ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the activity of courtroom in a nutshell, aim of the activity, need of the activity, time required for the activity, how the activity works and the advantages of the activity. This activity aims to bring a key debate or controversy to life, and to identify the main arguments at play within an issue. Create a courtroom situation and designate students to play the key roles. The students are allocated set courtroom roles: judge, jury members, witnesses, the prosecution and the defence. Before the role-play the tutor and the students discuss all the roles to be played. Role-play is perhaps the most obvious non-conventional groupwork strategy. It is a technique that many students will have experienced at school, and may also go on to experience in the world of work. The tutor and the students need to be sure how the courtroom will operate and how the 'trial' will proceed.
