Order in the court! Mr. Kumka’s 8th-grade social studies classes held a mock trial in which students presented oral arguments either supporting or opposing the landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plessy V Ferguson. This case upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as they were equal in quality--a doctrine that came to be known as “separate but equal.” The students did an excellent job working together in "law firms" to create and communicate effective arguments.