Two Week Camp: Intro to Criminal Law and a Mock Trial (The Pop Culture Edition)

This class will focus on the basics of criminal law. Using examples from Pop Culture (popular novels, television shows, and movies), students will explore all aspects of the criminal justice system. The final class will be a mock trial where each student will role play as a character who is an important member of the criminal justice system (defendant, prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses, and jury).

Class #1 -- What is a Crime?
   •	The purpose of the criminal justice system 
   •	The key elements of a crime
Class #2 - Who is a Prosecutor?
   •	The purpose of a prosecutor 
   •	The protection of society
Class #3 - Who is a Defense Attorney?
   •	The purpose of a defense attorney
   •	The rights of a defendant
Class #4 - What does a trial look like? 
   •	The key elements of a criminal trial 
   •	The purpose of a jury 
Class #5 - How do I prepare for a Mock Trial?
   •	How to interview witnesses 
   •	The division of roles for the trial
Class #6 - Mock Trial 

During the class, students will follow along with Google slide presentations to learn about the criminal justice system, followed by a series of discussions and evaluations of examples from popular novels, movies, and television shows. The first half of the class will focus on lecture and discussion, and the second half of the class will give students the opportunity to role play as different characters from Pop Culture.

[Photo Credit: Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay]