Nationwide Constitution Day Event

The Olathe Public Schools partners with Judge Robert J. Wonnell and the Kansas 10th Judicial District Court in Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas to offer the Third Grade Mock Trial Event, nationwide on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 2026. 

Thank you to all third graders and their teachers across the United States who participated in the 2025 Constitution Day Mock Trial! There were 17,590 students from 736 classrooms in attendance! A special thank you to Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer, and Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran who joined to impart knowledge of the three branches of government. It was an incredible and historic event and so much fun!

Judge Robert J. Wonnell of the Kansas 10th Judicial District Court in Olathe, Kansas began this program with third graders at Forest View Elementary School over 10 years ago. The event has expanded beyond third grade classrooms in Olathe, to all of Kansas, and now nationwide! We hope this will continue to be an annual event.

The annual Constitution Day mock trial event is a great way to enrich social studies instruction in your classroom. The mock trial experience connects to the C3 Framework and the KSDE HGSS focus standard for third grade, which is that societies are shaped by the identities, beliefs, and practices of individuals and groups, and the reinforced standards that choices have consequences, and individuals have rights and responsibilities.

Students make connections with the third grade social studies content by learning about their community and the civic duties that people perform, such as following the law, showing respect for others, and serving on a jury. By participating in the mock trial, students learn about the court system, the branches of government, and the Constitution of the United States! As students listen to the evidence presented during the mock trial, each classroom functions as a jury that weighs the evidence and deliberates the facts to reach a verdict that is submitted to the Judge in real time. Students learn at the end of the event what the collective jury from across the nation decides — guilty or not guilty! Judge Wonnell concludes the event with Q & A time.

The 2026 instructional materials that support the nationwide mock trial virtual event are available. Developed by the Olathe Public Schools Learning Services Department, instructional resources are made available for use by all participants to support this unique and exciting event. They are designed for use before, during, and after the Mock Trial, allowing students to fully experience this amazing learning opportunity!

This Constitution Day event was made possible by Kansas District Court Judge Robert J. Wonnell, the 10th Judicial District in Kansas, and the Olathe Public Schools USD 233 in Olathe, Kansas. This resource is the intellectual property of the Olathe Public Schools and Johnson County Kansas 10th Judicial District Court. It is intended for educational use only. You may not edit, reproduce, distribute, or sell this content in any form without the express written permission of the Olathe Public Schools and Johnson County Kansas 10th Judicial Court.

Olathe Teachers: You must be logged into your Google Apps for Education (GAFE) account to bypass district safety filters and view the videos linked in the lesson plan document. Just start Chrome, go to Google.com, and log in using your school Google account (username@students.olatheschools.com and your district password). Then use Chrome to watch the videos.

Mock Trial invitation (PDF)   Mock Trial poster (PDF)