Concept Formation Lesson Plan
Lesson Title: Segregation in the United States.
Course: Seventh Grade/United States History
Unit of Study: The Civil Rights Era
Abstract:
Students in this class will be presented with material regarding the doctrine of “separate but equal” to critically look at how segregation treated people of different races as distinct classes. The lesson will begin with the students being introduced to six different examples of how African Americans and whites performed every day functions in different arenas. From there the teacher will work with the students to develop the concept of “segregation” so that the students can learn how unequal this doctrine truly was. After developing the core concept of “segregation” the students will be placed into small groups with the task of generating a list of at least six other places or institutions that African Americans and whites were treated differently.
Objectives:
Students will:
· explain what the concept of segregation is and provide examples of how segregation operated in American society. (Michigan Curriculum Framework, Social Studies, I.1.HS.2).
· learn how the doctrine of “separate but equal” was created in the United States and how it clashes with the concept of core democratic values that we share today. (Michigan Curriculum Framework, Social Studies I.4.MS.4).
· identify disparities between our American ideals that we share today and the American ideals of the past (Michigan Curriculum Framework, Social Studies, III.3.MS.2).
Key Concepts:
segregation, the policy of separating people of different races, classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, and public or commercial facilities, especially as a form of discrimination.
separate but equal, the policy outlined by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson which held that African Americans could be segregated from society as long as they were given “separate but equal” accommodations.
Black Codes, laws that were created after the Civil War which were designed to keep African Americans in a subservient position.
Instructional Resources
Cherminsky, E. (1997). Constitutional law: Principles and policies. New York: Aspen Publishers.
Definition of segregation. Dictionary.com Retrieved October 10, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.dictionary.com
History Alive: The Civil Rights Movement; Twentieth century united states history. (1999). Palo Alto: Teachers Curriculum Institute.
Plessy v. Ferguson, v. 157 (Supreme Court 1896). Retrieved from Lexis-Nexis from the World Wide Web: http://www.lexis.nexis.com
Sequence of Activities:
This lesson will occur after students have been introduced to the unit that details the Civil Rights Era. Before students approach this lesson they will have a basic understanding of the duration the Civil Rights movement as well as a basic understanding how it developed over time from a lack of equality in the United States.
1. Introduce the lesson plan by explaining to students that we will be looking at a list of events that took place throughout the history of the United States. These events would be transmitted onto a screen using a laptop and PowerPoint.
2. After briefly introducing part of the process of today’s lesson plan, place six events onto the overhead screen. They include:
· In 1896, in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the United States Supreme Court determined that a law, which mandated that African Americans ride in separate rail cars from whites, was valid under the United States Constitution. (Plessy)
· Prior to the decision by the Supreme Court in 1954, concerning the case of Brown v. Board of Education, students could be sent to different schools based on color. (Brown)
· Jackie Robinson was the first African American baseball player to enter the major leagues on April 15, 1947. Before this African American players had to play in their own league. (Robinson)
· In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a public bus to a white man, which was against the law in the state of Alabama. (Parks)
· In many cities throughout the country, including the North, racial covenants were created which made it impossible for African Americans to buy property or homes in areas that they wished to move to. (Covenants)
· In 1958, two residents of Virginia, Mildred Jeter, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, were married in the District of Columbia. They were arrested when they returned to their home state of Virginia which had laws against interracial marriage.
3. Ask the students to describe the ways in which the events listed are alike. On the board create a list of attributes that are shared by all the events.
4. Introduce the definition of “segregation” and the concept of “separate but equal” as described in the dictionary. Definition of segregation is: The policy of separating people of different races, classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, and public or commercial facilities, especially as a form of discrimination.
5. Create a table on the marker-board to determine whether each member of the category shares the attributes described in the definition section.
6. Ask the students to write a sentence defining all the shared attributes of segregation and edit the definition so that it is similar to: “The policy of separating people of different races, classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, and public or commercial facilities, especially as a form of discrimination.”
7. Choose a word to label the defined category. Suggest “segregation” if it is not suggested by the students during discussion.
8. Ask students if they would like to edit the working definition of the concept of “segregation.” Has this concept definition changed throughout time? Ask students what they think about this.
9. Identify additional members of this category, e.g., creation of African American Universities, or separate bathroom and restroom facilities.
10. Have students suggest non-examples, e.g., the creation of organizations such as the NAACP or other organizations such as the Back Law Students Association (BLSA).
11. Review for the class the concept of segregation. Ask the class whether this was truly a “separate but equal” way to treat African Americans and whites. What if it would have been equal?
12. Divide the class into approximately four groups of three to four students. Assign each group to find three to six different areas where African Americans and whites were segregated in American Society. To do this they can use their text-book or get on a computer to try to identify the different ways that African Americans were segregated form larger society. The groups would have approximately 15 minutes to find this information.
13. Have each group present their findings to the class. After each group presents the information that they have found ask them if they know how the issue was resolved; if not grief then inform them of Brown v. Board of Education. Did African Americans fight this form of segregation in the courts or did they protest until their demands were met?
Assessment
Informal assessment of student learning can be accomplished by observing whether the students identify other ways that African Americans were segregated in society. Since each student will be broken into a group informal assessment will be further demonstrated as the instructor circulates the classroom and talks to the groups about their findings.
Formal Assessment will occur when students prepare a one to two page paper in which they demonstrate their ability to critically think about how segregation and the doctrine of separate but equal clashes with our core democratic values of today.