Public learning track
The Supreme Court and the Fight for Civil Rights
4th Grade · Social-studies · US-WI-SS
7 lessons
Goal
Understand how the judicial branch functions and analyze landmark Supreme Court decisions that shaped civil rights and school integration.
7 lessons
0 of 7 done
- 1How the Judicial Branch Interprets the ConstitutionUp nextStart
- 2Citizen Action: Using the Court System for ChangePremiumNot started yet
- 3Thurgood Marshall: Civil Rights Attorney and Supreme Court JusticeNot started yet
- 4Dred Scott v. Sandford and the Restriction of RightsNot started yet
- 5Plessy v. Ferguson and the Doctrine of Separate but EqualNot started yet
- 6Mendez v. Westminster: Challenging School SegregationNot started yet
- 7Brown v. Board of Education and School IntegrationNot started yet
Standards Covered
- SS.PS2.c.hWisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Analyze how the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the restriction and enabled the expansion of rights for groups. Evaluate different goals and methods of groups who have advocated for access to greater rights (e.g., women, religious groups, civil rights groups, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ). Analyze the role of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs such as Save the Children or the Red Cross) in how human rights have been addressed in different countries.
- SS.PS3Wisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Wisconsin students will analyze and evaluate the powers and processes of political and civic institutions.
- SS.PS2.c.mWisconsin Social Studies Standards · Social-studies · Grade 4 (target) · Grade 4Compare and contrast the political, social, and economic status of marginalized groups both historically and in the present, both in the United States and worldwide. Investigate how groups (e.g., women, religious groups, civil rights groups, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ) have advocated for access to greater rights.
Curriculum Framework
4th Grade · Social-studies · US-WI-SS
1
7 lessons
Civic Rules, Rights, and Governance
Examine how rules, legal duties, and governance structures protect rights and maintain fairness across classrooms, families, and towns.
2
8 lessons
Civil Society, Community Cooperation, and Active Citizenship
Explore how community institutions, diverse perspectives, and civic action support the common good and strengthen neighborhood life.
3
6 lessons
Understanding Decision-Makers and Civic Participation
Explore how schools and local communities are governed and discover the many ways young people can participate in civic life.
4
9 lessons
Youth Advocacy and Community Action Strategies
Master practical advocacy skills—including petitioning, persuasive writing, public speaking, and coalition building—to lead positive community change.
5
8 lessons
From Slavery to Suffrage: Expanding Rights in Early America
Analyze how early American laws restricted freedom and examine how movements for abolition, Reconstruction, and women's suffrage expanded democratic rights and the vote.
6
7 lessons
Civil Rights Movements and the Fight for Equal Justice
Examine how Native Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, and people with disabilities challenged systemic discrimination and secured landmark civil rights protections.
7
7 lessons
Historical Grassroots and Labor Movements
Explore how workers and community groups historically organized unions, boycotts, and moral crusades to improve working conditions and social justice.
8
8 lessons
Civic Action and Community Advocacy Strategies
Learn how modern coalitions organize protests, media campaigns, and lobbying efforts to create community change and design an advocacy project.
9
5 lessons
The African American Civil Rights Movement
Understand systemic marginalization and explore key milestones, leaders, and nonviolent strategies of the mid-20th-century Black civil rights struggle.
10
10 lessons
Diverse Civil Rights Movements and Global Advocacy
Investigate how diverse communities advocate for civil rights and compare equality movements across historical and modern eras.
11
7 lessons
The Supreme Court and the Fight for Civil Rights
Understand how the judicial branch functions and analyze landmark Supreme Court decisions that shaped civil rights and school integration.
12
8 lessons
Landmark Rulings: Individual Freedoms and Equal Justice
Examine landmark Supreme Court cases protecting student speech, due process, and marriage equality, and evaluate how court decisions affect daily life.
13
9 lessons
Universal Human Rights and Global Declarations
Examine the origins of the United Nations and key international human rights frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and conventions protecting children and Indigenous peoples.
14
6 lessons
Humanitarian NGOs and Global Action
Investigate the role of nongovernmental organizations in defending human rights and learn how individuals can advocate for global humanitarian causes.
15
6 lessons
Government Institutions and the Separation of Powers
Examine the purposes and jurisdictions of government levels and analyze how the three branches operate through checks and balances.
16
9 lessons
Elections, Voting, and Civic Participation
Explore how political parties, campaigns, the media, and elections function, and learn how informed citizens participate in a democracy.