MYSTERY
Historians find evidence. In this lesson, students will investigate how people used the Supreme Court to fight discrimination. They will learn about the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting laws and research its decisions on important issues in the years after the Civil War. Students will compare the Court’s decisions and apply evidence and reasoning to answer the mystery question: "Did the Supreme Court help make people more equal?
“As a second and third grade teacher for the entirety of my career I had long taught students history through inquiry. Seeing students explore history in this way has been SUCH a joy! Lightbulb moments galore! A teacher’s dream!...unlike lessons I had taught in the past, I didn’t have to find the primary sources. I didn’t have to research them. I didn’t have to write the lesson plan from scratch. I didn’t have to do anything but read the lesson plan… and teach the lesson!”
“I just used the first lesson in the Mapping Unit. It was so great to get students talking about what they noticed and also expand their thinking on how maps have a special purpose to the user.”
"I love that students got to look at REAL court cases! And it was so easy to use!"
"I liked the simplicity of the handouts. Not too much there to be overwhelming--just enough. Simple, clear directions. The photographs of the clues were great for the students to have."
This Mystery is included in the following Private i History Detectives Unit:
How Did Laws, Courts, and People Impact Civil Rights in the Late 1800s?
Other Mysteries in this Unit: