Name: The Dred Scott Trial

Date: Approx. April 13, 2011

Grade Level/Subject: 7th/Social Studies

Prerequisite Knowledge: Knowledge of slavery and the growing division between the North and South as
a result of slavery

Approximate Time: Approximately 40 minutes

Student Objectives/Student Outcomes: Students will be able to explain the outcome of the Dred Scott trial
and how its ruling affected all American territories.

Illinois Learning Standards:

16.A.3b Make inferences about historical events and eras using historical maps and other
historical sources.
16.B.3c (US) Describe the way the Constitution has changed over time as a result of
amendments and Supreme Court decisions.

Materials/Resources/Technology:

 Reading 2: The Dred Scott Trial (one per student)

 Textbook

Implementation:

Time
5 minutes Opening of lesson:
When the bell rings for class to begin, settle the students down by calling their
attention to the warm-up question on the board. Give the students
approximately 2-3 minutes to write their responses. If anyone would like to
share theirs, then allow time for this. Once most students are done with their
warm-ups, tell the students: “Pass your warm-up folders forward.”

As students pass up their warm-up folders, explain to them: “We’re going to

read a play that was adapted from the trial transcripts of the Dred Scott case by
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial staff members.”

30 minutes Procedures:
Have the students choose roles or assign them. If there are not enough students
for all of the roles, make sure that all of the primary roles are covered. The
other students can simply act as jurors. When allowing students to choose
roles, explain the involvement of each character in the play. Emphasize that if
students do not want to have major roles in the trial, then they should choose a
minor character or to be a juror. However, if they choose to be a juror, they
will need to contribute to the conversation when discussing the verdict.
 Read through the Dred Scott trial as a class with each student reading for their
assigned role. After they have finished role-playing the litigation, the student
jurors should reach a verdict based on the hearing and announce it to the class.

Have students open to p. 495 in their textbooks. Have them read the section
titled The Dred Scott Decision to summarize the actual trial and the court’s
real final decision. Discuss Taney’s chain of reasoning in the Dred Scott
decision. Ask the students: What were Taney’s three conclusions? (First, Taney
said that African Americans were not citizens, so they could not sue. Second,
if Scott were allowed to sue, he would lose, as he was his owner’s property.
Third, all slaves were property protected by the Constitution, so Congress
could not make any laws banning slavery in the territories.)

5 minutes Summary/Closing:
At the end of the period, call students’ attention back to the front of the room.
Ask the students to summarize the Dred Scott trial and its results. Ask them:
If you had lived in the North in the 1850s, would you have supported the Dred
Scott decision? What if you had lived in the South? Pass out the assignment to
write an editorial for a newspaper on the trial and its results.

If the students remained focused throughout the lesson, compliment them on

great participation. Once everyone is seated and quiet, dismiss them when the
bell rings.

Student Assessment:
The primary form of assessment for this lesson will be the assignment to write
an editorial for a newspaper on the trial. This editorial will be used to assess
how well the students understand the results of the Dred Scott trial and its
impact on our nation.