TEACHER'S GUIDE: Impact of Smith v. Allwright (1944) on Voting Rights
TEACHER'S GUIDE: Impact of Smith v. Allwright (1944) on Voting Rights
This lesson focuses on two main ideas:
- Reconstruction Amendments: After the Civil War, formerly enslaved people gained rights through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. However, Jim Crow laws in the South limited their political, economic, and social opportunities.
- Voting and equality: Thurgood Marshall believed true equality required voting rights, as shown in the Smith v. Allwright (1944) ruling.
PROCEDURE
Introduction (15 Minutes)
- Read the lesson introduction to students and review the new vocabulary. Students will watch the “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect” video clip.
- As a class, discuss the essential questions and thinking questions aligned to the topic and video. This could be done via a think-pair-share or as a whole-group discussion.
Extension (20-30 minutes)
Complete extension activities with students, as you see fit.
Summative Assessment (30 minutes)
Have students apply their newfound knowledge by using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework to analyze the lesson and support their responses using evidence from the videos and activity resources.
- Option 1: Develop a claim about the importance of the Smith v. Allwright (1944) case for African Americans. Use evidence and reasoning from the lesson and video clips to explain why Thurgood Marshall believed this case was such an important victory.
- Option 2: Make a claim about the changes that were still required for African Americans to gain equal voting rights after the Smith v. Allwright (1944) decision. Use evidence and reasoning from the lesson and video clips to explain how these actions helped ensure full participation in democracy.
Summative CER Rubric
Use the provided rubric to evaluate students’ work.
Emerging Score Point 1 | Not There Yet Score Point 2 | Beginning To Score Point 3 | Yes Score Point 4 |
The claim is missing. The claim is incorrect. | The claim is only partially accurate. The claim is not clearly stated or difficult to find. | The claim is accurate but not clearly stated. The claim may have a misconception. | The claim is accurate. The claim is clearly evident |
There is no evidence. The offered evidence is not accurate or not related to the claim. | The evidence supporting the claim is partially accurate. There is evidence of student understanding of the topic and sources. | The evidence is mostly accurate and supportive of the claim. The student understands the task, but has some errors in their application. | The evidence supports the claim without error. The student uses appropriate and accurate sources of information as evidence. |
Reasoning is not provided. The reasoning provided shows poor word choice, and there is no or little relationship to the claim and evidence. | The reasoning provided is not accurate. The word choice does not align with explaining the evidence or in support of the claim. | There is partial alignment with the claim and supporting evidence. Vocabulary is mostly appropriate in supporting the claim. | The chosen reasons wholly support the claim and explain the evidence. The correct sources figure prominently in the explanation. |
Reflection (10 minutes)
Have students complete a reflection in response to the following questions:
- Why should voting be fair for everyone?
- How do you think the case of Smith v. Allwright (1944) changed the United States?
- How is Thurgood Marshall important to the history of the United States?
STANDARDS
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Reference
A film clip from Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect was used in this lesson. Continue to watch the full documentary to hear Thurgood Marshall tell his own story through a rare eight-hour oral history that serves as the documentary’s foundation.