Course: U.S. History
Grade Level: 10
Title: Plessy, Brown, and Bakke (Tracing the Impact of Civil Rights Legislation)
Lesson Summary: Students need to know the impact of Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of
Education and Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. All of these
cases are expected to be known on the Ohio Graduation Test and will help the
students trace the effects of Jim Crow laws, desegregation, and Affirmative
Action in the United States.
Estimated Lesson Duration: 2 ½ days
Preparation:
1. Book one of the computer labs for the lesson (2 days).
2. Divide student into groups of three and inform students of their groups for the day of the
project.
Instructional Procedures:
Day before the lesson
1. Pass out copies of the pre-test to the students (allocate about 5-7 minutes for this or less
depending on the students ability to answer the questions).
2. Collect the copies of the pre-test.
3. Let the students know that tomorrow they will be examining three key Supreme Court cases
and that within each group they will work individually, and then bring their information
back together to share with their group).
4. Inform students of the groups that they will be working with for the assignment.
5. Inform the students that they will need to meet you in the Library’s computer lab tomorrow
for class.
Day #1
1. Remind the students of their groups and have them sit together.
2. Allow the Media Specialist to introduce the specific database that the students will use and
its functions. (15 minutes)
3. Pass-out copies of the Student Note Sheet to each of the students.
4. Within the small groups, have the students decide among themselves, which case they
would like to research: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), Brown v. Board of Education (1954),
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
5. Inform the students that the remaining time that they have in the class is to be spent on
researching their particular case. (30 minutes)
Day #2
1. Inform students that they will need to continue the research of their particular case. (1520 minutes)
2. Upon completion of the research, students will instruct the members of their groups on the
important points of their case and the impact that the case had. (25-30 minutes)
3. Inform each group that they will record each others “Key Information” in the section titled
“Key info from…” at the bottom of their Note Sheets.
4. Review the importance of the cases with the students for the remainder of the time.
5. Assign the students to study the information for homework in order to prepare for a quiz
(Post-test) tomorrow.
Day after instruction
1. Pass out copies of the post-test to the students (allocate about 5-7 minutes for this or less
depending on the students ability to answer the questions).
2. Collect the copies of the post-test.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
For those students who struggle with the reading level used in the Student Resource Center Gold
database, some of the questions can be found using the Britannica Online database through the
Library Resources webpage. The types of questions that are answered can likewise be modified
for the specific learner.
Extension: As you see fit, assign students to work using this database. External resources can be
found at www.landmarkcases.org. This website contains reproducible PDF files with enrichment
activities for the students.
Materials/Resources Needed:
• For the teacher: Copies of the pre/post-test, copies of the case “note sheets.”
• For the students: Notebooks, textbooks, pen or pencil.
Key Vocabulary:
• Separate But Equal
• Segregation
• Jim Crow
• Desegregation
• Affirmative Action
Technology Connections: This lesson will make use of Student Resource Center Gold. This site
can be accessed by following the listed steps.
• www.shaker.org, click on Our Schools, Schools, High School, Library Resources,
Information/Databases, (Enter in the password “44120”). Click on Student Resource Center
(includes Virtual Reference, Opposing Viewpoints). Click on Student Resource Center Gold.
Worksheets:
• Copies of the Pre/Post test (See attached)
• Copies of the case “Note Sheets”
Ohio Academic Content Standards:
Social Studies:
Grade: 10
Standard: Government
Benchmark: A
Organizer: Rules and Laws
Indicator: 1a-c (Examine the U.S. Constitution as a living document by analyzing its evolution
through amendments and Supreme Court decisions including: Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board
of Education, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke).
Library Guidelines:
Grade: 10
Standard: Information Literacy
Benchmark: B
Organizer: Evaluating Resources
Indicator: 1 (Examine information for its accuracy and relevance to an information need (e.g., for
a report on pollution, find information from sources that have correct and current information
related to the topic).
Evaluation:
The Pre/Post Test will serve as the evaluation for the lesson. This should serve as a shortassessment for the students. Short and extended response questions may be added as needed.
