Brown v. Board of Education… An Important Trip to Topeka

My mom and I took a trip to Topeka to visit the Brown vs. Board of Education national historic site over the summer. I am glad I went and I think this would be an excellent field trip after a civil rights unit or after reading a novel as a class about segregation and/or civil rights.

The Brown vs Board of Education National Historic Site does an excellent job of educating visitors. The guides were knowledgable and were very willing and able to answer any questions.

The historical site has a video play on a loop in one room called Race and the American Creed. There are two rooms with informative displays called “Road to Brown” and “Legacy of Brown”. The room that I thought was the most powerful was the Kindergarten room.

Displays are everywhere with information. There were displays in the parking lot, outside, in the hallways, and in the rooms.

Activities

There is a letter in the Kindergarten room to a black teacher that was teaching around the time that the Brown vs Board of Education case was going through the courts. The school district was letting her go because they said once the schools were integrated that white parents would not want their children taught by black teachers. It goes on to say that if segregation is not decided to be unconstitutional then they would negotiate a contract with teachers at that time. I would have students read this primary resource and then I think this could be used as part of a socratic seminar. The questions that would guide the discussion would be dependent on the age of the students participating and the unit being covered. My hope is that students would have the opportunity to think about the Brown vs Board of Education case from the perspective of black teachers who were teaching when this case went through the courts.

Resources

Below are some resources from the gift shop. The education part of the Brown vs Board of Education website has a variety of different resources.

A tip from someone who has been there.

This mural is catty corner to the historical site. I think this mural could at the very least be something that prompts discussion, but I could also see activities created in response to this mural.