Lesson Cycle

Lesson Title/Topic: Impacts of landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decisions

Target Concept: 12th Grade Government
Standards/Rationale: TEKS 113.41.c.21.a
Lesson Objectives:
The student will identify the important topics
and discuss the impacts of landmark U.S.
Supreme Court decisions, Plessy v. Ferguson
and Brown v. Board of Education, at a 75%
proficiency rate.

Assessment:
Create a court case based on a modern
controversial issue, using the people who
support and oppose the issue.

Materials: Pen or pencil and paper.

Lesson Cycle:
The teacher will:
Focus/Mental Set:
Provide a piece of paper with a court case (one
of the six landmark cases we will study) and
number written at the top for partner and group
divisions. Provide instructions.

Teacher Input:
Clarify meanings if necessary for: segregation,
separate but equal, majority and minority
opinions, impact, inference
Plessy v. Ferguson:
The Louisiana Separate Car Act was passed in
1890. It prohibited whites and African
Americans from sitting in the same cars on
public transportation. A citizens committee got
together to challenge it. Homer Plessy was 1/8
African American and bought a ticket to sit in a
whites only car. When he would not move after
asked, he was arrested. The Supreme Court
agreed with the other appeals courts, saying
that separate but equal was legal. One justice
chose not to vote, one dissented, and seven
upheld the appeals court decision.

The student will:

Write the name of any court case, past or
current but not the one on your or your
neighbors paper, on the paper provided. If you
do not know one, look one up using the
available technology. Three at a time will step
forward and write the name of their case on the
board, and that will continue until all have
come up.
Define in their own words: segregation,
separate but equal, majority and minority
opinions, impact, inference
While listening to the lecture, write down the
important topics that are dealt with within each
court case on the provided paper to turn in as
an exit ticket. For example, B v. VOE deals
with education and what other important
topics?

In a majority opinion, Justice Henry Billings

Brown stated this did not violate the 13th
amendment, as it was not attempting to force
involuntary servitude. It did not violate the 14th
amendment because that ensured legal equality
and not social equality.
The dissenting opinion (1 justice), John
Marshall Harlan stated the Constitution must
be color-blind and not have a superior race. He
stated separate but equal made African
Americans feel inferior and was, therefore,
unconstitutional.
Play video:
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/bf09
.socst.us.const.plessy/plessy-v-ferguson/
B v BOE :
Brown was multiple cases that were combined
in one decision. Thurgood Marshall argued the
case, as it was very important and
controversial. His arguments stated that school
segregation was not equal. Therefore, it
violated Plessy V Fergusons separate but equal
decision. Marshall provided evidence that
facilities, books, teacher training, etc. was not
equal to white schools. Marshall furthered the
argument in Plessy that segregated schools
made African Americans feel inferior just by
its definition.
Although most the Supreme Court Justices
agreed the Plessy decision should be reversed,
they differed on their reasons behind the
reversal. Unable to agree at the end of the
1952-3 term, they decided to hear the case
again in December 1953. The Justices came to
a unanimous decision and declared segregation
illegal. A plan for desegregation was handed
off to each states attorney general, until the
Supreme Court came up with a plan to proceed
with all deliberate speed in May 1954. It
would take many years for desegregation to
occur in all schools. There are no majority or
minority opinions.
Play video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=TTGHLdr-iak
B v BOE reversed the Plessy decision.
Guided Practice:
Students divide into groups based on the
number written on their focus.
Teacher asks two questions for the students to
answer. Now that you have heard the outline,
topics, and decisions of these cases,
1. What were the impacts of Brown v.
Board of Education?
2. What were the impacts of Plessy v.
Ferguson?

After the teacher asks a question, each student

will have 1 minute to write down their answer
on a piece of paper. The group will then have
2.5 minutes to combine and talk about their
answers, constructing a list. One representative
will stand up to voice an article on the list,
until all the lists and items on the list have been
completed.

Closure:
Take up exit tickets.

In partners, come up with a current topic that is

important and controversial. The topic can
come from the list provided or other resources.
After agreeing on a topic, check with the
teacher to make sure no one else has already
chosen it. Ask any questions about directional
guidance or idea approval.
Create the name of a court case as if you were
going to take the issue to the Supreme Court.
Decide which partner is for and which is
against the topic. Research the opponents
arguments and supporters arguments. Each
partnership will have 7-12 minutes in our
classroom turned courtroom to present their
case and arguments to the jury (classmates).
They can ask questions for clarification if
needed.
Turn in topics from discussion, which should
be written on the focus sheet.

Options:
Enrichment:

Reteach:

Explain that students will partner based on the

court case at the top of the paper.
Independent Practice:
Observe.

Modifications/Correctives:

References: