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The Trial of Humans
Provided by: ClimateScience |Published on: April 27, 2021
Lesson Plans Grades 3-5
Synopsis
- This resource is a simulation of a trial between humans and animals, where the humans are accused of numerous crimes against animals, habitats, and the environment.
- Students are divided into two groups, animals and humans, and they present their arguments to the judge and a jury of students selected from both groups.
- The judge and jurors get to decide if humans are guilty and therefore get banished from Earth.
Subjects: Social Studies, English Language Arts
Authors: ClimateScience
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This is a fun and engaging role-play activity.
- The activity is helpful for practicing public speaking.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers may need to review some characteristics of good public speaking. One to do this is by using these three categories: eye contact, voice, and body language.
Differentiation
- Teachers could invite other staff members to participate as members of the jury or as the judge.
- Teachers can extend this activity by asking the students to write the contents of their argument into an article.
- Some ideas for the human group include higher intellect, the ability to create technology, the ability to think, reason, and solve problems, animal companionship and love, and veterinary science.
- Some ideas for the animal group include biodiversity loss, industrial agriculture, overfishing, plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trade, poaching, deforestation, habitat destruction, and suburban sprawl.
- If students enjoy this lesson, they may also like the lesson Solve Climate Change While Acting.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
ClimateScience
ClimateScience inspires young talents to seek careers in fields where they contribute to climate solutions. By providing beautifully illustrated, understandable, science-based educational content for free for everyone, they are building the fundamentals for Climate Education.
All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
