At Bruriah Middle School, the eighth grade students held a mock trial to determine who was responsible for the death of the Taino native people, who were encountered by European explorers in the 15th century. During that mock trial, the student judges made their determination. Last week, each girl had her chance to weigh in. Working in pairs, girls made top five lists, showing who they thought was least and most responsible. The students backed their ideas with notes from the mock trial, and the knowledge they amassed through the entire unit, for a final summative assessment. Prior to creating their own list, the class read an article and discussed the value of “top” lists, which included helping them organize their thoughts, valuing our own and others’ opinions and “overlaying our identity” onto various topics and content.