Action Plan for: Plessy, Brown, and Bakke (Tracing Civil Rights Legislation)
Class: U.S. History
Grade Level: 10th
1. Welcome/Introduction
2. Significance of the cases
a. Legally affirmed Jim Crow laws.
b. Desegregated the schools.
c. Dealt with Affirmative Action (No more quota system)
3. Legacies*
a. Institutionalized Jim Crow?
b. Has real integration actually taken place?
c. Future of Affirmative Action?
4. Introduction of databases to be used:
a. Student Resource Center Gold
• Types of Articles (*=type of article that you want to use)
1. Commentary
2. *Event Overview*
3. Topic Overview
5. Search strategies
a. Search by the full name of the case:
• Plessy v. Ferguson
• Brown v. Board of Education
• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
b. Using the tabs to find more information
c. Locating a Primary Source
6. Questions
Name: ______________________________________
U.S. History _____°
Date: ______________________________________
Plessy v. Ferguson (Note Sheet)
Instructions: Use the search strand “Plessy v Ferguson.” Find the first entry that is noted as an
Event Overview.
1. Summarize the law that prompted the Plessy v. Ferguson case.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Why were some railroad companies against the Separate Car Law?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What was the purpose of the Citizen’s Committee?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. What was the racial make-up of Homer Plessy and why was this important?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Summarize the event that took place on June 7, 1892.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. How did the Supreme Court rule in 1896? What effect did it have on the country?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Key info from Brown v. Board:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Key info from U Cal v. Bakke:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Name: ______________________________________
U.S. History _____°
Date: ______________________________________
Brown v. Board (Note Sheet)
Instructions: Use the search strand “Brown v Board.” Find the first entry that is noted as an Event
Overview.
1. Summarize what the background of the Brown case.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. What were some of the educational disparities between whites and African Americans?
• _______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________
3. What role did the NAACP play in the case?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. What argument did Thurgood Marshall present in terms of the effects of segregation?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. How did the court rule on May 17, 1954? How did the Court justify its ruling?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Scroll to the top of the page and search for “little rock nine.” Examine the entry. How does
this event tie-in to the Brown case?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Key info from Plessy v. Ferguson:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Key info from U Cal v. Bakke:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Name: ______________________________________
U.S. History _____°
Date: ______________________________________
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (Note Sheet)
Instructions: Use the search strand “University of California v. Bakke.” Find the second entry that is
noted as an Event Overview.
1. What was Lyndon Johnson’s attitude towards affirmative action? In your opinion, was he right
or wrong? Explain.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Explain the two “tracks” to get into the Medical School.
• _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. Explain the concept of “reverse discrimination” and how it relates to this case.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Explain how did the Supreme Court ruled on the case?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Identify two questions that were raised as a result of the ruling? (Look in “Impact of Event”)
• _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Key info from Plessy v. Ferguson:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Key info from Brown v Board:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4
Name: ___________________________________
U.S. History _____°
Date: ___________________________________
Pre/Post Test
1. Jim Crow laws, which were passed in Southern states following Reconstruction, were
intended to institute racial segregation. These laws gained strength as a result of the
decision from which of the following Supreme Court cases?
a. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
b. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
c. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
d. Roe v. Wade (1973)
2. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was a very important case that the Warren court ruled
on. However, which one of the following is one of the greatest obstacles to achieving racial
integration of public schools in the United States today?
a. Federal courts have avoided dealing with public education.
b. Many cities have local laws requiring children of different races to attend different
schools.
c. “Separate but equal” public education is still legal in many states.
d. Segregated housing patterns are still common in many communities.
3. In the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case, Justice Harry Blackmun wrote in
an opinion “In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race…. And in
order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently.” How does this quote
relate to the outcome of the case?
a. The Supreme Court ruled affirmative action was constitutional but quotas were not.
b. The Supreme Court ruled desegregation illegal.
c. The Supreme Court ruled that Bakke’s rights were not violated.
d. The Supreme Court ruled decided to re-examine the Brown case.
4. In the
a.
b.
c.
d.
case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Court’s decision affirmed the idea that…
Integration of the schools was necessary, but would take time.
The races should be legally separated.
The rights of African Americans were equal to those of white men.
The schools should be desegregated.