POST-CLASSICAL ERA TRIALSUnited Nations World Court of Historical Affairs

REGIONS1. Americas2. Europe3. Africa4. Southwest Asia5. Central Asia6. South and Southeast Asia7. East Asia

TRIAL 1: RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY1. How does this culture meet the spiritual needs of

its members?2. What influence does religion/philosophy play on

the organization of society?3. Is religion/philosophy or spiritual development in

this culture a positive influence on art, literature, and culture in this society?

Within your groups, pick a lead lawyer for each of these topics.

PHASES OF EACH TRIAL • OPENING ARGUMENTS (5 – 10 MINUTES)• REBUTTALS (3 MINUTES)• RESPONSES (3 MINUTES)• CONCLUSIONS (3 MINUTES)

Each law firm approaches the bench once during each phase. We’ll go through these steps for each objective, starting with Objective 1. You’ll have a separate Opening Argument for each objective. Opening Arguments & Rebuttals can (& should) be prepared ahead of time.

TRIAL PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS• Trial topics include: politics, religion, economics, etc.• Your legal team’s goal is to convince the judge that your

culture has dealt with these topics and provided its society with the best answers to these questions

• Research days & mini lectures Preparation days Trials• Minor grades: amicus briefs, trial prep• Major grades: Trials, multiple-choice unit exam• Winning team = exemption, score of 100 on the unit exam

• Team collaboration is crucial, but individual contributions will be graded

EXPECTATIONS• Trial preparations will be well-defined and laid out in step-by-step objectives to guide you• I’ll be available to help, in class and in tutorials• Research assignments will be due @ the beginning of the next research day• In-class expectations: Each research day must be used to its fullest working towards the learning objectives of the trials• Alternative assignment: individual research & 3

essays