Trial of Mr Smith - Prosecution Questions

Sample questions to which answers should be prepared before the trial begins.  

1.     What was your reaction when you first set eyes on the rainforest? 

2.     What did you gain by hacking through the rainforest? 

3.     Tell us what you think the rainforest will look like in 50 to 100 years time from now. 

4.     Why have you got all these elephants tusks in your store room?  

5.     What happened to the elephants after you took the tusks off them? 

6.     As a colonialist, name three African kingdoms you know? How would you describe their effectiveness in meeting the needs of their people? 

7.     Why did you replace the local ruling systems with your own? 

8.     How would you describe the African Market in the photograph? Would you say this picture shows a society ‘without history’? Tell us more. 

9.     What things have you bought from an African market and how did you go about this? 

10.                        Look at this picture of the Nigerian engraver, would the words, enterprising and industrious describe him? What other words would you use? 

11.                        Look at these Zulu girls they clearly like dressing up and looking good, they look very fashionable I would say. Why did you describe them as ‘without culture? 

12.                        Look at the picture of the Kenyan mountain dwellers; do you see any sense in the way they are dressed in relation to their local weather and the use of local materials to build their houses? Expand on your answer. 

13.                        Look at the Somali Fuzzy – Wuzzy card players, it is claimed you replaced their cards with your Monopoly board game, can you explain why you did this?  

14.                        In one of your books, you refer to the Nigerian Ibibio dancers as ‘South African Dancers, what steps did you take to learn the names of the various tribes in Africa? 

15.                        How would you describe what this weaver and his wife are doing? Does the word ‘lazy’ describe them? Why did you describe the indigenous people as lazy? 

16.                        How useful would you describe the African talking drums to the people? Why did you describe the people as without industry? 

17.                        If your country was so great why did you have to emigrate to others? 

18.                        The indigenous people welcomed and respected you, believing in your god, why you did you treat them so badly?

19.                        Is it true to say that you only colonised these places to make money? Explain your answer. 

20.                        Describe a project you undertook to give back some of the money you made to the local people. 

21.                        Have you heard of the word ‘racist’ and does this word describe you and your actions?

The presiding judge (the teacher or other adult) must keep reiterating points made during the trial; to draw out the learning and lessons coming out for both sides of the argument.

After the trial, students should discuss the major issues in their groups before working individually to write their persuasive argument about the verdict; starting their argument with e.g. ‘After considering all the evidence, I believe that Mr Smith is guilty / not guilty for the following reasons.