SEGREGATION AND BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF TOPEKA, KANSAS

OBJECTIVE: To look at the history of school segregation through the Brown case.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the Supreme Court ruled that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Have students use the internet or media center to research how the resources of white schools and black schools differed. Students can use the Venn diagram worksheet to show the similarities and differences between black and white schools, or write a paragraph describing their findings.
2. Place students into small groups of 3 to 5 students and have them create songs, raps, or poems about the legacy of Brown. Have each group perform their work.
3. Have students pretend they are a newspaper reporter and it's May 17, 1954 at 12:52 p.m.. Have them write the front page headline and lead story for their local newspaper. They can use poster board, multimedia paper or computer program (e.g., PowerPoint) to display their story. If possible, teachers should find the front page that actually ran in their community newspaper and share it with students, after the activity is complete.