Susan Smith

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/susan-smith

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Susan Smith born?September 26, 1971
2. Where was Susan Smith born?Union, South Carolina
3. What is the convicted?For the murders of her sons, Michael and Alexander, in 1994
4. What is the defense strategy?Argued severe mental health issues impaired judgment and understanding of her actions
5. Who is Susan Smith?Susan Smith is a woman who was involved in a case where she killed her two young sons.
6. What did Susan Smith say happened to her children?She told people that a Black man had taken her car and taken her sons, but this story was not true.

Diminished Capacity: A legal defense arguing that a defendant's mental state prevented them from forming the intent required for a crime.
Prejudice: Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, often negative.
Culpability: Responsibility for a fault or wrong; blame.
Sensationalism: The use of exciting or shocking details to create public interest.