Thurgood Marshall History Activities
Civil rights activist and landmark Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall made history by breaking racial barriers throughout his life. He worked for decades to end legal segregation in the United States with the famous "Brown v. Board of Education" case. He was also the first African-American appointed to the Supreme Court. Students can learn about and honor Marshall's contribution to American history with educational in-class activities.
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Timeline
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Students can understand the length and scope of the civil rights movement by creating a timeline of its landmark events. Options include creating a general timeline of the civil rights movement, a timeline of Thurgood Marshall's contributions to the movement, and splitting the class up into groups to create timelines of different civil rights activists, to see how their actions overlapped with each other. Encourage creativity by having students illustrate their timelines.
"Now Let Me Fly"
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Students can read and perform the play "Now Let Me Fly" in class. Written by playwright Marcia Cebulska, the play was commissioned by Washburn University to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. The play is available for royalty-free performances and readings, including those by students of any age. It is also available in three versions of varying lengths and age appropriateness. "Now Let Me Fly" takes place in 1950 and is the story of Thurgood Marshall and his plan to take on the country's "Separate but Equal" segregation laws.
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Obituary
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Test student understanding of Thurgood Marshall's accomplishments by having them write an obituary. Unlike traditional tests, this affords the opportunity for creativity--students will write a short article detailing his life and achievements. To foster more creative exploration, students may complete an entire newspaper page to give the obituary context. They could draw advertisements, write other small articles or draw a picture of Marshall to accompany the obituary.
Northern and Southern Newspapers
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Thurgood Marshall's win against "Separate but Equal" segregation was controversial at the time. This research activity will demonstrate to students that ending legal segregation in the United States did not instantly end racism or intolerance. Students should research newspaper articles from both Northern and Southern states covering the Brown v. Board of Education case--during the proceedings and after the verdict. The differences between how the media presented the case may demonstrate for students that the fight for civil rights lasted for decades and did not end with this case.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit school room image by Alfonso d'Agostino from Fotolia.com
