"Lamb to the Slaughter" Mock Trial Project Materials

My 7th grade ELA class combines our argumentative writing unit with a mock trial based on the short story "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl. In our trial, we put the main character Mary Maloney on trial for the murder of her husband. We do two trials per class over the course of two days so every student gets the opportunity to be a part of the trial as well as be a part of the jury. The students assigned to the prosecution teams must argue that Mary Maloney killed her husband with intent. The defense teams must argue that Mary Maloney killed her husband out of temporary insanity.

When Day 1 Prosecution and Defense teams present, the Day 2 teams become the jury for the trial. They must listen to the trial and make an unbiased decision as to which team presented the stronger argument. (Worksheet for this task included.) Teams then flip roles on the next day.

Included in this file:

-Prosecution team preparation packet with definitions for necessary trial terms

-Defense team preparation packet with definitions for necessary trial terms

-Jury deliberation worksheet

-Presentation rubric

-Group reflections and feedback worksheet

The file included is a Word document which is editable for your classroom's needs.