Mosaic middle schoolers have been studying the elements that make up a civilization and what causes a civilization to fall. The students are comparing ancient Greece and Aztec cultures and then analyzing why those civilizations failed and what they could have done differently to avoid their collapse. The students will be splitting up into different groups of lawyers, judges, jury members and researchers hired by the lawyers, to present evidence of their case in court. Students will be applying a variety of skills that can also be applied outside of the classroom such as collaboration, providing evidence for a constructive argument, observing how our justice system operates,  employing cause and effect arguments to explain history and the ability to back up an idea or opinion. After the debate, students will use the knowledge they gathered about past civilizations and apply it to the current Sheboygan community to make a prediction concerning our communities' future.