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Lesson Plan

70+ Years Later: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education School Segregation Protest

Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration

Protest march against the segregation of U.S. schools, St. Louis, MO, 1954. Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration.

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GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School

COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Speaking and Listening, Language

“We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” These are the words of the landmark Supreme Court decision on May 17, 1954 that declared segregated schools unconstitutional. More than seventy years later, even though much progress has been made, there are still great inequalities and disparities in our school system.  

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and will read about and analyze the ways in which school segregation has persisted in the U.S.

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will learn more about the landmark school desegregation ruling, Brown v. Board of Education.  

  • Students will learn more about the ways in which segregation in schools has continued.  

  • Students will analyze how school segregation manifests in different places across the country.