Homeschoolers in Little Rock Arkansas have a unique opportunity to learn about segregation and discrimination. On September 23, 1957 nine African-American teenagers attempted to enter Central High School in Little Rock despite the fact that the National Guard was present to prevent them from entering the school.
Central High School is a National Park as well as an operational school. The events that took place at this school in 1957 were the first test of the Supreme Court's decision on Brown vs. The Board of Education
In this lesson plan students will learn about civil disobedience, discrimination, segregation and the significance of the events at Central High School in September of 1957. Students should be able to explain what the decision of Brown vs. The Board of Education was and how it affected both white and African-American students.
Terms to know:
- Civil disobedience
- Segregation
- Discrimination
Activities:
- Have students define the above vocabulary words.
- Follow the links under resources to learn more about Central High School and Brown vs. The Board of Education.
- Watch the video on the events at the end of this article.
Answer the following questions:
- Did the Governor of Arkansas act within the law? Why?
- Why was it necessary for President Eisenhower to intervene?
- How do you think the nine teenagers felt? What about their parents?
- Would the situation have been different without the verdict in Brown vs. The Board of Education? Why?
Resources:
Central High School National Park
Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas
Smithsonian "Separate is not Equal"
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