Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The curriculum, Supreme Court DBQs, was made possible by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities through its We the People program.
Mission Statement
Established in 1999, the Institute is a 501(c)(3) not for profit charity focused on providing educational resources on America's Founding documents and principles for teachers and students of American History and Civics. Our mission is to educate young people about the words and ideas of the Founders, the liberties guaranteed in our Founding documents, and how our Founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies
8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses).
On what part of the Constitution did the Court base its decision in Brown v. Board of Education?
1. 2. 3. 4. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment The Interstate Commerce Clause of Article I The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
5.
Not sure
If there were a place in America where separate could be equal, Topeka would have been a good choice.
Scaffolding Questions
Group Assignments
Group 1: Documents A, B, H Group 2: Documents C&D Group 3: Documents E, F, G
Supreme Court Document Based Questions Document Analysis Documents Summary: Students will use this form to develop an overview of the evidence available.
Document name & date Author Answer to scaffolding question How each side might use this document to answer the Key Question OR What is the main idea of this document?
Fill in the graphic organizer for your assigned documents; note your response in text chat as time permits.
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Document Analysis, p. 59
Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. must be available to all on equal terms. To separate students from others solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority [Based on] psychological knowledgethis finding is amply supported Separate educational facilities are inherently unequalplaintivesaredeprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
I. Unanimous Opinion, Brown v. Board of Education (1954): The Court declared mandatory segregation of the races in public schools to be unconstitutional, essentially invalidating Plessy v. Ferguson.
Chief Justice Earl Warren
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Document Analysis, p. 60
J. Unanimous Opinion in Brown II (1955): Because of the pervasive nature of segregation throughout the nations schools, the desegregation required by Brown I placed great responsibility on local officials who would implement the principles of equal protection in varied ways in different communities. The Court must rely on state and local executive and legislative bodies for enforcement of its decisions. District Courts were to be involved so that desegregation would occur with all deliberate speed.
Document Analysis, p. 61
K. Supreme Court Decision, 1954 The white hands represent the Supreme Court. The black hands represent African Americans shackled by segregation in schools. The Supreme Court, which in 1954 was composed entirely of white justices, was the force demanding the shackles binding black Americans be broken. The Court was acting to end social and legal bindings and the effects of slavery on black Americans.
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Brown
Both sides
Board of Education
Both sides
B: Section of 14th Amendment
Board of Ed.
C: Majority Opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 (Justice Henry Billings Brown) Photos E (Orderly class for whites) + F (Orderly African American class)
Assess the role played by the Court as the protector of individual rights against the tyranny of the majority in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
Photo credit: www.u-s-history.com
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George E.C. Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James Nabrit after Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, May 17, 1954
June 11, 1963, Alabama Gov. George Wallace stood at the door of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in a symbolic attempt to block two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from enrolling at the school.
June 11, 1963, Vivian Malone enters the University of Alabama. After earning her degree in business management, she went to work at the U.S. Department of Justice, retiring in 1996. She died in 2005.
On what part of the Constitution did the Court base its decision in Brown v. Board of Education?
1. 2. 3. 4. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment The Interstate Commerce Clause of Article I The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
5.
Not sure
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