A Case Study: The Sheppard Murder Trial

In this four lesson unit, students read selected background material on the Sheppard murder case and discuss the assigned readings in class. Activities include analyzing a political cartoon and a primary source document, writing and delivering a closing statement, and developing a timeline of the various court decisions made in the Sheppard case. Students will explore Internet sites for additional information about the recent lawsuit filed against the State of Ohio by Sam Sheppard, Jr. and will use this information, in combination with the background material, to write an editorial discussing whether the American jury system "works".