THE BOOKS
My writing specializes in providing practical and innovative strategies to make learning come alive in the classroom; as a teacher, this is what I care about!
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Use this website as a supplementary tool to my books to support your use of role-plays and mock trials:
The video examples show role-plays and mock trials in action. The resources include rubrics, character biographies, supplementary materials, observer sheets, and more.
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The Classes They Remember
ISBN-13-9880770074082
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Learn how to use role-plays to bring history and literature to life! When students take on the roles of historical or literary figures, they develop a greater understanding of characters’ identities and motivations, and are able to more deeply explore and reflect upon key issues and themes. In this new book from award-winning teacher David Sherrin, you’ll find out how these lively instructional formats will make teaching a more immersive, interactive, and memorable experience for your middle school and high school students. The book includes:
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A clear how-to-guide to get the most out of role-playing in your class;
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Ready-made units and lessons to get you started right away, complete with sample scripts, scaffolding worksheets, and assessment rubrics;
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Templates and step-by-step instructions to help you design your own role-plays and mock trials.
The pre-made units, which Sherrin spent years refining in his classroom, cover historical topics such as the rise of Nazi Germany, the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and the inquisitions of Martin Luther and Galileo. You’ll also find fun and interactive role-plays and mock trials based on literary works like The Pearl, Fences, and To Kill a Mockingbird. These lessons will help students at all ability levels to become better communicators, problem-solvers, and creative thinkers.
Learn how to use mock trials to bring history and literature to life! When students take on the roles of lawyers and witnesses in historical or literary trials, they develop greater investment in the topics, they learn rigorous close-reading and questioning techniques, and they are able to deeply explore and reflect upon themes of justice and responsibility. In this new book from award-winning teacher David Sherrin, you’ll find out how this lively instructional strategy will make learning a more immersive, engaging, and memorable experience for your middle school and high school students. The book includes:
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A clear how-to-guide to get the most out of mock trials in your class;
-
Ready-made units and lessons to get you started right away, complete with sample scripts, primary source documents, scaffolding worksheets, and assessment rubrics;
-
Templates and step-by-step instructions to help you design your own mock trials.
The pre-made units, which Sherrin spent years refining in his classroom, cover historical topics such as the Nuremberg Trials and the inquisitions of Martin Luther and Galileo. You’ll also find fun and interactive mock trials based on the literary works The Pearl and To Kill a Mockingbird. These lessons will help students at all ability levels to become better readers, public speakers, and critical thinkers.
Helping Students Through Teenage Decision-Making
My third book, which is still in intial formation, provides strategies and role-plays to guide students through the process of navigating the tough decisions they will encounter during young adulthood: peer pressure, drugs, conflicts with parents, bullying, and more.
