THE CRIMINAL TRIAL

Catalog description

Why do people like to watch movies and TV shows about criminal trials? How do watching criminal trials and reading about them shape our ideas of what makes a good story and what is fair and not fair? How do judges' and juries' ideas of "fairness" conflict with other ideas of fairness? In this freshman seminar, students will read stories that raise questions about crime and the role that criminal trials play in American Culture. Through engaging with these stories, students will; sharpen skills needed for success in college - specifically, skills in critical thinking, arguing, reading, writing, listening, and speaking.