Mock Jury Project: the development of school literacy at its various levels in a rural school

Abstract

This text presents the experiences of the teacher and the students of an inclusive 5th grade class in a rural school run by the Federal District's State Department of Education (SEEDF) with the project entitled "Mock Jury: training critical students". The aim of the project was to develop school literacy at different levels by having the students role-play a trial. The students experienced a trial involving the situation of changing break times (recreation) due to the Physical Education classes in the Education with Movement Program. Based on this problem situation, the students had access to various legal texts, especially the Federal Constitution, which had been previously organized by the teacher. There was a visit to the Federal District and Territories Court of Justice (TJDFT), a unique moment in which the students followed a trial of an appeal. Also in preparation for the Mock Jury, other texts were prepared in the classroom in order to establish the essential elements of a procedural document, covering the concept of textual genres. We would like to point out that all the students took part in the Mock Jury with a speech or action. We also had the collaboration of the principal of the educational institution as the defendant and a representative of the Brazlândia Regional Education Coordination as the judge. The actions carried out showed a change in the attitude of the students, who initially tended towards conformism. The subjects involved experienced the whole process of problematization, instrumentalization, catharsis and interactive exchanges, synthesis and construction of new learning associated with the development of student protagonism, critical arguments, awareness of the importance of their rights inside and outside the school walls, among many others.