Lesson Plan

Lights, Camera, Action Lesson Plan

Grade Level:
Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Subject:
Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
Lesson Duration:
30 Minutes
State Standards:
NATIONAL/STATE STANDARDS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI

Essential Question

Who were the key figures in the Brown v. Board of Education court case? How did they contribute to desegregation?

Objective

Students will be able to identify each character with examples from the scripts.
Students will be able to explain how the actions of the individuals involved in Brown affect their lives today. 
Students will be able to explain the relationships of the individuals involved in Brown or how they relate to one another.

Background

Linda Brown
Daughter of lead plaintiff, Oliver Brown, in Brown v. Board of Education. Linda lived in a neighborhood that was near a white school, however, she had to ride a bus further away to go to a black school. In the summer of 1950, Oliver Brown attempted to enroll her in the neighborhood white school but they denied her admission because of her race. As a result, Linda Brown became the face of the struggle to end segregation in public schools. 

Lucinda Todd
Community activist in Topeka, Kansas who fought for equal education. She was one of thirteen plaintiffs in Brown v. Board of Education. She served as the secretary for the Topeka chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 

Charles Scott
Lawyer in Topeka who helped lead the plaintiffs of Brown v. Board of Education to victory. Charles Scott was influenced by his father Elijah Scott, a prominent African American lawyer in Topeka, to become a lawyer and fight for civil rights. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King helped organize a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1955, one year after the Brown decision, beginning the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation in all aspects of society.



SUBJECT:
African American History and Culture, Civil Rights Movement, Constitutional Amendments, Constitutional Law, Government, History, Leadership, Social Studies
DURATION:
30 minutes
GROUP SIZE:
Up to 24
SETTING:
classroom

Preparation

Materials include the scripts for Linda Brown, Lucinda Todd, Charles Scott, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Download and print a copy of the lesson plan.

Lesson Hook/Preview

Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights Movement are brought alive by students dressing, reading, and acting the stories of people involved in the struggle for equal rights. These stories tell who they are and why they chose to be a part of the Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit and the Civil Rights Movement.

Procedure

1.) Divide students into four groups to read, perform and act as individuals involved in Brown v. Board of Educationand the Civil Rights Movement.

2.) Give each group a script to read. Tell them that they are to pretend that they are that person and perform it to the class. Give them about 10 minutes to decide how their group choses to present and practice the script before they perform it or read it out loud in front of the class. Answer any questions they have about the character or help them pronounce words they may not know.

3.) If props are available provide the students with hats, gloves, jackets, purse, shoes, etc.

4.) Once each group is ready to perform the scripts should be delivered in order and out loud in front of the class. 

a. Linda Brown
b. Lucinda Todd
c. Charles Scott
d. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

5.) After each group is done reading their script, ask the class the following questions. Who is (Linda Brown, Lucida Todd, Charles Scott, or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)? What did they do that affect our lives today?

6.) After all the students have read through their scripts, ask the following questions. How are individuals connected, or how do they relate to one another?

Vocabulary

Segregation, Brown v. Board of Education, Civil Rights

Assessment Materials

Assessments are based on student responses to the questions provided in the procedures. The teacher is responsible for checking student understanding of the learning objectives.

Additional Resources

The lesson relates to the park by telling the local story of Topeka, Kansas in the Brown v. Board of Education US Supreme Court case.
 

Information on Lucinda Todd- http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/lucinda-todd/16897

Information on Charles Scott- http://etext.ku.edu/view?docId=ksrlead/ksrl.kc.scottcharless.xml

Contact Information

Email us about this lesson plan

Last updated: July 16, 2021