Journeys Lesson 2- The Trial of Cardigan Jones

This week we explore the question "why are courts an important part of our government?" In the fantasy selection The Trial of Cardigan Jones, we'll read about the trial of a moose wrongly accused of stealing a pie.

Home Connection Activities!

Take it to the Judge Work with your child to find information about the Supreme Court of the United States. Also look for information about local and state courts in your community. Discuss how local, state, and national courts are alike and different.

Vocabulary on the Go Make up sentences using the Target Vocabulary words, but leave the target word out as you say the sentence aloud. Then have your child fill in the word. For example, "I am convinced that she knows the truth."

convinced, trial, jury, guilty, pointed, honest, murmur, stand

Law of the Land Talk with your child about local laws, such as those that forbid littering. Ask your child to write a paragraph about whether he or she agrees with one of the laws you've discussed.

Vocabulary

Build Background: The Court System

The Court System

Courts play an important part in our cities and towns. Courtroom trials can have a lot of drama. Imagine that a defendant has been accused of breaking a law. The judge sits at the head of the court. Witnesses tell what they know about the crime. The jury, with as many as twelve people, listens to all the evidence. Then the jury draws a conclusion. Is the defendant guilty or not guilty?

In The Trial of Cardigan Jones, you’ll read about a trial involving a missing pie, a clumsy moose, and a wise judge. Read to find out whether Cardigan Jones is guilty or not guilty.

Read the Story: "The Trial of Cardigan Jones"

GENRE

Fantasy is an imaginative story with characters or events that are not real. As you read, look for:

story events or settings that could not happen in real life
characters that act in an unrealistic way

Read "The Trial of Cardigan Jones" on page 50 of your Journeys Textbook

Click for Story Comprehension Questions

Continue your discussion of The Trial of Cardigan Jones by explaining your answers to these questions:

Why did Mrs. Brown call the police and mention seeing a moose?
Look at the words dirty looks on page 60. What do these words tell you about the way the jury felt towards Cardigan?
What qualities does the judge have that make him a good judge? What evidence helps you know?

Response

Review the story with a partner to prepare to discuss this question: Why are courts an important part of our government?

Target Skill: Drawing Conclusions

Readers can draw conclusions as they read. A conclusion is a smart guess about something the author does not say directly. To draw a conclusion, look for text evidence to figure out what really happened. Also use what you already know.

Look back at pages 60 and 61 in The Trial of Cardigan Jones. You read that the milkman saw Cardigan at Mrs. Brown’s window, smelling the pie. You might use that information to conclude that Cardigan stole the pie. Would you be correct? Why or why not? record your conclusion from text evidence and from your own experience.

Target Strategy: Infer/Predict

As you read, use the conclusions you draw to infer, or figure out, what the characters are like. Predict what you think may happen and check whether you were right or not.