Pictured are (from left to right) Casey Delaney, Jenna Thornton, and Ryan La Rosa deliberating in the jury for “The Case of the Missing Puppy.” (Photo courtesy of Clark Public Schools)
CLARK — Fifth grade students in Miss Koddenberg’s Gifted and Talented Program at Frank K. Hehnly and Valley Road Schools in Clark have begun working on their mock trial unit. Students began their unit by learning law vocabulary and performing “The Case of the Missing Puppy” through a script they performed. By doing this, the fifth graders were able to understand how a court case works and the different and important people in a trial, such as the plaintiff and defendant and what they do.
In the coming weeks, students will be creating their own court case to be submitted to the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s Law Fair Competition where they will be competing against other elementary students in the state. Clark students will have their court case judged by officials with hopes of winning and having the opportunity to present it to the other schools in the spring in New Brunswick.
