Democracy and Inequality: Challenges and Possible Solutions

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 21.03.03

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale and History
  3. History
  4. Appendix on Implementing District Standards
  5. Conclusion
  6. Classroom Activities
  7. Vocabulary, People, and Events
  8. Notes
  9. Student Resources

Racial Inequities in Public School Today: Reflecting on Failures of Brown V Board

Emma Kessler

Published September 2021

Tools for this Unit:

Guide Entry to 21.03.03

There are two sides to every story- the advantaged and the disadvantaged. A culmination of five court cases throughout the United States led to the Supreme Court- Brown V Board of Education in 1954. The ruling favored Brown, stating that schools must desegregate as it was found that separate was not equal per the Constitution. Since then, what has happened has been shocking- public schools continue to be segregated and appear to be more and more segregated as time goes on. It begs the question- there a winning side and a losing side? Who is winning? Are those on the losing end getting the short end of the stick and access to the information and education they deserve? We'll be taking a deeper look using disparate sources on what happened in Brown V Board to today and looking to the future on where public education is heading. My students will be asked challenging questions that require critical thinking to differentiate between desegregation and integration and create solutions to the problems we face as a nation. My students will present these inequalities and possible solutions as a living museum allowing them more ownership of their learning and taking action against segregation that continues in schools and how to make positive changes.

(Developed for Virginia Studies/Social Studies, Science, and Math, grade 4; recommended for Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Science, grades 4-12

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