I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Equality

Essential Question:

Why is racism a human problem?

Bridge:

Separate But Equal

Content:

Plessy vs. Ferguson

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to describe their invitation.

Activity: Teacher will use an experiential exercise. Prepare two types of invitations to a facitional party sponsored by one of the school’s organizations. The first “type” will be given only to those involved in athletics. Their invitations will describe a catered steak dinner with a live band providng entertainment. The rest of the students will receive invitations describing a party that is providing hot dogs and chips. Entertainment will be provided via the radio.

Assessment: How do the students react when they realize that there are two “separate but equal” parties?

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: Upon completion of this activitiy, students should be able to investigate and analyze the legitimacy of two “separate by equal” parties.

Activity: Have the students compare their invitations. Are they fair? Why or why not? Point out that both groups are having a party and food and entertainment is provided. Explain that we will be learning about a very important court case that legitimized segregation.

Assessment: Student discussion.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to define and illustrate equality.

Activity: Students will create an illustrated dictionary entry for equality. They must provide a definition, an antonym, and a synonym. Afterwards, they will draw an illustration representing equality.

Assessment: Cooperative group discussions of their illustrations.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to define and analyze the effects of Plessy v. Ferguson.

Activity: Interactive slide lecture on the causes and effects of Plessy v. Ferguson. Be sure to include references to Jim Crow laws, separate facilities, and of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Assessment: In class discussion based on lecture.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to generalize and organize slide lecture.

Activity: Students will create a web organizer of the material presented in the lecture.

Assessment: Teacher based evaluation of web organizer.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to put the information together in a new way.

Activity: Students may choose from one of the following activities: Interview someone who lived during the Civil Rights Movement focusing primarily on segregation. Or, create a historical journal pretending that they are an American citizen opposed to the court ruling. Both assignements should be historically accurate and provide examples of newsworthy events that happened during this period.

Assessment: Teacher will provide feedback on student’s progress.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to examine their work and analyze it for relevance.

Activity: Students will work on their assignments in the school library and at home.

Assessment: Teacher directed feeback.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: Upon completion of this activity, students should be able to critique their individual assignments.

Activity: Students will present their projects for grading. Have volunteers share their assign 0ments with the class. Students’ work will be displayed in the media center.

Assessment: Students will grade themselves before turning them in. Teacher will then evaluate projects based on evaluation form given to students before completing assignments.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: