NYSBA/LYC Brown v. Board of Education

H.S. Lesson Activity no. 4

Participants and Editorial Views on Events at Little Rock

Application

High School Students

Lesson Time

One to two class periods

Objectives

  1. To demonstrate an understanding of how an individual’s point of view can be integrated into their appraisal of historical events
  2. To demonstrate an understanding of how an individual’s point of view might impact public opinion regarding specific historical events
  3. To demonstrate an understanding of how an individual’s point of view might be used as a means to interpret specific historical events
  4. To demonstrate an understanding that there are many different opinions about specific historical events and these differences should be considered in an evaluation of these events

New York State Social Studies Standards

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York State

  • Students analyze historical narratives about key events in New York State and United States history to identify the facts and evaluate the authors’ perspectives
  • Students consider different historians’ analyses of the same event or development in United States history to understand how different viewpoints and/or frames of reference influence historical interpretations

Materials

Handouts

  • http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/central/ (Ralph Brodie, editorial from Arkansas Gazette)
  • New York Times, Sep. 25, 1957, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, New York State Library (online)(President Eisenhower)

    Note: To access this article, you will need a New York Library Card.

  • Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster, The Century, Doubleday, 1998, p. 353 (Anne Thompson)
  • Daisy Bates, Long Shadow of Little Rock, New York, 1962 (Elizabeth Ekford p 72-76, Jefferson Thomas p. 124-127)

References

Web Sites

Books

  • Waldo Martin Jr., Brown v. Board of Education: A Brief History with Documents, Bedford St. Martins, 1998
  • Melba Patillo Beals, Warriors Don't Cry: a Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rocks Central High, Simon & Schuster, 1994
  • Elizabeth Huckabee, Crisis at Central High, Louisiana State University Press, 1980

Activities

Introduction

This can be a group, class, or an individual activity. Points of view include:

  • Ralph Brodie, president of the student body of Little Rock Central High School
  • Editorial from the Arkansas Gazette, September 1, 1957
  • Anne Thompson, student at Little Rock Central High School
  • Jefferson Thomas, member of the Little Rock Nine
  • Elizabeth Eckford, member of the Little Rock Nine
  • President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Address

  1. Distribute article(s) and have students read the different viewpoints about events in Little Rock.
  2. Discuss the viewpoint of the writer(s) about events at Little Rock Central High School using the following as a guide:
    • What is the individual's background?
    • Discuss specific references from the article(s) that demonstrate the individual's viewpoint
    • Use information from the article(s) to discuss and evaluate how the individual’s point of view might have had an impact on public opinion about events in Little Rock

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