Printer-friendly versionActivity Ideas
:: A World Apart (Grades 3-7) In her interview, Beverly Daniel Tatum says: "Many social organizations that were once all white are now 'integrated.' However, … residential segregation has largely persisted for African Americans. White flight continues to be a reality in urban/suburban communities, and worship services continue to be highly segregated." Ask students to draw, photograph or describe in writing the places where they feel segregated. Create an "A World Apart" bulletin board display for the classroom or school hallway.
Once the display is completed, ask students to reflect verbally or in writing around questions such as "What keeps us separated?," "How does it feel to be separated?," "What am I doing that keeps us apart?" and "What can I do to bring people together?"
:: Venn Diagrams – Benefiting from Brown (Grades 4-12) In his interview, Reg Weaver warns, "The benefits of Brown, of racial diversity in our schools, of having expanded opportunities do not come automatically. It takes action by people – our students, our parents, our educators, our policymakers, our public." What kinds of action might these groups need to take?
Help students organize their ideas – and identify shared and distinct responsibilities – using our Venn Diagrams: Actions to Benefit from Brown (PDF). For younger students, compare and contrast two groups. For older students, compare and contrast three groups, or all five. Add a math element by challenging upper grades students to construct their own "N=5" Venn Diagrams, instead of using the provided worksheet.
:: The Supreme Court, 1954 and 2007 (Grades 10-12) This summer, the Supreme Court issued a new ruling on school integration that many commentators believe undermines the promise of the Brown decision. After exploring the background materials at the top of this page, allow students to review information about contemporary school segregation and the Court's decisions from 1954 and 2007, or these excerpts (PDF). Ask students to write an essay explaining the promise of Brown as they understand it and how the new decision supports or contradicts that promise.
