Student Reactions to Galileo's Mock Trial
Response #3 - Judge
This reaction is from one of the judges, Jamal, the same boy who drew the image of St. Peter’s Church contrasted with the decrepit towns. His response highlighted the idea that this project was accessible to everyone and that it was “something different we can do” and “everybody was involved.” I found this interesting because Jamal is a student with several learning disabilities, who generally has a more difficult time comprehending and participating in the lessons. This speaks to the idea that although all students have different talents and interest, this lesson allowed students to use their unique abilities and skills. In an interview, he noted that he needs to be more involved in class and that he should work to speak up more. Therefore, I was glad that he was able to get involved in this assignment, even if he did not actually communicate that much during the mock trial. It was important for me to see that he did gain an understanding of the material and that he appreciated the skills that he learned by participating in this activity. Jamal also reiterated the class’s request to continue to do projects like this that allow the students to be in control of their learning.