In this article, the author describes the approach she used to teach American government to high school seniors. Beginning with a court procedure unit, the central strategy she used for this unit was a murder mystery that peaked the students' curiosity and encouraged them to think like scientists and lawyers. The court procedure lesson uses a variety of teaching methods. To teach a concept, daily class discussion and notes are given; on other days, students participate in role-play. The lesson culminated with a two-day trial. Researchers from the Research Institute for Studies in Education at Iowa State University evaluated this project. Dr. Matt Feldmann and Dr. Mack Shelley's research found that: (1) The new units conveyed appropriate conceptual understanding of the content; (2) The new unit engaged and maintained student interest; (3) The teachers found the new unit to be usable; and (4) The new unit worked well for students with diverse learning styles. (Contains 2 figures, 4 resources, and 4 online resources.)