Alternate Ending Case Lesson

Alternate Ending Invitation:

Students, the community needs your help! Jonas was captured after kidnapping Gabriel, and he is set for trial next week. We will be working as a community to find the truth about the events. Should we let him return to the community or will he be released? 

Instructional Basis: 
In this lesson you will be learning about the US court system to help you work collaboratively on a trial for Jonas, preparing a witness testimony for the hearing. You will use the information you read in The Giver to build a perspective of Jonas’ actions from the event in the Novel. Each group will select a character in the novel and work off his perspective to present the characters views to the class using Storyboard That and then uploading your testimony on our classroom Edmodo page. As a class we will determine if Jonas should be released from the community. 

Standards:

• R.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. 
• W. 7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. 
• S&L.7.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. 

Lesson Objectives:

• Students will understand the main concepts of the 6th Amendment: The Right to Counsel and Trial by Jury. 
• Students will understand the use of point of view to develop meaning in a story through the use of role-playing
• Students will write an informative dialogue to express their characters point of view
• Students will create a multimedia presentation providing at least three points of evidence to prove their case

Websites:

• Edmodo: This is where we post our discussions and communicate with each other.
• Storyboard That: We will use this site to create our testimony and character profile. 
• YouTube: Watch the video from Court Schools, Right to Counsel
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): This site will help with citing and formatting 
• NCWD Kids Court: Extra information on US court system 
• Google Docs: This site can make group work easy by easy sharing and editing 
• US Courts: Juror Experiences: This link will give you details about others who have been in a jury. 

Learning Activities:

1. Lets Review: On Edmodo answer the following question and reply to at least two peers. Why did Jonas choose to run, and how would that affect the community?
2. Instruction: Watch Court Schools: Right to Counsel Video and Court Shorts: Jury Service 
3. Discuss: Answer the following question on Edmodo answer the following question and reply to at least two peers. How would a trial work in the community? Do we need a jury? 
4. Group work: Create a story board for a character testimony using StoryBoardThat for a character chosen with the group assigned. (Make sure to post character preference before you begin.)
5. On Edmodo, review the evidence provided by the rest of the class and submit your opinion and explanation. Is Jonas guilt or innocent?

Closure:

• Assessment: Students will write a blog post on Edmodo discussing the three main topics for their project and the effectiveness of the classroom's court system. Address the following issues:

1. What was your character's testimony?
2. Did you agree with the court's ruling? why or why not?
3. How will the court's ruling affect Jonas' life?
4. Do you think the court system is fair? 

Group Work Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Contributions	Routinely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A definite leader who contributes a lot of effort.	Usually provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A strong group member who tries hard!	Sometimes provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A satisfactory group member who does what is required.	Rarely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. May refuse to participate.
Quality of Work	Provides work of the highest quality.	Provides high quality work.	Provides work that occasionally needs to be checked/redone by other group members to ensure quality.	Provides work that usually needs to be checked/redone by others to ensure quality.
Time-management	Routinely uses time well throughout the project to ensure things get done on time. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person\'s procrastination.	Usually uses time well throughout the project, but may have procrastinated on one thing. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person\'s procrastination.	Tends to procrastinate, but always gets things done by the deadlines. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person\'s procrastination.	Rarely gets things done by the deadlines AND group has to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person\'s inadequate time management.
Attitude	Never is publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Always has a positive attitude about the task(s).	Rarely is publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Often has a positive attitude about the task(s).	Occasionally is publicly critical of the project or the work of other members of the group. Usually has a positive attitude about the task(s).	Often is publicly critical of the project or the work of other members of the group. Often has a negative attitude about the task(s).
Working with Others	Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Tries to keep people working well together.	Usually listens to, shares, with, and supports the efforts of others. Does not cause \"waves\" in the group.	Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others, but sometimes is not a good team member.	Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Often is not a good team player.

StoryBoard Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Sources	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented in the desired format.	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but a few are not in the desired format.	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but many are not in the desired format.	Some sources are not accurately documented.
Graphic Organizer	Graphic organizer or outline has been completed and shows clear, logical relationships between all topics and subtopics.	Graphic organizer or outline has been completed and shows clear, logical relationships between most topics and subtopics.	Graphic organizer or outline has been started and includes some topics and subtopics.	Graphic organizer or outline has not been attempted.
Mechanics	No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.	Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors	A few grammatical spelling, or punctuation errors.	Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.

Blog Posts Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Ideas & Content	Many original ideas and expressed clearly. Ideas are related to the subject matter.	Expression of some original ideas. The majority of ideas are related to the subject matter.	Ideas are not necessarily original, and are not usually connected to discussions around the subject matter.	Ideas expressed are not original, often confused and are not connected to discussions around the subject matter.
Writing Quality	Posts are well written, and are characterized by elements of a strong writing style. The content demonstrates that the student is well read, synthesizes learned content and constructs new meaning.	Posts show above average writing style. The content demonstrates that the student reads moderately, and attempts to synthesize information and form new meaning.	Posts show a below average, overly casual writing style with a lack of attention to style. Students pay little attention to other reading and mostly regurgitate previous personal views	There is little to no evidence of reading other information in order to form new meaning of the topics at-hand.
Community	Active participation in the blogging community via comments on other weblogs, and citing others in their research and writing.	Moderate participation in the blogging community. There was some evidence of out-of- class participation.	Little participation in the blogging community. Most, if not all, participation was limited to the weblogs of other classmates.	No show evidence in any participation in the blogging community, or the course community, through the use of weblogs.