To Kill a Mockingbird Lesson Plan

Courtroom debate

Kind of Activity:

argumentative debate

Objective:

Take a side and defend it, make oral arguments using evidence, assess oral arguments on the basis of evidence

Structure:

The class splits into three groups for 5-8 minutes. One group, the defense, must develop the three best reasons why Tom Robinson is innocent. The other group, the prosecutors, must develop the three best reasons why he is guilty. The third group are the judges, who must try to anticipate what the other two groups will say. A spokesman for each of the two groups gives a two-minute presentation about the three reasons and the evidence for each reason.

The judges take two or three...