Directions for Civil Rights Court Case Concept Map:

You are researching the court cases of Dred Scott v Sandford, Plessy v Ferguson, and Brown
v Board of Education by reading online articles, watching a video reenactment and listening
to a short podcast excerpt. You will take notes on from these resources will specific guiding
questions in mind that will help you complete your concept map. The goal of this section is
to understand what the contents are of each case and its impact on African Americans.
These are foundational cases within the fight for complete equality for African Americans
and you should understand the context, implications, and results of each decision.
The following websites will be used:
Dred Scott v Sandford
https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/60us393
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=6E9AE9A4-99BE-1607-
4E10B0300D8BE083
Plessy v Ferguson:
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson
Brown v Board of Education:
https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/supreme-court-
landmarks/brown-v-board-education-podcast

As you interact with the material above you are expected to fill in the concept map for each
of the court cases using the website Popplet. You may work as pairs to complete the work
but are each expected to produce your own concept maps to turn in. You should number
each answer and make note of who the important quote is from.
The concept maps should answer the following questions for each case:
1. What happened within this case? Describe the context of the case.
2. What was the essential question that the courts were to answer?
3. What was the final decision?
4. Why do you think this case is considered important?
5. Only for Brown v Board of Education: What is the importance of precedent within
this case?
For the above questions please use the resources provided to find the answers for each
court case rather than simply googling the answers. I want to see an ability to use each
source effectively.
For each section, in addition to the above questions include from your own web searches:
1. One photo
2. One important quote from the case hearings or decision
3. One connection you made from the case to today
You do not need to write in complete sentences, bullet points are fine as long as the
necessary information is covered. You need to show a deep understanding of the court
case and the facts within it.
A scoring guide can be found on the website embedded.