to help them outline their arguments for the mock trial.
If struggling readers/writers are unable to complete this activity as a mock trial, it can be easily adapted into an argumentative essay in which they prove whether
the main character should be convicted of first-degree murder or declared mentally insane (not guilty by reason of insanity). The teacher can provide assistance
with pre-writing and provide students with an essay frame as well.
Extensions:
Analyze excerpts of famous arguments from court cases in literature (ex: closing argument in To Kill a Mockingbird), focusing on the effectiveness of the argument.
Physical or virtual field trip to a court to witness a real court proceeding, then compare that experience to their mock trial.
Special Materials Needed:
Student Copy of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe- available in attached related CPALMS resources
Student Copy of "Portrait of a Psychopath" by Denise Mann- available in attached related CPALMS resources
Graphic Organizers for each role (included with the lesson)
Further Recommendations:
This lesson provides an excellent opportunity for cross-curricular instruction with a social studies class. English Language Arts teachers can work with social studies
teachers to create a mini-unit on the judicial system and/or the Bill of Rights, focusing on the rights to due process and a fair and speedy trial.
Teachers might find this lesson "Literary Characters on Trial" published by ReadWriteThink.org a helpful resource, especially if they have not conducted a mock trial
with students before.
Teachers may also find this online resource helpful; it provides ideas to help students prepare opening and closing arguments for both the defense and prosecution
in a mock trial.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
page 3 of 4 This is the third of a three-part unit. The other lessons have been attached as related resources.
ID 69769 - Motivation of a Murderer: A Close Reading of The Tell-Tale Heart
ID 70588 - Characteristics of Serial Killer: A Close Reading of "Portrait of a Psychopath"
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Adrianne Taylor
Name of Author/Source: Adrianne Taylor
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Leon
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.8.SL.1.1:
LAFS.8.SL.2.4:
LAFS.8.W.3.9:
LAFS.8.W.4.10:
Description
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation
by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and
define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with
relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light
of the evidence presented.
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound
valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes,
patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including
describing how the material is rendered new”).
b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize
when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
page 4 of 4