1. What Would Galileo
Say to Christopher
Columbus?
CCSS Conference 2012
Ruth Luevanos
Pacoima Middle School

2. Why do Mock Trials and Role Plays?
► Increase critical thinking
► Increase writing: variety, content and scope
► Help students internalize content
► Cater to developmental needs of students
► Connect to history in a personal way
► Relate activities to current events
► Create meaningful learning experiences

3. Increase Critical Thinking
► Mock Trials and Role Plays get
students to use higher level
thinking skills.
► They are analyzing, inferring,
applying, comparing and
contrasting.
► They are interacting with content
and reading in a meaningful way.
► Let them highlight content and
make notes.

4. Increase Writing
► Doing mock trials and role plays in history
provides opportunities for students to
engage in different types of writing.
► Persuasive essays
► Transcripts/trials
► Journals/diary entries

5. The Trial of Christopher Columbus
► Content from Bill Bigelow’s adaptation of the Howard Zinn
project.
► Make copies of materials to put in a file for each group.
► Reinforce cooperative group rules: stay on task, everyone
participates.
► Give students one period to prepare for trial and choose
witness.
► Trial will take anywhere from 2 periods to 3 periods.
► Follow up with writing activity: trial transcript, verdict,
persuasive essay, newspaper article, tweet, blog, facebook
posting.
► Relate it to other historical events: What if Hitler had been
put on trial? What evidence would have been used? What
witnesses would have been summoned? What would they
have said?

6. The Renaissance Faire
► Start with scrapbook research project.
► Offer extra credit for dressing up or coordinate with drama
teacher for costumes and support.
► 2 Formats: talk show panel or party/mixer
► Make sure students are prepared. Include it as part of their
research paper grade.
► Be ready to deal with issues that may arise. (unprepared
students, erroneous facts, controversial issues)
► Follow up with extension activity for students. For
example, write a script for a new reality show featuring 2
or 3 of the people on the talk show panel.

7. Let’s Do It
► Ask 2 or 3 other people these questions:
► Who are you?
► What do you do for a living and where were you
born?
► What was your childhood like?
► What is your greatest accomplishment?
► What do you think of the Inquisition and the
Church?
► What do you think of the Humanist movement?
► Who would you like to be friends with? Why?

8. Creating Memorable Learning
Experiences While Meeting
Student’s Developmental Needs
► What do students say?
► Teens and pre-teens are beginning
to question and analyze
► This is an opportunity to apply
knowledge, not just recite facts.
► Still talking about this many years
later.

9. How to Contact Me:
► Ruth Luevanos
► Pacoima Middle School, Pacoima, CA
► raluevanos@sbcglobal.net