Lesson Plan

Sixty Years Later

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Has any progress been made in desegregating schools since 1954's Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education? To find out, class members examine charts and graphs representing U.S. schools' racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic compositions. Participants also consider whether diverse schools are essential in a democracy.

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Before the lesson, instructors should read the information provided in the "Establishing Ground Rules" article
  • Have groups update the charts to reflect more current statistics 
  • Print the meeting roles on card stock and laminate to permit reuse
Classroom Considerations
  • Fourth of six lessons in the "Looking Back Reaching Forward" unit
  • The lesson has the potential for devolving rapidly into stereotypical thinking; therefore, establish ground rules for the discussion to ensure a mature discussion of the issues presented
  • No provision is made for bi-racial or multiracial families in the role play
  • The charts are dated and only reflect information up to 2012
Pros
  • The activities encourage learners to reflect on their ideas about diversity and desegregation
Cons
  • None