Using Primary Resources to Make Connections, Ask Questions, and Determine Importance:

Desegregation of Schools in the United States

Paige Waggoner

Summer Fellowship 2009

Lesson 1: Timeline of Events (3-4 days)

Purpose:

• Build background knowledge in the events that led to the Brown v. Board of Education Decision in 1954
• Develop a timeline of events
• Model Questioning Strategy and begin to have students develop their own questions

1. Using the following website as a resource: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/brown-v-board/timeline.html, students will develop a timeline to illustrate and discuss the significance of events leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education Decision in 1954. Specifically, I would graph (and discuss) the following events and highlight their significance:

· 1857-Dred Scott

· 1865-Freedman’s Bureau

· 1865-Black Codes

· 1866-Civil Rights Act of 1866

· 1868-14^th Amendment

· 1875-Civil Rights Act of 1875

· 1883-Supreme Court overturns Civil Rights Act of 1875

· 1887-Jim Crow

· 1896-“separate but equal doctrine” established (Plessy v. Ferguson)

· 1935-NAACP begins challenging segregation

· February 28, 1951-Brown vs. Board of Education was filed (refer to primary document so students can see student lawsuit was originally filed on behalf of)

· May 17, 1954-Plessy v. Ferguson overturned and court ruled school segregation violated the 14^th amendment (noteworthy: state legislations in AL, GA, MS, SC and VA adopted resolutions that declared the Supreme Courts decision to be “null, void and no effect”.)

· May 31, 1955-Supreme court ruled that desegregation occur with “all deliberate speed”.

These two websites may help students graph the events:

http://oklahomahomeschool.com/pdf%20documents/timeline2.pdf

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/timeline.pdf

2. During Lesson 1 while discussing the significance of each event illustrated on the timeline, I would have an anchor chart with the following headings: questions/answers/response (QAR). Students need to understand that questioning is a strategy that allows readers to seek out information, solve problems, clarify confusion and extend understanding which could lead to further research on a specific topic. I would model the QAR strategy the first day with the first 3 events being graphed and record my questions, answers, and responses (thoughts, connections, inferences, etc.) on the anchor chart. Please refer to Appendix 5 for stages of strategy instruction. After the first day, I would give each student 3 sticky notes to record their questions, answers, and responses. Each day the students would pair/share with at least one other student. Additionally, I would have a few students post their question on the anchor charts. All questions would go into their reading response journal. As questions are answered, we will fill out answer portion of anchor chart or do further research to obtain answers.

QAR Chart

3. Reading Response Journal: Each day throughout this lesson, students will place their sticky notes inside their journal. Additionally, students will spend at least 5 minutes writing 3 things they learned form our discussions. Students would then share their entry with one other student daily.