Liberty Intermediate School Fifth Graders Bring Literature to Life Through Mock Trial
RAF LAKENHEATH, England — Liberty Intermediate School’s fifth-grade AAPS students recently brought literacy to life through an Alice in Wonderland-themed mock trial held during English Language Arts Flexible Instructional Time (ELA FIT).
The fifth-grade students performed their mock trial in front of classmates, teachers and family members. As part of the project, students explored the structure of the United States court system, read selected chapters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and analyzed film clips to gather both text-based and multimedia evidence.
Each student assumed a key courtroom role—judge, court clerk, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, defendant or witness—and worked collaboratively to develop scripts grounded in the evidence they collected. The project blended literature, performance and civic learning, creating an engaging, hands-on opportunity for students to deepen comprehension while practicing real-world communication skills.
The mock trial aligned closely with DoDEA’s College and Career Ready Standards, which emphasize integrated reading, writing, speaking and listening across content areas. Students practiced close reading of complex texts, evidence-based reasoning and collaborative discussion throughout the process.
By transforming a classic story into a courtroom investigation, students strengthened critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills as they interpreted character motivations, constructed arguments and presented claims clearly to an audience.
Students reflected positively on the experience, sharing that they enjoyed taking on specific roles and collecting targeted evidence to support their cases. Many also said they appreciated performing in front of an audience and having a randomly selected jury of their peers determine the verdict, mirroring the process of a real courtroom.
