🧨 Once Upon a Crime: A Disney Villain Debate That Gets Kids Begging to Write

Your students groan when you mention argumentative writing. But what if they were begging to write persuasive speeches—and loving every minute of it?

In Once Upon a Crime, your class steps into the courtroom and takes on the roles of defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and jurors in the trial of four infamous Disney villains. It’s the ultimate high-engagement activity for teaching argumentative writing, debate, and textual analysis—without sacrificing rigor.

"One of my students called herself 'Attorney for the Sea Witch' all week. Another asked to stay after class to finish their closing argument. That’s how into it they were."

🎬 Who’s on Trial?

• Ursula (The Little Mermaid) – Charged with deception and exploitation

• Scar (The Lion King) – Charged with murder and environmental neglect

• Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) – Charged with inciting a mob and attempted murder

• Lady Tremaine (Cinderella) – Charged with emotional abuse and enslavement

Each villain offers unique angles for analysis, giving students the chance to explore moral ambiguity, use specific evidence, and practice persuasive techniques.

🧠 Why It Works (and Why It Sticks)

✔ Real academic skills, real fun This isn’t just a fluff activity. Students build strong argumentative claims, support them with text evidence (from films and scripts), and respond to counterclaims. It’s standards-aligned and perfect for prepping persuasive writing assessments—like STAAR, SAT, or district benchmarks.

✔ Scaffolded for all learners Includes sentence stems, graphic organizers, and examples to support students with all levels of writing experience. ELL and Special Education students thrive with the structure—while advanced students push for deeper arguments and rhetorical flair.

✔ It runs itself (almost) Once roles are assigned, the trial structure gives the class purpose and momentum. You become a facilitator, not the one dragging them through every sentence.

🗂 What’s Included?

• Editable teacher directions + slide deck

• Student prep pages: research guides, claim charts, rebuttal planners

• Jury rubrics + reflection pages

• Sentence starters and writing frames for support

• Optional wrap-up writing and extension ideas

🏆 Perfect For:

• Argumentative writing units

• Public speaking & rhetoric lessons

• End-of-quarter engagement boost

• Cross-curricular ties with media studies

• Sub plans or mini project weeks

✨ Your Turn

If you're ready to turn persuasive writing into something your students look forward to, you’re going to love this unit.

Because villains make the best arguments—and your students are ready to defend them.