Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine whether they represent a case of social justice or injustice. Teams base their arguments on the principles outlined in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "A Letter from Birmingham City Jail."

Concepts

social injustice, injustice, cultural diversity, diversity, ethnic diversity, american democracy, democracy

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have speech and debate club members tutor class members on the mock trial format

Classroom Considerations

• Requires access to the primary source documents
• The 13th in a series of 17 related resources

Pros

• The four-page packet includes an overview of the activity, a detailed plan of the mock trial format, a list of the required materials, and graphic organzers

Cons

• While web addresses are provided for the materials, no direct link is included

Common Core

RL.8.2 RL.8.3