JACK THE RIPPER WEBQUEST

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

Congratulations!!!!! We have just finished reading Patricia Cornwell’s Portrait of a Killer; Jack the Ripper Case Closed. You thought the case was closed, but we are just beginning.  You and several of your classmates will be either defending or prosecuting Walter Sickert, the man Patricia Cornwell has exposed as Jack the Ripper, in a mock trial.

 

 

 

TASK

 

 

The class will be divided into four groups.  Two groups will act as the defense, and two groups will act as the prosecution. Each group will have one or more group members completing the following tasks:

               

Prosecuting Team/Defense Team:  Prepare and  present the elements necessary for the side to win and outline how they will do so using testimony and other evidence.  Additional team members act as witnesses and prepare for their role.

               

Historical Consultants:  Research London and surrounding regions during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Find pictures and photographs that can be used to create virtual scenery for the class production.  Write an explanation of why the pictures are appropriate for the production.

                

Costumers: Research the clothing of the time period.   Gather or create clothing that will be worn by the main characters in the class production.  Write a description of each character's costume with anexplanation as to why it is appropriate for the character.

               

Legal Consultants:  Research courtroom procedures.  Give an oral presentation to the class explaining each person's role in the courtroom.

 

Each group member will take part in at least one of the above tasks.  When your group is not presenting your defense or prosecution, you will either act as a jury member or courtroom audience member.

 

Use online and offline resources to research your group's tasks.

 

To help proveSickert’s innocents or guilt, make a time line of the murders.  Use the timeline maker at http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/timelines/

 

After completingthis WebQuest, write your reaction to the novel, this WebQuest, and the courtroom dramatization.   ( 1 page minimum)

 

 

PROCESS AND GUIDANCE

 

What format does a mock trial follow?   1.  Each side gives their opening statements.  2.  Prosecution calls witnesses and both sides question.  3.  Defense calls witnesses and both sides question.  4. Closing arguments.

 

What's going on during opening statements?  Each side presents the elements necessary for their side to win and outline how they will do so using testimony and other evidence.

 

What’s going on during the witness questioning?  Each witness will present a rehearsed direct examination with a lawyer on their team and a more spontaneous (but still prepared) cross examination with opposing counsel.

 

What are closing arguments? Each side will argue that they won the case and explain how the evidence supports their side and discredits the opposing side.

 

What do witnesses do?  Witnesses play the role of a person involved in the case.  Witnesses are the key to winning at MockTrial.  Credible, entertaining, and realistic portrayal of the role will win points.

 

What do the prosecutors and defense lawyers do then?  Lawyers conduct direct and cross examinations. While the opposing counsel conducts their examination, lawyers use the rules of evidence to exclude objectionable material.  They also do opening statements and closing arguments.  

 

 

RESOURCES

 

Portraitof a Killer; Jack the Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell.

 

 

Use the following sites to prepare each part of the task.

 

Jack the Ripper Informational sites:

 

All About Jack the Ripper, the mostfamous serial killer of all www.crimelibrary.com/jack/jackmain.htm

 

Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Mainwww.casebook.org/casebook.html

 

Jack the Ripper www.accomodata.co.uk/jack.htm

 

Serial Killers - Casefiles [Jack TheRipper - The Whitechapel ...  hosted.ray.easynet.co.uk/serial_killers/whitecha.html

 

 

Historical sites:

 

The Costume Page  http://users.aol.com/nebula5/costume.html

 

A Guide to Historic London http://www.londontourist.org/historic.html

 

Images of Old London http://www.images-of-london.co.uk/OldPhotos.htm

 

London sites from Britannia

http://www.britannia.com/travel/london/cockney/jackripper.html

http://www.britannia.com/travel/london/cockney/unknown.html

http://www.britannia.com/travel/london/index.html

 

Law Sites:

 

American Bar Association http://www.abanet.org/publiced/mocktrialguide.pdf

 

Associationof Trial Lawyers of America http://www.atla.org/

 

Court TV's Crime Library http://www.crimelibrary.com

 

Famous Murder Trials http://courttv.com/trials/famous/

 

Famous Trials http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/ftrials.htm

 

Trial Practice andCourtroomProcedures http://www.insd.uscourts.gov/text/seb_courtrm.htm

 

Feelfree to use Google, Yahoo, or other search engines while doing your research.

 

 

EVALUATION

 

The total assignment is worth 100 points.

 

Preparing and performing in mock trial group grade...        40 points

 

Praparing and performing in mock trial individual grade... 30 points

 

Timeline grade...                                                                        10 points

 

Written reaction...                                                                     20 points

 

Total...                                                                                       100 points

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

You have done it!  You have closed the case of Jack the Ripper.  In doing so, you have worked collaboratively, used your analytical skills, problem solved, challenged yourself, and hopefully along the way, had some fun conducting a mock trial!

 

 

TEACHER MATERIALS

 

Mock trials fulfill key elements of any Citizenship Curriculum. Participation provides opportunities for students to develop the following key skills:

 

• Communication - through researching, discussing and sharing information and ideas about a wide variety of social, political and community issues;

 

• Working with others - through sharing ideas, formulating policies and taking part in responsible action in groups;

 

• Improving own learning and performance - through reflecting on their own and others’ ideas and achievements, and setting targets for future involvement and improvement.

 

Additionally, Mock Trials provide an opportunity to promote:

 

• thinking skills, through helping others engage in social issues that require the use of reasoning, understanding and action through inquiry and evaluation;

 

• work related learning, through helping pupils to appreciate the link between learning and work;

 

• education for sustainable development, through developing pupils skills in, and commitment to, effective participation in the democratic and other decision making processes that affect the quality, structure and health of environments and society and exploring the values that determine people’s actions within society, the economy and the environment;

 

• Language skills - speaking: pupils learn to use language precisely; listening: pupils learn to listen to others, and to respond and build upon their ideas and views constructively.

 

Overall, participation also provides opportunities for students to develop:

 

• a critical appreciation of issues of right and wrong, justice, fairness, rights and obligations in society; and

 

• the understanding and skills needed to become responsible and effective members of society.

 

• a better understanding of the law, court procedures, and the legal system.

 

 

Doug Peachey

June 17, 2003

mailto:peacheyd@mail.ips.k12.in.us