USF's WebQuest 

WebQuest Title: Brown v. The Board Of Education
Author:     Christina Adams

Introduction:

Seven-year-old African American Linda Brown was not permitted to attend an all-white elementary school just blocks from her house. To get to the segregated elementary school she was assigned to, Brown had to cross railroad tracks and take a bus for several miles. The Brown family sued the school system but lost. Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP appealed the case all the way to the supreme court.

The case of Brown v. Board of education of Topeka, Kansas, combined with several similar cases, reached the Supreme court in December 1952. Thurgood marshal argued that segregated schools were not and could not be equal to white schools. For that reason segregated schools violated the fourteenth amendment to the constitution.

on may 17, 1954, the supreme court ruled in brown v. the board of education of Topeka, Kansas that it was unconstitutional to separate school Children by race. the brown decision reversed the courts decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Task:

Your task for this webquest is to research different aspects surrounding the Brown decision, you will break into groups of two and be given a topic to research.  You will be given lab time to do your research.  You will also be given many web resources but are encouraged to do your own research as well. you will then present your findings using power point to the class. 

Topic For Research

1. Jim Crow

2. Segregated Schools

3. 5 Cases Brought before the Supreme Court

4. Supreme Courts decision

5. School Districts reaction

6. Civil Rights Activists

7. NAACP

8. Little Rock Nine

9. National Guard

10. President Eisenhower

11. Other issues during this time/ Emmett Till

Process:

1. you will use the following links to do  research for your power point presentation.

2. All work should be kept for use in final paper. (See Conclusion)

3. your presentation should include the following:

• 8-10 slides

• resources

• timeline

• 3 pictures

• 2 links

• 1 map

• 1 slide on concentration camps

 Resources:

•  Documents related to Brown v. Board of Education

• http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/112/

• http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/brown/index.html

• http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/brown-case-order/

• http://www.edhelper.com/

• http://www.rethinkingschools.org/brown/

• http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/little_rock/

• http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/de34.html

Evaluation:

You will be graded according to the following rubric. worth 80 pts - You will also be required to do a self-evaluation following the same rubric. You will also be writing a final paper worth 20 points.. (See Conclusion)

Rubric

Conclusion:

You have completed the webquest.  You have become more aware of the people, places, and events surrounding the Brown case.  You will now reflect on the following questions:

• What is one thing you learned about the the Brown case?

• How would you feel if you were there and why?

• What would you take with you if you were one of the Little Rock nine attending school for the first time?

• what would you have done to help the Civil Rights Movement?

• what could the world have done?

Your final paper should be in essay form.  Your essay should be at least two pages in length and be typed in MS WORD.