WEBQUEST
BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION
Robert Pennington
IS 174
Introduction:
It is the year 1954. You are
a reporter for a large newspaper. You
are asked to write an article about something that’s happening in the Supreme
Court of the
You, as a reporter, are about to meet Linda and Terry Brown, two girls who are at the center of a
legal controversy. The controversy will become
known as the Supreme Court case of Brown
v. Board of Education. In the
course of your reporting about this case, you will also meet some other very important
people who were involved in it.
Task:
As a reporter, your objective is to write an objective newspaper
article about the circumstances surrounding the decision, the decision itself,
and the result of the decision. You will
also try to evaluate the effects that the decision will make in the future. You will also make an oral presentation of
your article to the class.
Process:
You will work in groups of four.
I will assign each group member a role: Reader, recorder, graphic designer, and presenter.
You will use CompuLegal
(from the TIPS website) to research the case.
You will view the facts of the
case,
You will look at a cartoon of
the case.
You will use the directions at Project LEGAL
to evaluate and structure an issue
question.
You will study two
precedents of this case (Plessy v.
You will look at
both sides of the case to help come up with your own decision as well as the
outcome.
You will use the research you have gathered as well as your own
original ideas, write a 1-2-page article on this case.
You will make a 2-3-minute presentation on your article to the
class.
Resources:
Use
the following websites to help you in your research:
Evaluation:
Your
work will be graded according to the following rubric:
Written Report
4
Ø
Clear and logical presentation of
arguments.
Ø
Comprehensively addresses the task.
Ø
Good command of the material and the
conventions.
Ø
Attractive and legible format.
3
Ø
Adequately addresses task.
Ø
Clear and logical presentation of
arguments
Ø
Few errors in conventions do not
restrict the meaning of reports.
Ø
Material is well laid out and easy to
follow.
2
Ø
Addresses task.
Ø
Clear arguments can be identified
Ø
Grammar and spelling errors impede the
flow of thought.
Ø
Organization of the report needs
improvement.
1
Q
Inadequate coverage of the material.
Ø
Presentation is not logical.
Ø
Errors in grammar and spelling make
report muddled and confusing.
Oral
Report
4
Q
Clear and well projected voice level.
Q
Maintains contact with the audience.
Q
Makes effective use of audio and visual
stimuli.
Q
Finishes presentation on time.
3
Q
Clear and well projected voice level.
Q
Maintains contact with most of the
audience all of the time.
Q
Make adequate use of audio and visual
stimuli.
Q
Finishes presentation on time.
2
Q
Needs to project voice.
Q
Engages some of the audience all of the
time /all of the audience some of the time.
Q
Audio and visual stimuli not adequately
used.
Q
Presentation is too short or goes
beyond time.
1
Q
Not always audible.
Q
Not enough content.
Q
Reads from script.
This WebQuest addresses the following standards:
English Language Arts
E1c Read
and comprehend informational materials.
E1d
Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of public documents.
E2b
Produce a report of information.
E3c
Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.
Social Studies
SS5
Analyze how the values of the nation affect the guarantee of human rights and
make provision for human needs
Analyze the sources of a nation’s values as
embodied by its constitution, statutes and important court cases.
Understand how the
Conclusion:
Having completed this WebQuest, you are now an expert on the case
of Brown v. Board of Education. You have
researched the facts of the case, the competing arguments, and the Supreme
Court decision. You have also
“predicted” the effects of this case on the future of the