For the Classroom
Credit: Library of Congress
CHAMPION OF JUSTICE
Explore the life of Thurgood Marshall before he became the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. These classroom-ready resources for grades 5–12 highlight his childhood in Baltimore, the influence of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and his career with the NAACP and Legal Defense Fund (LDF).
The collection features flexible, standards-aligned materials for classroom use:
- Multimedia interactives—A Case for Change, Building Justice, and Equality by Law—enrich student learning.
- Lesson Starters introduce key ideas, spark classroom conversation, and include primary source analysis.
- Self-paced student lessons let learners explore Marshall’s story and landmark cases through interactive media.
- Lesson plans use the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to guide student inquiry and connect Marshall's enduring legacy to civic life today.
Featured Interactives
Building Justice
High school students examine how equality has advanced through law and continues to evolve today. This interactive highlights Thurgood Marshall’s role in three key U.S. Supreme Court decisions and connects landmark civil rights victories to today’s pursuits for justice.
Equality by Law
Students follow Thurgood Marshall’s journey from an HBCU student to Supreme Court justice. Guided by historical sources and video clips, this interactive timeline traces how his court cases and victories expanded civil rights and strengthened the fight for equality in America.
Grade 5
Thurgood Marshall’s life shows how one person can make a difference - from being denied entry to law school in Maryland because of segregation, to becoming the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
These six resources invite students to think critically, connect the past to the present, and see themselves as individuals who can make a difference for fairness and change.
SELF-PACED LESSON
Thurgood Marshall: A Biography about the Law
Use this interactive lesson to explore Thurgood Marshall’s life, examine landmark cases he led, understand why he valued the law, and describe his lasting legacy.
LESSON STARTER
Thurgood Marshall: Individuals as Tools of Change
Explore the concept of change through the life of Thurgood Marshall, who fought to advance the political, economic, and social rights of African Americans in the 20th century.
LESSON STARTER
Impact of Smith v. Allwright (1944) on Voting Rights
Explore the Reconstruction Amendments, Jim Crow laws, and why Thurgood Marshall considered his 1944 Supreme Court victory in Smith v. Allwright a significant legal achievement for democracy.
LESSON STARTER
The Road to Equal Education: From HBCUs to Brown v. Board
Explore the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their role in supporting Thurgood Marshall and other African American leaders’ success.
QFT LESSON PLAN
"Mr. Civil Rights"
Elementary students investigate the guided inquiry question, “Why was Thurgood Marshall called ‘Mr. Civil Rights’?” and examine primary sources to collect evidence to answer the question.
INTERACTIVE
A Case for Change
Elementary students examine primary sources in Thurgood Marshall’s briefcase to practice cause-and-effect reasoning and learn how three key cases expanded civil rights and equality.
Grades 6-8
Thurgood Marshall, America’s social architect, reshaped democracy through law—advancing civil rights, inspiring leaders, and transforming education with landmark victories.
These six lessons explore Marshall’s connection to HBCUs, the vision for justice shaped by his mentor Charles Hamilton Houston, and the impact and resistance surrounding the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
SELF-PACED LESSON
Civil Rights as a Democracy Project
Use this interactive lesson to explore 19th- and 20th-century African American history and how Thurgood Marshall used the courts to advance democracy and civil rights.
LESSON STARTER
Engineering Social Change for a Better Society
Explore how Thurgood Marshall and other civil rights leaders used social engineering to drive change, inspired by Charles Hamilton Houston’s vision for justice.
LESSON STARTER
The Important Role of HBCUs During Social Movements
Learn how HBCUs became catalysts for social change, educating African Americans and fostering leaders who challenged injustice and worked to build a more equitable future.
LESSON STARTER
The Aftermath of Brown v. Board: Reactions and Responses
Examine how Thurgood Marshall’s legal work led to the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board decision, and how resistance efforts slowed progress toward civil rights.
QFT LESSON PLAN
"Mr. Civil Rights"
Middle school students investigate the guided inquiry question, “Why was Thurgood Marshall called ‘Mr. Civil Rights’?” and examine primary sources to collect evidence to answer the question.
INTERACTIVE
A Case for Change
Middle school students investigate Thurgood Marshall’s briefcase to connect evidence from primary sources with three landmark cases that advanced justice and equality.
Grades 9-12
As a lawyer and civil rights leader, Thurgood Marshall used the courts to fight segregation, strengthen voting rights, and challenge injustices within the U.S. criminal justice system.
These six resources investigate how Marshall drew on the 14th Amendment to advance equal protection, confront racial discrimination, and reveal the limits of justice in mid-20th-century America.
SELF-PACED LESSON
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Use this interactive lesson to discover how Thurgood Marshall used the law to secure equal protection and examine how his Brown victory advanced civil rights for African Americans.
LESSON STARTER
Smith v. Allwright (1944)
Learn how the Texas all-White primaries excluded Black voters and how the Supreme Court’s 1944 Smith v. Allwright decision, argued by Thurgood Marshall, expanded voting rights.
LESSON STARTER
The Groveland Case
Examine how violence and threats of violence restricted African Americans’ civil liberties, and see how the Groveland case reveals deep injustices in the criminal justice system.
LESSON STARTER
The Impact of Brown v. Board and the Resistance to Change
Explore the impact of Brown v. Board of Education and the resistance that followed. Learn why this landmark civil rights victory sparked strong opposition to school integration.
QFT LESSON PLAN
"Mr. Civil Rights"
High school students investigate the guided inquiry question, “Why was Thurgood Marshall called ‘Mr. Civil Rights’?” and examine primary sources to collect evidence to answer the question.
INTERACTIVE
Building Justice
High school students examine how equality has advanced through law and continues to evolve today. This interactive highlights Thurgood Marshall’s role in three key U.S. Supreme Court decisions and connects landmark civil rights victories with modern-day pursuits for justice.