L.White

West Middle School

Throughout American history, there has existed a vast divide between blacks and whites in our society. This has been especially tenuous in the system of education. After the Civil War, many southern states created ‘Jim Crow” laws which essentially established legal segregation. It was only a matter of time before the education of blacks hit the legislative books. Several cases were brought before American courts that determined the education of black Americans.

You are a member of a federal task force that fights for blacks to have the same educational opportunities as whites. One way the group does this is by sending literature and posters to the Congress which relay important information about policy established by the assigned court case.

For this activity, you will be assigned to a group and given a specific topic by the teacher. Each group will research, analyze and gather documentation for a court case that established a public policy relating to the treatment of black students.

Documentation: Use the following AHPPA steps

1. Identify the problem: Education of black Americans

2. Gather evidence: Use this worksheet.

3. Determine Causes: Use this worksheet.

4. Evaluate the Policy: Use this worksheet.

After all research and analysis is completed, begin work on the poster.

1. Create rough sketch/outline of poster.

2. Create final poster for assigned topic.

3. Each member of group will write and submit a report of his/her findings.

Topics for posters:

Plessy vs. Ferguson

Sweatt vs. Painter

Brown vs. BOE Topeka

McNeese vs. Board of Education

Goss vs. Board of Education

Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Social Studies

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

ELA:

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

PERFORMANCE	Great	Good	Satisfactory	Needs Improvement
RESEARCH 0 – 10 points	Fully completed all three worksheets; documentation demonstrates full understanding of topic	Completed worksheets with some depth; good understanding of topic	Worksheet mostly completed; satisfactory understanding of topic	Little to none of worksheet completed; minimal understanding of topic
POSTER 0 – 15 points	Adequate information; meaningful pictures, graphics and text; professional looking; neat & organized; correct grammar	Most important info present; professional looking; meaningful pictures, graphics, and text; few grammar errors	Some important info present; completed poster with some meaningful pictures, graphics and text; several grammar errors	Partially completed poster; lack of important information; absence of meaningful pictures, graphics, and text; many grammar errors
WRITTEN PIECE 0 – 15 points	Very well-organized; very well-developed; correct grammar throughout; strong connections	Well organized; good development; very few grammar errors; connections	Okay organization; some development; numerous grammar errors; some connections	Poorly organized; poorly developed; many grammar errors; few connections
COOPERATION 0 – 10 points	Partners consistently worked effectively and efficiently	Partners worked effectively & efficiently most of time	Partners worked effectively part of the time	Partners did not work well; ineffective use of time

To do your research, click on this page. You will find several links for your assigned court case.

By completing this project, you have learned how individuals can change an injustice in America by challenging that injustice in our court system. This includes the policy of segregation in public schools throughout America. How would public schooling be different today if these cases had not turned out the way that they did? What would West Middle School look like? Would you and your friends be allowed to attend the same school?