Primary Source Lesson Plan

Objectives:
Students will interpret Supreme Court rulings and identify their significance on civil rights in our
world today. (DOK 2)

Materials:
1. Macbooks
2. paper
3. pencils
4. Magruder, Frank Abbott, and William A. McClenaghan. Magruder's American
Government. Needham, MA: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005. Print
5. Questions and Answers for Class Discussion
6.Primary Sources
- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ( May 17, 1954). Justice Warrens Opinion of
the Court, Accessed on-line at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-
resources/eisenhower-brownvboard/ on Nov. 5, 2013.
- Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896). Judge Harlan's Dissent. Accessed on-line at
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/nclc375/harlan.htmlon on Nov 5, 2013.
- Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). Justice Warrens Opinion of the Court,
Accessed on-line
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0384_0436_ZO.html
on Nov. 5, 2013.
- Miranda v Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). Justice Clarks Dissent. Accessed on-line at
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0384_0436_ZX.html-
on Nov. 5, 2013.
- Pace v. Alabama, 106 U.S. 583 (1883). Supreme Court Decision. Assessed on-line at
http://www.lovingday.org/pace-v-alabama on Nov. 5, 2013.
- Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967). Justice Warrens Opinion of the Court.
Assessed on-line at
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0388_0001_ZO.html
on Nov. 5, 2013.

6. Rubric for Paper





Opening (Set)
Good mourning students, yesterday we discussed Chapter 21 in our textbooks on Civil Rights:
Equal Justice Under Law. Can anyone tell me a Supreme Court ruling that is the direct result of
civil rights conflict? Today you will be interpreting 5 Supreme Court rulings, in which, you will
be required to write a 2 page paper on one of the primary sources.


Learning Tasks (Procedures)
1. Give students a link to the primary sources or give them a paper copy.
2. Have the students review each primary source and have a short discussion on them.
Students will be randomly asked questions in order to make sure they review the sources.
a. Questions and Answers provided
3. Tell the students that they will be required to write a 2 page paper on one of the given
primary sources.
4. Next, give the requirements for the assignment, such as, Times New Roman 12pt. font,
double spacing, and provide rubric. Tell the students that the paper will be due in two
days.
5. Then, tell the students that they will have to interpret the Supreme Court ruling and the
paper will have to answer the following question.
a. What is the significance of the ruling, Amendments, Acts and Civil Rights
involved and the role the ruling plays in our society today?
b. Allow the students to begin their paper.
6. Provide a dropbox for each student to send their paper or allow the students without
Macbooks to turn in a paper copy.


Closure:
In the last few minutes of class, ask the students if they learned anything today about civil
rights. Tell them that you really appreciated their cooperation during class discussion and
look forward to reading their papers. Finally, let the students know that if they need to
ask you any questions about the paper, your door is open all the time.




Primary Source Rubric
Points
Awarded
16-20pts. 11-15pts 6- 10pts 0 -5pts
Define
Ruling
involved in
case and time
period
Clear and
well defined
description
of ruling
Limited
description
of ruling, not
well defined
Description
provided, but
lack of
understanding
No
description
of ruling or
time period
20%
Analysis of
Amendments,
Acts and/or
Civil Rights
involved
Provides
effective
and clear
analysis
Provides
limited
analysis
Provides a
weak analysis,
but some
thought
involved
No analysis,
not much
thought
involved
20%
Critical
Thinking:
Relationship
of ruling to
present day
society
Strongly
relates
ruling of
case to
present day
society
Shows only a
limited
analysis to
present day
society
Weak analysis,
not thinking
outside the
box
No analysis
relating to
the topic
20%
Grammar Paper
contains no
significant
errors
Paper
contains only
minimal
errors
Paper contains
some major
errors
Paper
contains a
multitude of
major errors
20%
Organization Paper
organized
very well
and written
properly
Paper
organization
and writing
needs some
work
Paper weakly
organized and
written, needs
much work
Poor
organization
and writing
20%















Questions and Answers for Short Class Discussion

Brown v. Board of Education
What did this case declare?
- Stated that separate public schools for blacks and white was unconstitutional
What Amendments were involved?
- Fourteenth Amendment which talks about citizens right and equal protection
Members involved in case?
- Board of Education of Topeka Kansas vs. Oliver L. Brown and other parents of
Topeka.


Plessy v. Ferguson
What were the causes for the case?
- Separate accommodations on railroads for black and white individuals.
Members involved in case?
- Homer A. Plessy and John H. Ferguson.
What was the ruling in the case?
- Racial segregation was upheld due to the constitutional law separate but equal.



Miranda v. Arizona
What was the ruling in the case?
- Criminals must be informed to the right of an attorney and self incrimination
before they are questioned by police officials.
Members involved in case?
- Ernesto Miranda and he was appealing his case to the Supreme Court of Arizona
What amendments were involved in the case?
- Fifth Amendment- the right against self incrimination and the Sixth Amendment-a
defendants right to have an attorney.


Pace v. Alabama
Members involved in case?
- Tony Pace and Mary Cox, arrested because of they were married and of different
race.
Ruling involved in case?
- Supreme Court ruled that Alabamas laws were constitutional.


Loving v. Virginia
What did the ruling do?
- The ruling overturned Pace v. Alabama and allowed members of different races the
right to be married in the U.S.
Members involved in case?
- Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving, sentenced to prison in Virginia for marrying one
another.
What amendments are involved in the case?
- Fourteenth Amendment, the Equal Protection and Due Process Clause.