Teacher’s Guide
This activity guide accompanies the exhibition Separate Is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education. It delivers a variety of historical primary-source materials from the exhibition directly to your classroom. Through these sources and activities, students can build a deeper understanding of the struggle for social justice leading up to and following the Court’s ruling on the Brown case, and the decision’s impact on today’s society. Each unit begins with a lesson plan followed by accompanying worksheets and photographs that complement the lesson. These documents are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Unit One: Segregated America
Suggested Grade Level: 4th through 6th grade; 7th through 12th grade
Skills: Analysis and evaluation of primary source materials
Unit Two: The Battleground: Separate and Unequal Education
Suggested Grade Level: 4th through 12th grade
Skills: Analysis of primary sources, small group work
Unit Three: An Organized Legal Campaign
Suggested Grade Level: 4th through 6th grade; 7th through 12th grade
Skills: Internet and print research, analysis of historical source material, poster making
Unit Four: Five Communities Change a Nation
Suggested Grade Level: 7th through 12th grade
Skills: Research skills, analysis of primary and historical sources, oral presentations
Unit Five: A Landmark in American Justice
Suggested Grade Level: 4th through 6th grade; 7th through 12th grade
Skills: Analysis of primary and historical source material
Unit Six: The Past Half Century: Achieving Equality
Suggested Grade Level: 4th through 6th grade; 7th through 12th grade
Skills: Analysis of primary sources, creative presentation of work, small group work
Download Complete Teacher’s Guide (.zip) 46.7 MB
The entire guide (Units One through Six) as well as all of the images, teacher briefing sheets, and student handouts accompanying each unit.
