On the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, Education World offers this special lesson planning resource. Included: Links to more than 3 dozen lessons.
The year 2004 marked the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education desegregation ruling: On May 17, 1954, the Court unanimously ruled that it was unconstitutional to separate students on the basis of race.
"Brown broke the back of American apartheid," Theodore Shore, associate director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said in a CNN news report. "It was a case that finally breathed life into the 14th Amendment for African-Americans."
This week, Education World has hunted down the best online lesson plans we could find for teaching students about this important anniversary. One of the first places we looked was on Tolerance.org. There we found a number of Brown v. Board of Education classroom activities and resources for students in grades 7-12:
The Landmark Supreme Court Cases, a joint offering from Street Law and The Supreme Court Historical Society, presents a handful of lesson plan ideas:
- Brown v. Board of Education Background Summary and Questions (Grades 4-5)
- Brown v. Board of Education Background Summary and Questions (Grades 6-8)
- Brown v. Board of Education Background Summary and Questions (Grades 9-12)
- Brown v. Board of Education: Does Treating People Equally Mean Treating Them the Same?
Think about several scenarios (provided) and discuss or write an answer to these questions: Does treating people equally mean treating them the same? What would it mean to treat people equally in these situations? (Grades 3-12)
- Brown v. Board of Education: Key Excerpts from the Majority Opinion
The decision was unanimous. Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the opinion of the Court. Excerpts and discussion questions included. (Grades 6-12)
- Brown v. Board of Education: Classifying Arguments for Each Side of the Case
Decide if each argument supports Brown's side against segregation, the Board of Education of Topeka's position in favor of segregation, both sides, or neither side. (Grades 6-12)
- Brown v. Board of Education: How a Dissent Can Presage a Ruling: The Case of Justice Harlan
Read excerpts from Justice Harlan's dissent and Chief Justice Warren's majority opinions. The justices clearly share the same opinion of the constitutionality of segregation. Can you determine how their opinions differ? (Grades 6-12)
- Brown v. Board of Education: Political Cartoon Analysis
Analyze political cartoons in terms of their relation to the Brown v. Board of Education case. What is the artist's message in the cartoons? Is there a political bias in the cartoons?
- Brown v. Board of Education: Conflict at Little Rock
Use questioning methods to explore the Little Rock integration crisis from the perspective of Central High School students. Also, explore the context for thinking about the crisis, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board, and the 1957 crisis in Little Rock. (Grades 6-12)
- Brown v. Board of Education: All Deliberate Speed?
Explore how quickly schools should be, and were, desegregated after the Brown v. Board decision. (Grades 6-12)
- Brown v. Board of Education: If You Were a Supreme Court Justice…
Read descriptions of school segregation cases that came before the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Taking into consideration what you know about the spirit in which the Brown case was written, how would you decide each case?
The New York Times Learning Network offers several lessons of interest:
- Learning the Hard Way
Explore instances of segregated education around the world; support and refute the idea through debate and persuasive-essay writing. (Grades 6-12)
- Revisiting 'Separate But Equal'
Examine the notion of "separate but equal" by reading the New York Times front page from the Brown v. Board of Education decision and by researching different events, legislation, and organizations that influenced desegregation. (Grades 6-12)
- Schools of Thought on Segregation: Exploring Differing Viewpoints
Analyze how education in America affects its youth and the nation by assessing a variety of ways in which American courts and communities are dealing with the unanimous Supreme Court ruling to end "separate but equal" education. (Grades 6-12)
ADDITIONAL LESSONS FROM MANY SOURCES
Following are additional lessons to extend your students understanding of the history and ramifications of Brown v. Board of Education:
And A Child Shall Lead Them
This is a teacher's guide for the play "And A Child Shall Lead Them," which was inspired by the events of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The guide includes many excellent activities that might be used apart from the play. (Grades 3-12)
Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Documents Related to
Brown v. Board of Education
Use primary source material from the National Archives to learn about the 14th Amendment, primarily the equal protection clause, as well as the powers of the Supreme Court under Article III of the U.S. Constitution. (Grades 6-12)
From Canterbury to Little Rock: The Struggle for Educational Equality for African Americans
This lesson uses the Web sites of the Prudence Crandall House and Little Rock High School (both registered National Landmarks) as a basis for comparing events relating to African-American education in Canterbury, Connecticut, in the 1830s and Little Rock, Arkansas, in the 1950s. (Grades 5-12)
From Jim Crow To Linda Brown: A Retrospective of the African-American Experience from 1897 to 1953
Simulate the Afro-American Council Meeting in 1898. Create a similar meeting of the Afro-American Council prior to the Brown case in 1954. (Grades 8-12)
Integrating Central High: The Melba Patillo Story
Read the story of one of the "Little Rock Nine." Imagine yourself in Melba's shoes. Think about being in a situation in which you are fighting to change the way things have always been. (Grades 5-7)
Brown v. the Board of Education
This activity booklet provides a summary and background for teachers, plus activities for young students. The background section can be used as a teaching tool for students in grades 3-up. (Grades 2-8)
Dialogue on Brown v. Board of Education
This resource from the American Bar Association (ABA) provides questions for starting a dialogue about what has been required -- and what has been achieved -- in pursuit of the goal of "equal protection for all Americans."
From Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Board of Education: The Supreme Court Rules on School Desegregation
Study the history of school desegregation legislation. Should the United States government legislate desegregation? Is racial mixing desirable and/or necessary in our educational system? (Grades 9-12)
School Desegregation and Prejudice in the United States
This unit offers a variety of activities that can be used as a whole or modified to fit a particular classroom situation. (Grade 5-8)
14th Amendment -- Equal Protection, Due Process, Citizenship
Gather and present evidence that the United States has or has not made progress in its efforts to apply Jefferson's words that "all men are created equal." (Grades 6-12)
Segregation Before Brown
Create a color-coded map to illustrate segregation in the United States. Consider reasons for regional differences in segregation practices. (Grades 4-8)
You and Me: Activities About Diversity
Children reinforce their identity and raise their self-esteem through an art activity. Questions encourage them to think positively about differences among people. (Grades 2-4)
Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2006 Education World
Originally published 02/13/2004
Links last updated 01/17/2006
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