Reading on Trial? By: Erin MacDonald

It was an exciting October day for Ms. Werenko’s 7th grade reading classes. In the short story they were reading, Bargain, one of the main characters named Mr. Baumer was accused of killing a man who goes by the name of Freighter Slade. To determine whether or not Baumer had killed Slade, we recently held our own version of a court trial to prove whether or not Mr. Baumer had really committed the crime. The students could be a judge, a lawyer, a witness such as Al, Mr. Baumer’s friend, Mr. Baumer, or part of the jury.  After about two days of court, it was decided that Mr. Baumer was proven guilty, much to his disappointment. So, with that, Baumer was put into jail for the rest of his life.  No matter the outcome, we can assure you that everyone had a great time. Being a     witness had a lot of pressure, and I’m sure the jury did, too. But, nonetheless, it was an interesting way to look at a short story in reading class.