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Briefcase Interactive Landing Page

A Case for Change

In A Case for Change, students investigate primary sources from Thurgood Marshall’s briefcase, each connected to a landmark civil rights case he helped win.

 

  • Murray v. Pearson (1936): equal access to education and integration of the University of Maryland Law School
  • Smith v. Allwright (1944): expanding voting rights and ending all-white primary elections
  • Brown v. Board of Education (1954): equal access to education and school desegregation

 

Designed for grades 5–8, students practice cause-and-effect reasoning by matching problems with legal or social changes and explaining how laws advanced civil rights. 

 

Launch Interactive

TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS

Teaching Tips

  • Ask the essential question: Start by asking students, “How does change happen through the law?” to activate prior knowledge. Encourage them to connect the question to their own experiences before exploring the sources.
  • Model analysis: Walk through one primary source together, highlighting details, context, and how to identify the cause and effect with the source.
  • Use the graphic organizer: Have students record the problem (cause), the solution (effect), and supporting evidence from the sources to answer the essential question.
  • Have a discussion: Encourage students to compare answers in pairs or groups, using sentence starters like “I think this shows…” or “The evidence suggests…”.
  • Extend learning: Link cases like Murray v. Pearson (1936) or Brown v. Board of Education (1954) to current events about fairness, rights, or access, helping students see continuity over time.

STANDARDS