Drama: Mock Trial of Louis Riel!

One of the most exciting assignments I gave my grade 8 class was a culminating task at the end of their history unit. They had been learning about confederation and settling the West. They had read about the Red River Rebellin and the North West Resistance. The name that continued to come up was Louis Riel. Of course, in history, his story is both exciting and historically relevant. I wanted students to be able to interact with this historical figure and be able to provide historical context to his life and impact on Canada. With this in mind I developed a mock retrial of Louis Riel. 

The class was divided into 4 groups: 2 prosecution teams and 2 defence teams. We would hold 2 trials. One prosecution team and one defence team would plead their case and the remainder of the class would act as jury to vote and provide a verdict. The next day the class would switch roles and the new groups would present their case. Defence groups did not have to use the same defence tactics and in fact, they were encouraged to try different strategies to see if the results of the case would be different. Each team would designate witness’s who would take the stand and have the answer questions from both the defence and the prosecution. Each defence team would also have something be Louis Riel. 

Here was their task:

Louis Riel has been granted a retrial! You have been hired to work on the case. You will be assigned to a team: the defence or the prosecution, and will work with your team of lawyers and witnesses to develop your case! It is your job to develop a strategy, find supporting evidence/witnesses and present your findings to a jury of 15 people who will then vote in whether Louis Riel remains guilty or will be acquitted of all charges (found innocent)! This case will be facilitated by the Honourable Judge Belanger and Judge Breakey. Use the guide below to build your case. Good luck!

Guidelines

The Rules:

• The trial will begin with an opening statement from each team (prosecution will go first)
• After the opening statements, the prosecution will present their case. They will be allowed to call their witnesses and question them
• Following the prosecution’s witnesses, it will be the defence’s turn to present their case and call witnesses
• Finally, each side will present their closing arguments. Prosecution will go first.
• The jury will deliberate and vote on whether Louis Riel and guilty or innocent.
• The judge will read the verdict and give sentencing.

Questioning a witness:

Team that called the witness = allowed to ask 5 questions

Other team = allowed to ask 3 follow up questions

Team that called the witness = allowed to ask 1 additional question

Objections:

• If something said is historically inaccurate
• If something is fabricated or made up
• If something is inappropriate
• If something is irreverent to the case

Script Sample

If Guilty:

Louis Riel, after a long consideration of your case, in which you have been defended with as great ability as I think counsel could have defended you with, you have been found by a jury guilty of high treason. You have been proved to have let loose the flood gates of repine and bloodshed, you have with such assistance as you had in the Saskatchewan country, managed to around the Indians and have brought ruin and misery to many families whom if you had simply left alone were in comfort, and many of them were on the road to affluence.

For what you did, the remarks you have made form no excuse whatever. For what you have done the law requires you to answer. For me, I have only one more duty to perform, that is, to tell you what the sentence of the law is upon you. All I can suggest or advise you is to prepare to meet your end, that is all the advice or suggestion I can offer. It is not my painful duty to pass the sentence of the court upon you, and that is, that you be taken now from here to the police guard-room at Regina, which is the goal and the place from whence you came, and that you be kept there till the 18th of September next, that on the 18th of September next you be taken to the place appointed for you execution, and there be hanged by the next till you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul.

If Innocent: Louis Riel, you have been acquitted of all charges. The court thanks the members of the jury for their service. This court is adjourned.

Through this assignment I was able to evaluate language (for the writing of their individual part), history (based on accuracy and depth of knowledge), and drama (for their ability to role play). This assignment took about 2.5 weeks to prepare and students were provided with resources and primary sources to use for research. This was a great example of how drama was used to bring to life the learning of several subjects.