A study of the history of the Channel Islands, located off the coast of southern California, continues as class members conduct a mock trial to determine which group of stakeholders should have the right to claim the remains of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, located by a University of California Santa Barbara archeology team. Each group must develop a strong case/argument for their claim to the remains.

Concepts

spanish exploration, north american native americans, native american history, mock trial, evaluating claims, persuasive arguments

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• If class members have not been introduced to the mock trial format, present a mini-lesson on the purpose and the structure of the activity
• The activity comes with a disclaimer that the scenarios are not necessarily historically accurate; have groups research the accuracy of the scenario they are assigned to represent in the mock trial

Classroom Considerations

• The third lesson in the series assumes class members have seen the video that launches the unit
• Participants should be familiar with the mock trial format
• Although designed for fourth through sixth graders, the activity is most appropriate for middle or high school classes

 

Pros

• The three-page packet includes an overview of the plan, a description of the claims of the stakeholders, and a graphic organizer

Cons

• No rubric for the activity is included

Common Core

SL.4.1.a SL.4.2 SL.5.1.a SL.5.2 SL.6.1.a SL.6.2