Honor the important figures involved in Brown v. Board of Education with a re-enactment using a readers theater presentation that gives voice to those involved in this historic case.
About These Resources
- Re-enactment - Use a readers theater format to re-enact the case.
- History of Brown v. Board of Education - Learn about the background and similar cases.
- Justice Thurgood Marshall Profile - Read about Justice Thurgood Marshall's early life, education, and legal career.
What is readers theater? It is a dramatic reading of a prepared script as if it were a stage play, however, there are no costumes, props, or actions. Instead, volunteers use expressive voices and gestures to add interest and meaning to the story line. Participants hold their own copy of the script and read their respective parts so that everyone in the audience can hear. They do not memorize their lines. The emphasis is on comprehension and student-centered learning.
How to Use These Resources
Assignments: The teacher gives each speaker a scripted part to read.
Speaking Parts: Twelve students have speaking parts. One speaker is a student greeter, and another is a narrator. All others are historical characters (e.g., Thurgood Marshall, Chief Justice Earl Warren).
Practice: The historical figures practice their lines with partners prior to the re-enactment.
Performance: Students take their places at assigned spots where they stand to speak.
Rosa Parks — Ride to Justice
Learn about Civil Rights hero Rosa Parks and four other women, also forced off city buses, and how their courage led to a federal court decision to strike down segregation on buses. Find out more in the Rosa Parks Collection at the Library of Congress.