TeachRock

Disclaimer:

This lesson contains primary source documents and other materials that may include terms and images reflecting the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times that today are considered offensive and demeaning. Teachrock.org does not endorse the views expressed in these documents, but recognizes the value such materials provide for historical inquiry. For guidance on introducing controversial historical materials into the classroom, we suggest reviewing this document from The Library of Congress: https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2011/11/dealing-with-difficult-subjects-in-primary-sources.

Preparation:

1. Place large sheets of paper around the classroom and label them with the topic names (“14th Amendment,” “Jim Crow Laws,” “Homer Plessy,” “Plessy v. Ferguson”) for students to write on during the Graffiti activity.
2. Print images or prepare devices to display images from Gallery Walk – Minstrelsy.

Motivational Activity:

1. At a place in the classroom viewable to all, write or display the phrase, “Separate but Equal.”
2. As a Quick Write activity, instruct students to respond in writing to the following question:
   • What does the phrase “Separate but Equal” mean to you?
3. Once completed, ask students to share their answers with the class and instruct them that they will be returning to their Quick Write writing at the end of the lesson. Then, ask students:
   • Can things that are separate ever be equal?
   • Can something be equal if it is separate?

Procedure

1. Inform students that they will now participate in a Jigsaw activity to explore the origins and legacy of “separate but equal” in U.S. history. (View instructions for a jigsaw activity here.)
2. Distribute Handout – Plessy v. Ferguson featuring Bert Williams Graphic Organizer (Teacher’s Guide). Organize students into groups of four for the Jigsaw activity. Explain to student groups that they will work together to “jigsaw” four document “pieces.”
3. Distribute Handout – Plessy v. Ferguson Jigsaw Activity. Explain to student groups that each group member will choose one document “piece” to become the “expert” on by reading the document and answer the aligning questions independently. (It may be necessary to provide a way for students to look up the meaning of words they are unfamiliar with in their document.)
4. After students have completed their document piece and answered the aligning questions they will then form “expert” groups with students who completed the same document piece from other groups. Display Image 1, Expert Group Discussion and instruct expert groups to discuss using the bullet points as guidance.
5. After students are finished in their expert groups, have them rejoin their original groups. Instruct each member to take turns presenting their document set to the group, allowing all students to write a summary of all the “pieces” on their graphic organizer.
6. Inform students that they will now participate in a Graffiti Wall activity (view instructions for a Graffiti Wall activity here). Instruct students to visit each sheet and “graffiti” a word or phrase that demonstrates their comprehension of that topic (examples: 14th Amendment = citizen, equal protection, constitution; Jim Crow laws = legal system, white supremacy, separation; Plessy v. Ferguson = segregation, separate but equal, second-class citizen).
7. Bring students back together as a class. Have students share about their word or phrase on each sheet, including providing support for what they wrote based on what they discovered in the Jigsaw activity. Then ask students:
   • What similarities do you notice between the words or phrases on the sheets?
   • How might those similarities support the historical connections between each jigsaw piece?
   • How do all the pieces connect to the phrase “separate but equal”?
   • What might be the origins of the term Jim Crow considering that it’s the name of “a legal system aimed at re-establishing a society based on white supremacy”?
8. Inform students that they will now participate in a Minstrelsy Gallery Walk activity. Organize students in pairs and distribute the Library of Congress – Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Photographs & Prints to each student. Instruct students to use the three stages of the guide as prompts as they walk through the gallery and make notes. Once student pairs have completed the gallery walk, they will write a definition of Minstrelsy on their graphic organizer.
   
