6th Grade Puts Mae Tuck on Literary Mock Trial

The mock trial centered on Natalie Babbitt’s novel, Tuck Everlasting, which the students recently read and analyzed, and is about a family that unwittingly becomes immortal by drinking from a hidden, magical spring. At the beginning of the novel, a young girl, Winnie Foster, decides to run away and witnesses one of the members of the Tuck family drinking from the spring. As a result, the Tucks feel forced to take Winnie with them to their home to better explain why she must keep their secret. Unbeknownst to Winnie and the Tucks, a man who wears a yellow suit follows the group to the Tucks’ home. This man plans to use the Tucks and the spring to sell immortality to the highest bidder. One of the most climactic moments in the novel is when Mae (the matriarch of the family), in an attempt to protect Winnie from the mysterious man in the yellow suit, kills this man. After reading the novel, the students realized that Mae’s crime was well-intentioned. Mae wanted to keep immortality a secret because she realized, after being exactly the same for more than 80 years, that immortality could be a curse. However, Mae’s controversial action was one worth examining more closely.

 

During the trial, the 6^th Grade students tried Mae Tuck for her crimes. Mae was accused of kidnapping, trespassing, and murder. Each student was assigned a role or roles in the trial. In preparation, the students looked for evidence from the novel to reconstruct the events leading up to the death of the man in the yellow suit. They considered and debated the morality of Mae’s action. Witnesses had to write and construct accurate testimony. Lawyers had to write questions, along with opening and closing arguments.

 

While the mock trial was a performance, it was not a play. Students’ lines were not always the same, because their responses depended upon the witnesses’ answers to many questions. Cross-examination was not rehearsed (to maintain the natural element of surprise in a trial). All of the testimony, questions, and arguments in the trial were written, rehearsed, and perfected by the members of the 6^th Grade.

 

Mrs. Reardon-Childs, Ms. Waxman, and the Class of 2027 invite you to follow the link below and enjoy this literary mock trial.

 

Well done, 6^th Grade! You can defend us anytime!

Defense Closing Arguments

Click here to view the links to each mock trial.