PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement has released a semiquincentennial-themed book for tweens and teens to learn about the justice system.
In the book “Be the Jury,” the charges against King George III come right out of the Declaration of Independence.
“Quartering troops in homes and all these bad things that he did,” said Judge Midge Rendell, president and co-founder of the Rendell Center, whose mission is to promote civic education so the next generation is prepared to be effective citizens.
They provide teaching tools and hold events like mock trials, and the new book combines the two: blueprints for three mock trials — two with King George as the defendant and one case against Betsy Ross.
“We have all these actual people from history who are witnesses to the events and testify,” Rendell said. The witnesses include John and Abigail Adams and, for the defense, Ben Franklin’s oldest son William, who stayed loyal to the crown.
But the students supply the ending: the verdict in each case, which Rendell believes brings the lessons home.
“It’s just a fun project for getting kids to understand the history and doing it in a fun and meaningful way.”
Rendell hopes to get the book into classrooms in the fall.
