The "Defending/Prosecuting Your Conspirator" Project

TASK #2:  Defend or Prosecute a Conspirator of your Choice

The key objective of Task #2 is to have you be able to support and defend your position using the research you collected during your conspirator inquiry.  During this task, you will be asked to:

a) Compose a thrilling and convincing speech/letter that either defends or prosecutes a conspirator from Task 1 

b) Present your rousing speech to both a jury of your peers, and Mr.Beggius Caesarius - Emperor of 1FP

c) Write a Persuasive Essay using the research you compiled during your Conspirator Inquiry

Part A: Composing Your Defence/Prosecution Speech/Letter 

Now that you have collected evidence from several different types of sources (TASK 1), you will write a persuasive speech/letter that either defends or prosecutes a conspirator of your choice for their involvement in the assassination of Julius Caesar.  

In this paragraph, you must take on the role of a lawyer who will be presenting their case to Emperor Beggius and to a jury of your own peers (2 fellow classmates).  Once you have read your paragraph to the panel, they will decide the fate of your conspirator.  They will choose either a guilty or innocent verdict, so make sure you write an eloquent and conclusive argument.

Use the following resources to complete this part of the task:

Part B: Presenting Your Speech to a Jury of Your Peers and  Emperor Beggius

Once you have completed your speech, you must begin preparations for your exciting in-class presentation.  You will be asked to present your speech to both Emperor Beggius and to two fellow classmates.  Once you have finished speaking about the conspirator of your choice, Emperor Beggius and the jury will be given the opportunity to weigh the arguments presented before them.  They will then come to a reasoned judgement.

Use the following resources to complete this part of the task:

Please note that the following rubric will be used by both Emperor Beggius and the two fellow classmates who will be peer evaluating your speech.  In turn, you will use the rubric when it is your turn to peer evaluate your fellow peers. 

 Part C: Persuasive Essay using Conspirator Inquiry Research

This is the final part of the task.  Now that you have either defended or prosecuted one of the conspirators, you will be asked to take what you have learned from the experience and to write a 5 paragraph analysis on the following prompt:

Choose any three of the conspirators involved in the Julius Caesar assassination plot, and using overt criteria to justify your opinion, discuss whether or not they were justified in killing Julius Caesar. 

Please note that this essay will be written in-class on a double block.  It will be open book and you will recieve the entire double block to complete it.

The following rubric will be used to assess the essay:

 Use the following Pro/Con Chart to plan out your essay: