Shiloh

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Justice for Shiloh”

In this activity, students will identify evidence and witnesses from the text to create a lawsuit and court case against Judd.

Though Marty is able to acquire ownership of Shiloh, the other dogs on Judd’s property remain. Construct a legal case against Judd and serve as an attorney to prosecute him for animal abuse. Collect statements, eyewitness testimony, and evidence from the novel to support your claim.

• Conduct and record interviews with characters in the novel.
• Collect and write witness statements from the point of view of characters in the novel to attest to Judd’s guilt.
• Collect and create visual evidence from the novel that points to Judd’s guilt.
• Consider Judd’s own statements regarding his dogs as evidence.
• Consider the evidence that may be brought forth by the defense; how will you refute the claims?
• Include character witnesses to attest to the type of person Judd is.

Collect your evidence on one document to share; compare evidence you have discovered with peers.

Teaching Suggestion: If you extend the Activity to a mock trial, it may be beneficial for students to work in small groups or to be assigned a side to conduct investigations and compile evidence. Consider explaining that both the plaintiff and defendant should review the evidence to find potential loopholes in their cases. Students may wish to act as characters from the novel to give witness testimony. If it makes sense in your classroom, it might be helpful to establish stations around the room where students focus on collecting or compiling a certain type of evidence (e.g., a station where students focus on interviews and witness statements, another to “collect” visual evidence by finding or printing images, etc.).

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who benefit from additional assistance with analysis as well as those with attentional and executive functioning differences may find it beneficial to discuss evidence from the novel in small groups. Consider providing a chart where students can regularly refer to the required components as they work on their activity. It could also be helpful to adjust or reduce the required evidence so that it is more manageable.