Timeline Interactive Landing Page
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.
Equality by Law traces key legal cases and events that upheld the 14th Amendment’s promise of equal protection, showing how American democracy was shaped by Thurgood Marshall, a social architect of justice. The interactive includes rich multimedia features that encourage students to investigate history on their own. Biographical profiles provide important context about the people who shaped pivotal moments, helping students connect individual stories to the broader struggle for civil rights. This classroom invites students to connect history, people, and law in powerful new ways.
TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS
Teaching Tips for Grades 5-10
- Preview key concepts so students are prepared to understand the central themes.
- Frame the activity with age-appropriate inquiry questions. Provide students with this graphic organizer to list details and evidence to support their answers.
- Model primary source analysis using the Library of Congress analysis tool.
- Engage students with the video content. After viewing clips, prompt students to examine the perspective and details that deepen their understanding of the case or event.
- Highlight biography connections and see how individual decisions and actions contributed to the broader civil rights movement.
- Adapt for grade levels:
- Grades 5–7: Focus on storytelling, people, and fairness. Use shorter sections of the timeline and simplify legal language.
- Grades 8–10: Challenge students to compare cases, trace cause and effect, and evaluate how one decision set the stage for another.