Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The American legal system is a common topic in US government or history classes. What is meant by “the legal process”? What are the main components in this process, and what does each involve?

Teaching Suggestion: The Theodore Boone series can introduce readers to the legal system through familiar story elements and characterization devices; it may also challenge readers’ understandings of justice and how it is carried out by the law. In the first installment in the series, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, a murder case is central to the novel’s plot. Students might work with a partner to address the prompt; they can begin by listing known facts such as roles involved (lawyer, judge, detective) and steps in the legal process (e.g., arrest, charging, arraignment, hearing, trial). These and similar resources may provide needed context and can be referenced throughout the reading of the novel.

• The Judicial Learning Center outlines the main components of a trial and what is involved at each step.
• The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas offers a list of key legal terms that often appear when it comes to discussing a court case.