Third grade class acts out mock trial on children’s fairytale

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Students in Melissa McGlothen’s third grade class at Overbrook Elementary School are learning about the three branches of government.

In order to make sense of a trial and make it come alive, students got to act one out in a real courtroom.

“We have talked about what they do. They enforce the laws, so the kids got a script for a mock trial they were each assigned parts,” McGlothen said.

Students played out their roles in Judge Duke Bloom’s courtroom at the Kanawha County Courthouse.

The plot was based off of the famous fairy tale, “The Three Little Pigs.”

“It is a little different take on the version of the story that the kids are used to hearing,” McGlothen said.

The story has a twist: the Big Bad Wolf could not blow down the brick house built by Curly the pig, so when he climbed down the chimney and fell into the pot of stew, Curly was charged with trying to boil the wolf.

It was up to students to decide if Curly was guilty and, through the process, they learned how trials work.

“It is the foundation of our government. They need to learn the ins and outs of what it means to be a citizen of the United States, and this is just one part of it of how they uphold the laws and enforce the laws,” McGlothen said.

A jury, judge, defense and prosecuting attorneys, Curly the pig and the Big Bad Wolf were all played out.

Even a reporter asked McGlothen the tough question on everyone’s mind.

“Do you think the Big Bad Wolf meant to knock down the three pigs houses?” asked the reporter.

“You know what, we are going to have to let the jury decide,” McGlothen said.

Three separate juries decided the fate of Curly. Two of them found Curly guilty, and one decided Curly was innocent.

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