Block Interactive Landing Page
Building Justice
Building Justice introduces students to Thurgood Marshall’s early career as a civil rights lawyer and the building blocks that led to his success in landmark Supreme Court cases such as Smith v. Allwright (1944), Shepherd v. Florida (1951), and Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
Students will learn that these victories did not happen by chance. Each case depended on earlier events, social laws, local cases, and prior Supreme Court rulings to set precedents for activists and lawyers to challenge injustice. Together, these “building blocks” show how progress in civil rights law was gradual, strategic, and cumulative.
TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS
How the Activity Works
- Students click on a block to unlock it.
- Each block reveals an event or case and explains how it contributed to civil rights history.
- After reviewing the information, students click “Place Block” and drag the block into the highlighted area in the middle of the screen.
- When all the blocks in a section are placed, students unlock a landmark Supreme Court case. They then answer a guiding question before moving to the next level.
- There are three levels, each culminating in a major Supreme Court decision.
Teaching Tips
- Frame the activity. Encourage students to think of each block as part of a larger strategy—small steps that added up to major victories.
- Practice analysis. Provide students with this graphic organizer to strengthen primary source analysis and critical thinking skills.
- Make connections. Engage students in discussion after each level to connect the “building” metaphor back to Thurgood Marshall’s role as a social architect of democracy.
- Extend learning. Remind students that even unfair or discriminatory laws were important because lawyers could challenge them in court.