ESL: Materials for Teachers

Real Court Cases to Argue and Resolve This photocopyable teacher resource is a collection of 40 real court cases, described briefly for intermediate to advanced ELLs and GED students to argue and resolve as if they were serving on a jury. Verdicts promotes critical thinking and reading. Discussion of the cases opens up many questions relating to today's culture and the rule of law. Students from middle school to adult find it exciting to express their personal opinions and feelings on a great variety of real-world issues. Like members of a jury, naturally they soon expect their judgement, their serious consideration of challenging cases, to be taken seriously. Because there is never a simple right answer, these fascinating cases and the actual verdicts of the court on each case provoke lively discussions. Using the vocabulary worksheet for each case, learners prepare for each reading and discussion. They explore the vocabulary and concepts having to do with many real-life situations. These often involve family and community relationships, personal responsibility and liability, the courts, and many cultural issues relating to justice and the law. This in brief is how your students will use the book: • They listen to you read a brief summary of the case, and then they discuss it. • They prepare for the discussion by doing the vocabulary worksheet. • They read the case • Argue both sides • Negotiate a Decision • Listen to and discuss the Actual Verdict Verdicts includes 40 provocative and entertaining cases including: The case of — The Slippery Floor • The Flying Flower Pot • The Severed Foot • The Unlucky Poodle • The Unconscious Driver • The Violent Bartender • Stubby the Tiger • The Tragedy on the Lake • The Exploding Parcel