9. Display Image 2, Bert Williams. Explain to students that Bert Williams (1874-1922) was one of the first Black American entertainment stars, performing in stage productions often as a Jim Crow-type character from the late-19th century into the early-20th century (this link has additional biographical information). Then ask students:
   • What do you notice in the two images?
   • How do these images relate to the images and text you analyzed in the Gallery Walk activity?
   • Why might Bert Williams have performed in blackface?
10. Distribute Handout – Bert Williams Document Set. Organize students into groups of four. Explain to student groups that for this activity they will pair Bert Williams quotes with texts describing his life and career. Instruct students to follow the instructions for the activity on the first document of the set. 
11. Once completed, ask student groups to share about the text they were assigned, the Bert Williams quote that was paired with it, and to explain the pairing. Guide further discussion into why students may have paired the same quote with different texts. Guiding questions for the discussion could be: 
    • How might your paired text and quote reflect Bert Williams’ experience with Jim Crow laws and the effects of the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling during this time in U.S. history? 
    • How does the life and career of Bert Williams connect to the phrase “Separate but Equal”?
12. Display Image 3, Question for Structured Academic Controversy. Using this handout for guidance, conduct a Structured Academic Controversy either in student groups, or as a class. (View instructions for a structured academic controversy activity here.)
    

Summary Activity:

1. After the Structured Academic Controversy activity, instruct students to write a summary of Bert Williams on their graphic organizer. Ask students to share their summaries with the class, and guide further discussion into the similarities and differences between each summary.
2. Direct students to retrieve and review their Quick Write activity writing, then ask students:
   • Considering everything covered in this lesson, what may have changed in what “Separate but Equal” means to you?
   • What might the legacy of “Separate but Equal” mean for African Americans until the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-20th century?
3. As an Exit Ticket activity, instruct students to write a second version of what “Separate but Equal” means to them, including how its legacy affected African Americans. Once completed, ask students to share their answers with the class, then turn in the completed Quick Write writing.

Extension Activities:

1. Explore the history and significance of the Cakewalk and watch it being performed here. 
2. Examine the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution at the U.S. National Archives website.
3. Explore the website for the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University.
4. Read the Plessy v. Ferguson decision at the Library of Congress website.
5. View Minstrelsy artifacts at the National Museum of African American History and Culture website. 
6. Watch a profile of Bert Williams, with film clips of him performing, on YouTube.

Classroom Activity – Graffiti Wall Classroom Activity – Jigsaw Classroom Activity – Structured Academic Controversy Gallery Walk – Minstrelsy Handout – Bert Williams Document Set Handout – Plessy v. Ferguson featuring Bert Williams Graphic Organizer Handout – Plessy v. Ferguson featuring Bert Williams Graphic Organizer (Teacher’s Guide) Handout – Plessy v. Ferguson Jigsaw Activity

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Social Studies Standards

History

• D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
• D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
• D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.
• D2.His.16.9-12. Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past.

California History–Social Science Content Standards

11.10 Students analyze the development of federal civil rights and voting rights.

• 2. Examine and analyze the key events, policies, and court cases in the evolution of civil rights, including Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, and California Proposition 209.

Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework Standards

Topic 5. The Civil War and Reconstruction: causes and consequences [USI.T5]

• 6. Analyze the consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction (e.g., the physical and economic destruction of the South and the loss of life of both Southern and Northern troops; the increased role of the federal government; the impeachment of President Johnson; the13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments; the expansion of the industrial capacity of the Northern U.S.; the role of the Freedmen’s Bureau and organizations such as the American League of Colored Laborers, the National Negro Labor Council, the Colored Farmers’ National Alliance and Cooperative Union; the accomplishments and failures of Radical Reconstruction; the presidential election of 1876; and the end of Reconstruction)

Social Studies – National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

• Theme 1: Culture
• Theme 3: People, Place, and Environments
• Theme 4: Individual Development and Identity
• Theme 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
• Theme 7: Production, Distribution, and Consumption

Common Core State Standards

College and Career Readiness Reading Information Text Standards for Grades 9-12

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.9 Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance  (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”), including how they address related themes and concepts.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing for Grades 9-12

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening for Grades 9-12

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards

JU.9-12.13 I can explain the short and long-term impact of biased words and behaviors and unjust practices, laws and institutions that limit the rights and freedoms of people based on their identity groups.